Build A Concrete Block Machine--Make Money With Concrete Products

Build A Concrete Block Machine--Make Money With Concrete Products
Making concrete blocks is a wonderful business opportunity.
You can start a part time business from home,working from
your garage,and build a business which will become a full
time very profitable enterprise. As a part time
entrepreneur you have little risk as you can continue to
work at your job till you feel that your business has grown
enough to support you. Then and only then you will become a
full time concrete products manufacturer .

Concrete blocks are always in demand for building
everything from large buildings to tiny backyard projects.
They never go out of style since they are a basic commodity
of the building trades. When you make concrete blocks and
other concrete products you will always have ready
customers for them.

As a part time cement block manufacturer,working from
home,your overhead costs are minimal. This puts you in the
position of being able to offer very competitive pricing
and still make an excellent profit. Building supply stores
will be very happy to have a low cost local supplier.
Transportation of concrete products from more distant
suppliers is costly due to their size and weight.

You can start by making concrete blocks from hand made
molds. Plans are available for these molds and they are
easy to make from plywood and sheet metal. You simply fill
the molds with the appropriate concrete mix and turn the
blocks out to dry. One person can easily make 100 cement
blocks per day with molds.

As sales grow you will need a method of making more
concrete blocks. This is the time to acquire a concrete
block machine. With a machine you can turn out hundreds of
blocks per day to fill large orders. There are a number of
manufacturers of these machines. They are expensive but
will pay for themselves with increased production. Go buy
one if you can afford it. If not there is a good
alternative--build your own concrete block machine. How?
Well,plans are available which show how to build a cement
block making machine from auto parts. It is fairly simple
to build and very low cost. If you can't weld you can have
the necessary welding done at your local welding shop. Your
home built machine is every bit as good as the commercial
models and can turn out 800 blocks in a working day.

You will also want to make other high profit concrete
products such as garden ornaments,bird
baths,sundials,vases,window boxes,furniture to mention just
a few. All of these things can be made from hand made molds
or often without the use of a mold. Plans and instructions
are available for all of these projects. There is a big
profit margin on these items and there is a strong demand
for them.

Making concrete blocks and other concrete products is a
wonderful business. They are always in demand from builders
and others. You can build a business which will produce an
income you can only dream of when working at your job. But
please don't just dream about it. You can make it a reality
and bring your dreams to fulfilment.Why not find out how
easy it is to get started?

----------------------------------------------------
Want to know how easy and inexpensive it is to start a
concrete products business from home? How to make your own
molds? How to build a great low cost concrete block machine
from auto parts? Just click here for complete information
http://www.concreteblockmaker.com

Top 10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Marketing Dollar$

Top 10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Marketing Dollar$
Here are the Top 10 Tips I give small business owners and
entrepreneurs on a daily basis when I see them out at
networking functions. These 10 things will be the least
expensive and probably the most effective forms of
marketing that you could do to promote your business.

1. Display your cards at coffee shops, book stores,
businesses of people you know, membership stores like
Costco and Sam's Club; all of these are free.

2. Hold an Open House, Ribbon Cutting or some kind of an
event to attract the public or your specific target market
to your business (It's important to plan well and publicize
the event with releases, invitations, entertainment,
promotional items, giveaways, etc.). Coordinate this with
your local chamber of commerce so they publicize it to
their membership as well.

3. Put your sales message and/or logo on everything, your
car, shirts, nametag, building, invoices, envelopes, sales
flyers, receipts, tags, etc.

4. Invite trade for services for things you may need
(bookkeeping help, CPA, financial or attorney advice,
marketing, advertising, promotions, signs, promo items,
printing, products, services, etc.). This will save you
money and give you other avenues to pursue for referrals as
well.

5. Go in with other small businesses that compliment your
business on advertising, chamber inserts in the newsletter,
inserts in the local papers, direct mail pieces, door to
door flyers, etc. (i.e.; housekeeping business and carpet
cleaning business).

6. Make sure you are listed on all local area or national
website directories necessary that will target your message
for you. Do the free ones for sure, but evaluate them if
they charge a fee. Do the fee ones if they are high up on
search engines, if they can produce results that they
promote their site and if their site is user friendly.

7. Include links to other people's websites on yours and
ask to do the same for added exposure. Have an "I
recommend these businesses" page.

8. Networking is the cheapest form of advertising you can
do - find organizations, associations, chambers, groups and
monthly meetings that include your best target for business
and visit them first, then join if you see the value. Some
you don't have to join just keep paying the entry fee and
no pressure to join but same benefits, not always the case.

9. Follow up, Follow up, Follow up with everyone you meet
and ask them what their business is all about and how could
you work together to promote each other?

10. Never base your advertising decisions on what YOU do,
take yourself out of the picture and think like your
customer and what they would generally do.

Well, hopefully you are doing everything on that list
already in your business, but if not I'm sure I've only
reminded you of what you already know to do. NOW DO IT!

----------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2008 K.Sawa Marketing. Katrina Sawa is an
Award-Winning Relationship Marketing Coach who's helped
hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in
their businesses to get them to the next level in business,
revenues and life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group
coaching and do-it-yourself marketing planning products. Go
online now to get started with her Free Report and Free
Audio at http://www.jumpstartyourmarketing.com !

Coaching Skills Training: Key Skills: Asking Questions

Coaching Skills Training: Key Skills: Asking Questions
Asking questions is essentially the way that we can help
the people we coach to find their own solutions in their
own way. Asking a question honours the other person's
knowledge and experience whereas giving an instruction
ignores them. A probing question is simply one that gets to
the heart of the matter, and with this in mind we are
better off asking 'open' rather than 'closed' questions.

An open question will begin with Who, What, How, When etc.
and encourages the person responding to think carefully and
to give a full reply.

A closed question, on the other hand, will tend to begin
with Did you, Can you, Will you etc. and normally gets a
sharp yes or no response.

Closed questions are less helpful in coaching conversations
as they produce less flow or rhythm and can often mean that
the coach struggles to formulate the next question.

Closed questions also appear when a manager is trying to
use coaching as instruction in disguise and uses questions
like "Don't you think you ought to....", and "Wouldn't it
be better if..."

A short experiment will illustrate the point. In your next
conversation try to find out what the person you're talking
to had for breakfast but use only closed questions. Later
on try to discover what someone else had for breakfast
using only open questions.

In the first instance you'll find yourself asking "Did you
have cornflakes?", "Did you have toast?", "Did you have
coffee?", "Did you have tea?" This is an exhausting way of
finding information.

When you used open questions you probably realist that you
could get to the heart of the matter simply by asking:
"What did you have for breakfast?"

Using open questions we can start a coaching conversation
with a very broad enquiry like "How're things?" and then go
deeper and deeper as the conversation progresses, so that
we end up with questions like "How often each day would you
find yourself being snappy with customers?" or "How much
time exactly would you need to complete the task?"

You might like to experiment with these example questions
which are linked to the principles of Awareness,
Responsibility and Trust I have examined in previous
articles.

The conversation for Awareness:

What's happening? What stands out? What do you notice
about...? How do you feel about...? What are the variables
here? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

The conversation for Responsibility:

What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? What
is the best way of getting there? What changes would you
like to make? Could this create any conflict? What are the
alternatives?

The conversation for Trust:

If it was up to you, how would you accomplish this task?
When have you succeeded in a similar situation? What are
the best attributes you bring to this situation? What would
it take to feel more comfortable?

----------------------------------------------------
Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. His popular
mini-guide "Coaching for an Easier Life" is available FREE
at http://www.mattsomers.com

Building Relationships - How to increase your power and influence

Building Relationships - How to increase your power and influence
When I first started consulting, one of my business
partners said to me "Bob, you know so many people in the
industry and you are known to so many people, your people
resources are so valuable to our business." I hadn't
thought of it that way before. I'd merely been interested
in making as many contacts as I possibly could so that I
could build my knowledge of the industry and at the same
time, help others.

Apparently, what I had been unconsciously doing was
building my network. Now, when I think back to that
experience, I can recall the countless times that these
contacts asked for my advice, which I gave very freely.
The really great thing about my network was that whenever
my boss or another senior manager had a difficult or
challenging question that related to our industry or
profession, I was able to come up with an answer. It was
merely a case of getting on the phone to one of my contacts.

Developing personal networks by building positive
relationships across the organisation, is one aspect that
sets successful managers apart. These networks often
survive throughout a successful manager's career.

Networks provide three distinct advantages:

- Access to private information that you might not normally
get

- Access to diverse skills, knowledge and advice when you
need them

- Power - developing personal power as opposed to formal
(positional) power

"You are who you know". Your influencing power is really
enhanced when you have a wide network of people.
Successful managers call on these people when they need
help, guidance or advice.

In prior times, power came through people's roles - i.e.
positional power. More and more in today's organisation
that is flatter and often matrix, role power is
disappearing. Things now get done through who you know,
not what role you hold. Power rests with the individual,
not the role. So there is both more pressure and more
incentive to develop a good network.

The four rules for building and maintaining your network -

1: Build volume and diversity in your network

2: Give, give, give!

3: Make contact with your potential network members

4: Keep in touch to maintain your network

Rule 1: Build volume and diversity in your network

As we all do initially, I networked for friendship. It's
natural to start building your network with people who are
similar to you in personality, style, career and personal
interests. However, the people who have the best networks
also have the most diverse networks. Add those people who
are different to you in personality, style, likes and
professional interests to your network. In this way, you
will be more likely to capture the help you need, when you
need it.

As one famous author on the subject, Keith Ferrazzi (2005)
once said "The best time to build a network is before you
need it."

New managers, when building a network, often make the
mistake of first looking upwards to their senior managers -
surely it is those "up there" who can be of most help. Do
not only look upwards - go for everyone. Everyone is a
potential network member. Often it is the people that you
least expect to be of help that provide you with the
introduction or direction that you need.

Sales people reading this article may recall the story
James Lavenson of The Plaza Hotel in New York told about
his idea to have all employees using their networks to
promote sales. You can imagine the scepticism which
greeted one of the ladies who worked in the laundry when
she asked if she could participate. The result? Well, she
organised a luncheon for her small church group. "500
church members showed up for lunch at the Plaza dressed to
the heavens and paying cash."

Rule 2: Give, give, give!

It feels really good when you are able to help someone
else. But there is another reason for giving. When you
give, people are more likely to give back. In fact the
social psychologists have a term for it, "reciprocity".
The research clearly shows that the more you give of
yourself, the more likely people are to help you when you
need it. In fact in his recent book "The Happiness
Hypothesis", Jonathan Haidt cites compelling social
psychological evidence that reciprocity is an inbuilt human
response. "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is
not just a saying, it's actually part of our basic makeup.

You might be saying, "Yes, that's OK, but how do I give?
How will people come to me? Why should they?" Become an
expert. You may recall Kevin Costner saying in the 1989
film Field of Dreams - "Build the field and they will
come". Build and promote yourself as an expert and they
will come! You need to focus on an area of skill or
knowledge and develop yourself as an expert in that field -
learn all you can about it.

Rule 3: Make contact with your potential network members

Members of your network should be both within your
organisation and external to it. Internal network members
are more likely to be of help with getting things done.
External members are more likely to be of help in
developing your knowledge and expertise. Additionally,
both will be of considerable help in developing and
progressing your career.

How do you make contact with potential members? Here are
some suggestions - you'll probably think of some more as
you read through the list.

- When next you are in an interdepartmental meeting or
project team meeting, make contact with someone who has
impressed you and suggest that you get together for a
coffee. Give this person some positive feedback about what
you liked that they did in the meeting.

- Ask your boss for the names of some of the people outside
of your department that could be of help to you. Call them
up and arrange to meet. Make sure you have a topic to
discuss, or if you are new to the organisation, you could
ask for their advice on navigating your way through the
organisational deep waters.

- Arrange to meet with key customers or suppliers of your
department or organisation. Always make sure you know as
much as possible about your contact before meeting them.
Offer advice or help on an area of interest to them.

- Regularly attend professional / industry events. Make a
point of making contact with at least two people at each
event. These are people that you will definitely call
later and meet with. They are in addition to all the
people with whom you will swap business cards during the
event.

- Join Industry and professional or trade associations,
local chambers of commerce, etc. Make contact with at
least two people with whom you will later meet.

- Join special interest group committees, or if your time
does not permit, offer to speak at their sessions or
conferences. Once again, make contact with at least two
people with whom you will later meet.

- Finally, as was said before, develop yourself as an
expert in a particular field. Become known both inside and
outside the organisation as someone "who knows a lot about
that". In this way, people will start to beat a path to
your door.

Rule 4: Keep in touch to maintain your network

Making the first contact is obviously important. However,
keeping in contact over the longer term is the only way to
maintain your network. This requires some discipline. If
you are that way inclined, then you're off to a flying
start. If not, then make your diary work for you - e.g.
all of the computer planning and diary systems have the
ability to enter people's names and follow up dates, so use
these aids.

Some ideas for keeping in touch ...

- Draw up a list of your contacts.

- Make a note to stay in touch on a regular basis. A
minimum time is every three months.

- Diary to contact a certain number of your network members
every week. In this way, you can spread the load evenly
throughout each quarter.

- Send people emails on areas of interest to them.

- When you come across an article or website that may be of
interest to someone, send them the details.

- Invite people to coffee or lunch.

- Put people in touch with other people who may have
similar interests or needs.

Influencing - a real benefit!

As a colleague once said to me "I've noticed a real side
benefit to influencing. People like being around people
who use their influencing skills well. Good influencers
seem to exude a sense that things happen when they're
about. They don't sit around wishing things were different
whilst moaning there's nothing they can do about it. Nor
do they blame others or complain about what needs fixing.
They see what needs doing and set about getting it done."

----------------------------------------------------
Bob Selden is the author of "What To Do When You Become The
Boss", a practical "how to" for managers. If you have a
management challenge, visit Bob at
http://www.whenyoubecometheboss.com/

to find an answer.
Alternatively, you can phone Bob on +41 61 921 66 51
between 9 and 5 (GMT +1)

Who Is Inside You Talking?

Who Is Inside You Talking?
'Change' is inevitable as are the 'voices of change.' Some
voices are internal; others, external. The larger your
change, the more voices appear. We all need a variety of
voices in our world. Sometimes we need a devil's advocate,
and at other times, expansive thinking. Deciphering which
ones are valid in each instance makes you unstoppable.

Internal voices are often a mystery. Some may seem
supportive yet are designed to hold you back. For example,
while considering taking on a huge new account, the
following voice may appear: "Oh honey, don't push so hard.
You're fine the way you are."

Many internal voices are highly critical and make you feel
rotten for even considering your change: "Who do you think
you are? Why would they want to do business with a rookie
like you? Remember that account last year when you failed
miserably?"

Soft internal voices of curiosity, intrigue and creativity
are the ones to value. "I wonder what I need to take on
that new account? I can rearrange my schedule, read that
insightful new book George recommended, and brainstorm with
Seth who is more experienced than I am at this point. Yes,
with focus and creativity I can do this."

It's key to take time to differentiate your conflicting
internal voices. In moving fast, you allow simultaneous
voices to shoot through your mind, which exhaust and
confuse you. It's like trying to catch individual drops of
water shooting out of a fire hose.

External voices can also be tricky. You know who you can
trust and who you cannot trust by now, right? What about
those whom you trust on a business level but possibly not
on a personal level. Many of us don't take time to
distinguish between the two.

The opposite is also true. We sometimes overlook the fact
that someone not directly involved in our business or
relationships can have priceless insight.

Below are four considerations when listening to numerous
voices of change:

Slow it down. Enthusiasm is a natural by-product of
change. We are excited to move forward and imagine the
possibilities. Once we get the thought in our mind, we
want to move fast. While it is often necessary to act
quickly, taking even a few moments of time to breathe and
quietly listen allows clarity.

Listen intently: What tones are you
hearing—cynicism, compassion, wisdom, jealousy,
doubt, genuine support, inquisitiveness? Are these voices
coming fast or through deep consideration? What is the
true meaning behind the words?

Assess your feeling: The test of a relationship is how you
feel when you walk away from an interaction. The same is
true of these 'voices.' How do you feel after leaving a
conversation or processing something internally? What is
your body telling you? Do you feel excited, energized,
cautious, peaceful, agitated?

Write it down: Take time to evaluate the above keys in a
quite place away from your normal daily activities. A
park, coffee shop, or day away from it all can provide
invaluable insight. Writing your thoughts down activates
both sides of your brain for further clarity. It also
slows down your thought process so you can see the
simplicity you may have missed in your haste.

This week, notice internal voices surrounding changes you
are considering. How can you master the art of knowing
which ones to value? In what areas of your life are you
unstoppable? Have a grand week and enjoy your discoveries.

----------------------------------------------------
For the sake of keeping your career fresh and on track,
would you like to enjoy a weekly shot-in-the-arm from
Master Certified Coach Ann Golden Eglé? You can sign
up for her free weekly ezine, The Success Thought of the
Week, at http://www.gvsuccesscoaching.com .

Mentoring: A Little Help Goes a Long Way

Mentoring: A Little Help Goes a Long Way
Mentoring programs offer companies an efficient and
economical way to manage and develop human assets. A
mentor can transform an average employee into an
exceptional leader. A mentor can guide an up-and-coming
leader through the maze of leadership skill acquisition. A
mentor can even improve the production levels of
low-performers. A mentor cannot, however, make an
individual want to excel. Nor can a mentor simultaneously
boost employee production and groom powerful leaders.
Companies must, therefore, learn how to employ mentoring
programs that make the most of limited resources. This
requires that companies set parameters around the 'who' and
'what' of mentoring.

Mentors can give high potential employees an extra push or
inefficient employees some needed discipline. Both groups
are worthwhile subjects, but companies will find it
difficult to simultaneously implement two distinct
mentoring programs. Before employing mentors, therefore,
companies must determine the subject of a mentoring
program. As a company, you may prioritize leadership
development over workforce productivity. If so, you will
favor a mentoring program that produces top-line managers
over one that yields efficient workers. On the flip side,
a company that struggles to maintain a solid workforce may
prefer to attain a stable employee roster before grooming
employees for management.

Without clear parameters mentoring programs flop. Thus,
once a company decides the subject of mentoring programs,
it must then establish a process with defined objectives.
A mentor for high performers will have an entirely
different role than one whose focus is remedial. This is
because employees in need of discipline typically are not
next in line for management positions. A mentor striving
to turn a productive employee into a productive manager
will focus on the skills involved in overseeing a team. At
minimum, this skill set will at minimum include
communication, decisiveness and big-picture thinking. By
contrast, a mentor for low-level employees will address
such issues as attitude, production, efficiency, and
time-management. Rarely will the skill sets overlap enough
to permit a mentor to effectively work with both employee
groups.

Every mentoring program needs a beginning and an end. The
need to push an employee or groups of employees to the next
level prompts the establishment of a mentor-mentee
relationship. Mentoring could continue indefinitely, but
at some point cost will override benefits. A company must
determine the point at which mentoring will be deemed
complete. It also must define indicators of effectiveness,
the essential pieces of the puzzle. In other words, a
company must have a clear understanding of the end goal,
whether it is performance improvements or leadership
readiness.

Arbitrary time frames are one way to mark an end, but may
prove worthless if a mentee has not achieved the goal in
the allotted time. Instead of concluding a mentoring
program after six months, for example, companies should
explore goal-based mentoring programs. A goal-based
program focuses on an individual's capabilities and
improvements rather than on some specific future date. A
mentor will assess an employee's progress based on the
skill sets needed to achieve the end goal. Every new skill
set that an employee acquires marks a new milestone along
the route to the finish line. Thus, mentoring will not be
complete until every skill set can be checked off the list.

The selection of a mentor is an integral and definitive
component to any mentoring program. A mentor can come from
within the company if a person exists who is both capable
and willing. Otherwise, a company can explore alternatives
such as coaching, or contracting with retired business
leaders. Each option has its own set of pros and cons.
Whereas a mentor from within the company may have to
relinquish duties to fulfill the mentor role, an external
mentor can be costly for an organization. A company must
decide how to best to use financial and human resources to
accomplish the desired objectives.

----------------------------------------------------
Linda Finkle, CEO of Incedo Group, works closely with
leaders and management to create sustainable productivity
and organizational strength. She holds a Master Certified
Coach designation through the International Coaching
Federation. For more information on Linda and Incedo Group,
please go to http://www.MakeSomeDamnMistakes.com

Professional Profiles - Showcase Your Uniqueness In Your Professional Profile

Professional Profiles - Showcase Your Uniqueness In Your Professional Profile
Your professional and business profile needs to reveal your
uniqueness. Your uniqueness is part of you and plays a
huge part in your success. Your potential clients need to
know what is special about you. They need to know why they
should come to you for services.

How do you accomplish this?

One way is to tell your readers what makes you unique. What
is it about you that makes you stand out?

Is it how you perform your service? Is it that one extra
benefit you offer your clients that others don't?

Take a minute right now to think about this. What do you do
that others in your industry don't? Write it down.

Now describe what your uniqueness is. Write out the
details. Write out exactly what you offer, how you offer it
and what benefit your extra service offers to your clients.
What do they get out of it? What's in it for them? This is
part of your USP (unique selling position). This is what
makes you special. You want to and need to include this in
your business or professional profile. This is what is
going to make you stand out and attract your new clients to
you. This is what is going to make those clients want to
come to you to satisfy their needs.

If you are saying to yourself you don't know what makes you
stand out, what makes you unique, then it's time to take a
step back, sit down in a quiet place and reflect on what
you are doing. Think about your services and what one thing
could you add to your services to give you that competitive
edge.

There are hundreds of service providers who offer the same
services you are. What can you do that the others aren't?

Find that one thing and you will be on the road to success.

Now you need to write about it and add your unique offering
to your professional and business profiles.

How do you effectively communicate to your reader what your
usp is?

Start by summarizing everything you wrote when you were
describing it in the steps above. Use nouns and adjectives
to describe the benefits. Explain how they will benefit.
Keep in mind, you want to sell benefits, not features.

Write like you are talking to your potential client one to
one. In fact, talk it out. Say it out loud. Say it as
write it. That's the best way I have found to e

You need to show your potential clients why they need your
services over the competition by adding your unique selling
position to your professional and business profile.

----------------------------------------------------
You are invited to learn more about writing your company
profile at my website: http://www.anitaspen.com

Download
your complimentary copy of my latest report: "Top Tips to
Writing Company and Personal Profiles: 20 Do's and don'ts
to Creating a Powerful and Influential Marketing Tool".
This report is sure to help you as you write your profile,
whether it be personal or for your company.

What To Do When They Don't Call Back After Your Job Interview

What To Do When They Don't Call Back After Your Job Interview
Not getting a follow up call, as promised, happens more
than you think. Candidates are sure that they are a shoe-in
for the position, and expecting an offer, and then nothing.
This is not only frustrating for the candidate, but
reflects poorly on the company.

Expecting a call that doesn't come

Cheryl feels confident that she aced the interview, and has
followed up with a dynamite thank you letter. She was told
a decision would be made before the end of the week, and is
almost sure she will be getting an offer. That was Tuesday,
and by Friday she is having doubts. There has been no call
from the company.

Does this mean she isn't going to get an offer? Should she
call and ask, "What's up?" Should she just hang by her
nails over the weekend?

What to do?

Cheryl decides to consults her cousin, Gloria, who is an HR
manager at another company. Gloria tells her that she
should call the interviewer and find out where she stands.
She advises her to wait until Tuesday to call. (Mondays are
always bad)

The follow up phone call

On Tuesday morning, Cheryl is equipped with a script so she
will be focused and confident when she makes her call. She
gets a voice mail and leaves her message.

"Miss French, This is Cheryl Jones, we met last Tuesday
when I interviewed for the position of Customer Service
Rep. I'd like to inquire about the status of the position
and whether I am still under consideration for the job. I
would appreciate it if you would get back to me today. My
number is 333-999-8888. Thank you for your time."

Be persistent - not a pest

If you don't get a return call as promised, call them and
leave a message. Be prepared, professional, and courteous.
Try to reach the person at least one to three times,
explaining that you want the information before you
consider other positions because this company would be your
first choice. If you don't get an answer, consider it a
"No" answer. There is a fine line between being persistent
and being a pest.

You may get lucky and get a "live" person when you call to
find out your status. If you do have such luck, you can use
this opportunity to ask for feedback on your interviewing
effectiveness. Sometimes, not often, a person will spend
some time and give you advice. If this happens, be grateful
and learn from the experience.

Most employers are aware that candidates are anxious about
the status of their acceptance, and will let them know in a
timely manner. But, there are employers who do keep
candidates waiting and wondering what happened, even though
they said they would call by a certain date. Take this into
consideration as information about the company's practices
and whether you would want to work for this company.

In the meantime, rather than sitting and waiting for that
phone call that may never come, continue to work on your
job search. It is never wise to "put all your eggs in one
basket."

----------------------------------------------------
Carole Martin, America's #1 Interview Expert and Coach, can
give you interviewing tips like no one else can. Practice
for your interview FREE at http://www.interviewcoach.com

The Continuity Factor

The Continuity Factor
The best new ideas are often old ideas brought back to
life. Sometimes the ideas are altered to fit particular
circumstances but, many times, the application is altered
to fit current circumstances.

Over twenty years ago, when I was in the financial services
industry, I decided to alter our business from
commission-based to charging a monthly fee based on a
percentage of assets. This was a radical thought at the
time because the brokerage business was based on
commissions. The change was also difficult to execute
because it took some time for monthly income (based on a
lower rate) to catch up to handle current overhead. The
change required confidence that the new monthly fees would
last and we had to temporarily cut overhead at the same
time.

Fortunately, it proved to be the best decision I ever made
in business. Since that pivotal moment, I have never had a
business that did not have a continuity component attached
to it. Additionally, every business we consult with is
taught the value of continuity and has it structured into
their business plan.

Continuity income is simply income that is based on a
monthly plan or membership program. If you have a
continuity program, you can count on a certain income
stream coming in each month whether you find a new client
or not. This is not to say that you do not need to keep
looking for new clients, because you do. Instead, it is a
mechanism that produces income so that, should you have a
bad month in finding new business, or should the economy
falter, you still have money coming in regularly, allowing
for time to make adjustments. If you do not have a
continuity program in your business or profession at this
time you have to get a certain amount of new customers or
you are going to have serious problems in a short amount of
time.

The ideal goal in a continuity program is for the
continuity to first cover your monthly overhead. When you
do that, all new business goes to profit and expansion. The
next goal is to make money just on your continuity.

When we present the continuity factor to clients, some have
an immediate "ahhh" experience. Others struggle with how
the application could possibly be structured into their
business. These clients frequently say the same thing: "But
my business is different." Trust us. It's not. Let me give
you some examples so you can see the applications of
continuity in different businesses. Our goal is for you to
consider how continuity can be applied to your business so
you can enjoy its benefits.

A real estate broker in Iowa works exclusively with
investors. He has a successful track record of finding good
income-producing properties. He offers a tiered continuity
program where investors pay different amounts each month
for the opportunity to be higher up on his investor list in
order to see new properties first. For $1,000 per month,
you get to see them immediately. In addition, he must agree
to work with you exclusively and give you a fee as a
buyers' broker when you buy the property. He also
represents you when you sell the property. The continuity
factor in his business takes the pressure off having to
find something new in a particular month.

Frequently, continuity is designed around a marketing
service or an ad campaign that a company has developed to
consistently produce new clients. For example, a client we
are working with has a commercial cleaning company. They
have developed a very successful lead generation system. We
are developing a monthly payment program based on providing
leads to other cleaning companies in non-competitive areas
that pay a fee for the exclusive rights to those proven
marketing methods.

Our latest client is a pizza business, which our law firm
is franchising. The pizza delivery company sells a monthly
membership service that gives discounts and higher priority
for phone orders based on membership levels.

And to blow your mind even more: We actually know of a
funeral director that guarantees recovery for the family of
a lost one and charges a continuity fee for counseling and
grief services.

Continuity in your business will improve your income and
your stress level. We encourage you to think about how
continuity can be used in your business. If you want help,
let us know.

----------------------------------------------------
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See The Business Growth Blog at
http://www.DicksNantonAgency.com

Learn How to Use Career Training to Your Advantage

Learn How to Use Career Training to Your Advantage
Are you interested in changing your career or job? If you
are, your first impulse may be to automatically quit your
current job and going right out and applying for a new job.
While the decision is yours to make, this isn't a smart
way to change jobs since there are no guarantees.

Instead, take the time to find the perfect job and use
career training to your advantage.

Career training comes in a number of different formats.
Career training is different from person to person,
depending on the career of choice. For example, if you are
looking for a career in health care, you may need some
medical training. You might need to attend medical school,
even if it's just to receive certification for nursing. On
the other hand, if you are interested in working as a
secretary, your career training may involve courses that
teach typing or office management skills. Career training
can dramatically improve your chances of successfully
changing careers or jobs.

The purpose of career training is to educate you on one
particular career field, such as nursing, accounting, or
office management. By furthering your education in a
particular field or branch of study, you walk away with a
large amount of skill and knowledge, making you very
marketable in your career field of choice.

Depending on the how far you want to go in your particular
career, you might even want to go back to school and get a
degree, further your degree, or get an extra certification.
These are documents that you can give all prospective
employers access to for verification of your training,
knowledge, and skills.

One of the many reasons why career training can assist you
when you are looking to change careers or even just jobs is
because it can help you stand apart from your competition.
Not a lot of job seekers choose to continue their education
because it is too time consuming, costs to much money, or
they are happy being at the job that they are at. This
means that you can really use career training to your
advantage and leap ahead of the crowd.

For instance, if you are interested in applying for a job
as a secretary, you can take a few office management
classes, typing classes, or computer software classes
before you start applying for new jobs. By taking this
approach, your job training is new and fresh. This not only
gives you an advantage over those who do not have career
training behind them, but it also gives you an advantage
over those who received training a year or more ago.

As ideal as it is to hear that career training can offer
you assistance, when looking to change jobs or careers, you
may be curious as to how you go about getting that
training, especially if you are still currently employed.
Career training is offered through a number of different
centers, which are commonly referred to as career centers
or vocational training centers. You may also be able to
receive career training at your local community college.
What is nice about many of these establishments is that
they offer affordable and flexible training classes and
courses. In fact, you will likely find that a good
percentage of career training classes are taught at night
or on the weekend. This is what essentially enables to you
receive career training while still holding down your
current job.

As outlined above, it is relatively easy for you to go
about enrolling yourself in career training courses, for a
wide variety of different career fields. There are also a
number of benefits to doing so. Of course, the decision as
to whether or not you want to use career training to your
advantage is your decision to make, but if you are serious
about changing jobs or changing careers, it is something
that you should seriously consider. In all honesty, what
do you have to lose by at least examining all of your
options first?

----------------------------------------------------
Find Your Next Job and Advance Your Career.
http://job-sources.info

Good Management Is Hard To Find

Good Management Is Hard To Find
For a small business owner that has a growing business one
of the greatest challenges that you will have to face is
how to find experienced management. Every business large
and small faces the difficult task of finding competent
managers but large enterprises generally have a much larger
pool of qualified candidates to choose from. They'll have
newly minted MBA's beating down their doors every
graduation. People with years of experience looking for a
change of scenery. They're biggest problem is not finding
people that can do the job, it's choosing the best of the
pack.

But your business on the other hand will probably be the
exact opposite. I mean really how many people go to school
to learn how to run a convenience store, a dry cleaner, a
landscaper, or a copy store. Plus the countless thousands
of other small business types that exist. Of course the
problem is that those small businesses can become fairly
large in their own right. And it's then that you're going
to need some sort of qualified help or you might find
yourself overwhelmed.

So what can you do? Well the obvious answer would be an out
of this world benefits package that you could use to
attract an MBA or two. But we know that's probably not
realistic. So lets start with where you find potential
managers to begin with. Of course you'll do the usual and
run some employment ads in the classifieds, or maybe you
have a help wanted sign in the window. But come on we're
looking for someone that can help manage your business as
it grows not just another employee. One way to go is using
an online service such as Monster.com. But this approach is
not going to be right for all businesses. How many people
that are experienced in running a dry cleaning store
actually use such a service?

So instead of hoping they'll find you maybe you should go
hunting for them. So how do we hunt for an experienced
candidate? For starters check with your competition. I'm
not saying call up the owners and ask them but maybe you
can pay a visit to some of your competitors. For example
say you own a restaurant but haven't been able to find a
good shift manager. Well go down to your local mall and
visit the food court. Watch the different fast food joints
during the lunch rush.

It's usually obvious which stores are better run than
others. Which ones are really busy but still manage to keep
their customers happy. Which ones have employees that like
their jobs and are good at them. Attributes that are the
product of good managment. And most likely the direct
result of the shift or store manager. Once you've
identified who that person is that is keeping that store
humming look for an opportunity to strike up a
conversation. Try to find out if they're truly happy in
their job or feel maybe their efforts are underappreciated.
You'll find that people that are really good at their jobs
know it and many feel like they're not being recognized for
it. This can provide you an opportunity. After having
talked to them explain your own situation and ask if they'd
be okay with you observing them further in their work. But
remember if they say they're okay with it keep in mind they
then might go to the effort of trying to impress you.
Instead of doing their job in their normal manner.

Of course you don't need to settle on finding just one
candidate. The mall itself is a wonderful place for this
kind of approach. Assuming you can find businesses that are
similiar to yours there. You should be able to spot some
very good candidates for your business. Once you do you can
go about the business of setting up some interviews with
them.

What you need to remember is that no matter how forlorn the
industry you're in may be there are experienced well
qualified candidates available to you. You just might have
to hunt them down instead of waiting for them to come to
you.

----------------------------------------------------
Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who
has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His
years of experience in small business cover a variety of
topics. If you are looking for more information on this
subject and others related to starting and running a small
business you can visit his website at
http://www.SmallBusinessDelivered.com

Profitable Ways to Expand Consumption Through Innovative Pricing

Profitable Ways to Expand Consumption Through Innovative Pricing
If you break even on an offering, you can't afford to
charge less. But where you do make a profit, reducing your
profit per unit may be useful to increasing your overall
profits. What are the situations you should look at for?

First, you need to think about situations in which having
customers buy more of your products and services would cost
you very little. In doing this evaluation, be sure to
consider what your actual costs would be rather than just
what your standard costs tell you they would be on average.

Unless you have already done Activity Based Costing,
finding out the answer will mean doing some investigating.
You should find out how, when, and under what circumstances
costs will occur and investments will be required if you
sell more. You do need to cover those cash outlays and
costs when they occur.

As part of this evaluation, you should also think about how
you could change the way you provide your products or
services. The potential of making products and services
available at vastly lower prices should change your
perspective.

As you remove price as a barrier to purchase, you will
realize that your offerings have more fundamental
limitations that must be addressed. For instance, how could
you offer new attractive benefits that would influence
customer behavior by adjusting your offerings?

For example, if you sell macaroni, could you add more
appealing recipes that are easy to make that would appeal
to a family on a budget so that they would want to eat
macaroni more often? Could you take this one step further,
and provide a free container of powdered spices that would
inexpensively dress-up the macaroni?

Second, focus on profitable pricing structures that will
make increased purchases of your offerings as close to free
as possible for a given transaction at a moment in time.
Such offerings will often have higher prices for lower
volumes of usage and lower prices for higher volumes.

In extreme cases, there may be an annual charge (such as
the membership in a warehouse club) that permits access.
Such a charge can allow you to drastically drop the prices
on the goods you offer, so that their value and the value
of the membership will both seem higher.

Sometimes, the same result is achieved by having a minimum
charge. If people do not use all of the services needed for
overcome the minimum charge, increased use will be free
until they do.

Third, understand how the cost of your offerings affects
the way your customer thinks about costs. Most companies
are very careful about what new expenses they incur because
of their focus on producing the budgeted profit amount.

However, many costs never affect that profit number. For
example, one reason that investment bankers get paid such
enormous fees is that the cost of those fees rarely reduces
the profits of their clients.

Usually, accounting rules permit the fees that are charged
to be capitalized as a cost of the transaction that has
taken place and are counted on the balance sheet rather
than running through the profit-and-loss statement. Can
what you do be capitalized in some similar fashion rather
than being an annual expense for customers?

If not, you may still have some influence over which fiscal
years the expenses fall into. There may be more budget in a
future year (if a company is coming out of a weak period,
for example), and pricing that allows the costs to shift
between years may well be critical to changing behavior.

Changing when your costs are incurred can also be an
opportunity. Imagine if you had locked in the cost of oil
as a refiner before the big price increases. You could sell
your gasoline at a ten percent lower price than anyone else
and sell vastly more until your hedge position ran out.
Based on your increased volume, you might well be able to
continue to sell at a lower price.

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 2,000 Percent Solution, and The Ultimate
Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.fastforward400.com .