Wednesday, July 27, 2011

10 all-times Business Quotes

  • If the opportunity doesn't knock, BUILD a door. Milton Berle
  • It doesn't matter how many times you fail.  It doesn't matter how many times you almost get it right.  No one is going to know or care about your failures, and neither should you.  All you have to do is learn from them and those around you because... All that matters in business is that you get it right once.  Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are.  Mark Cuban
  • A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.  Henry Ford
  • An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today. Laurence J. Peter
  • In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people... they no longer can lead solely based on positional power. Ken Blanchard
  • Business, that's easily defined - its other people's money. Peter Drucker 
  • Money is human kind's greatest invention. Money doesn't discriminate. Money doesn't care whether a person is poor, whether a person comes from a good family, or what his skin colour is. Anybody can make money. Takafumi Horie
  • For all of its faults, it gives most hardworking people a chance to improve themselves economically, even as the deck is stacked in favour of the privileged few.  Here are the choices most of us face in such a system:  Get bitter or get busy.  Bill O'Reilly
  • When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. Napoleon Hill
  • My job is a job to make decisions. I'm a decision... if the job description were what you do. It’s decision maker. George Bushism

10 tips to keep your office table clean and tidy

We often find ourselves, and others too, faced with the dilemma of cleaning the office table and keeping it files-free. A time comes when it becomes difficult to clean up the mess and the piles reaches the height of K-2. Although some suggest that a heavily loaded office table gives a “positive impression” to the senior management of “consulting and researching”, but more often than not you send a message of lethargy and incompetence to others.

What to do then? How to clear the mess? I have often tried to follow the following simple tips and found these to be working, provided if these are followed every day or at least 2-3 times a week. You delay doing these, and you end up in a quagmire of useless files and old closed cases still hanging around. And when it comes to finding the current cases, you get lost in the litter of the century.

So make a resolve today to keep your office table clear of everything but the essential by adopting the following tips.
  1. Ensure your office table has nothing but a computer, a pen holder and a telephone. No foot rulers, paper clip dispensers and adhesive yellow memo papers. All such things like adhesive tapes, memo papers, paper clips, punching machines and stapler to go into your first drawer for easy access.
  2. When a project finishes, immediately remove all connecting files to the record keeping cabinet, while ensuring to keep the final paper at the top.
  3. Never put “useful” papers and files in your drawers – as these are never consulted and keep piling up. Place all such things in a folder and keep these in the cabinet or the down most drawer of the desk. And do not forget to throw away the file after six months as all “useful” things by then must have lost their usefulness.
  4. Do not keep visiting cards under the glass of your table top. You seldom refer to these as essential contacts are already stored in your cell phone. Keep a visiting card holder for storage of all business cards, which you receive in loads everyday a visitor comes to you.
  5. Have a scanner around you. This will allow you to scan something useful and stored into your computer rather than piled up near you or on your office table. This will rid you from tons of papers you think are going to be consulted very often.
  6. Do not keep any other while except those related to your current folder. This is the best time to open a new folder with sub-folder facility to store related documents connected to your current project. You will find yourself organized when the project finishes and it would be easier to off-load one master folder to the records keeping cabinet. This will relieve you of sifting files and papers of importance from non-essential every time you finish up a project.
  7. Have files folder placed on the side table to store incoming files. Do not keep a “Pending Files” folder, as this will compel you to delay things and the pending tray would keep piling up. If a file comes in, it must go out the same day, or else it will never go away.
  8. If you are sharing your table with someone else, ensure you have separate trays, lest you keep finding your files from his files dump.
  9. Colour code your files for easy sifting, storage and retrieval.
  10. And last of all; keep your personal files away from your desk top. These must be either in your briefcase or in a specially folder, marked as such, and kept in a drawer. Remember, drawers are for personal things and not for official documents or files, as these may get lost when carrying out a cleansing.

I am sure by getting organized this way would improve your efficiency, and avoid getting perspirations when a file gets lost in a pile of files when it is needed the most. Likewise, you should store files in your computer is folders rather than on the desktop, which I often find cluttered with files that are difficult to access. The catch word is “be organized for tomorrow” rather than “get lost tomorrow.”

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

How to break the “NO” or negative news

In business, saying no is very difficult as it usually hurts clients and may turn them away forever. But, sometimes saying NO or declining an offer or even announcing a critical delay in shipment becomes inevitable – so what to do in that situation? Well this has to be dealt with very carefully, intelligently and with a bit of shrewdness.


Often, the usual approach is to send an e-mail or a letter, thus shielding behind words and letters rather than facing the client or customer in a manner that ensures a no-hurt feeling besides retaining the client as well.

Here a few tips that may work out a safer strategy rather than a grudging client storming into your office and @#$%%%@@##, you know what I mean.
  • First of all a NO to a proposal, offer or suggestions should never be sent electronically or through courier a service. Receiving a rejection through an indirect means can act like a bombshell, or could even cause a stroke if the client was hinging everything on the deal in question. So what to do? Well good companies always call over the clients over a cup of tea for “discussion” on the proposal or deal and then very intelligently creating an atmosphere in which the client is readied to listen to a decline or a rejection. This way one may win over the heart of the client in favour of the company who could tell others of the “graciousness” of your staff for having called them over rather than sending a usual rejection letter.
  • These days, there is trend of sending a custom made reply to customers or clients through e-mails of saying a NO or anything to that effect. This shows a non-personal and mechanical approach, devoid of sentiments and that personal touch that c company must establish with its clients and customers. Some clients or customers consider such acts as disinterested approach and company’s inability to reach out to its customers or clients personally. Wouldn't it be better to as the customer services to pick up a telephone and talk it over personally? The bigger or more the potential level of client, more level should be raised in the company to establish a contact. It would be equally bad for a lower staff to talk to a CEO of the company on the other end. Ask some senior manager to do this.
  • Good companies never commit serious issues or matters in writing that could later become an embarrassment. Even such matter should not be discussed on telephones as these can be taped. So either sue a personal contact or use the company’s “chat” facility using internet as this cannot be copied for later reproduction to embarrass you on some forum or even legally.

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  • Likewise a written excuse sent either through e-mail or postal service can be used by a rival company in their favour and to your discredit. If the shipment is being delayed or an order cannot be honoured in the stipulated time frame, use direct means that cannot be recorded. All written actions will be treasure in the hands of rivals, who would know the state of affairs in your company, such as delays in shipment due to financial constraints or non-availability of raw material etc. So be on the lookout how to make an excuse for a delay which doesn't harm your company’s interests.
  • And last of all, if you happen to be interacting with a nasty client or customer, who is delaying shipments or payments, do not send a deadline or an ultimatum in writing. Such actions should always be talked over across the table as one may find at the end that a discussion finally made the other party succumb to your concerns and agreed to deliver the shipment in time or make the payments as earlier agreed. Having your legal aide by your side would be an added advantage as he could interject with legal options which the other party may not be taking into consideration.
These are just a few tips of resorting to a more personal touch rather than using any type of mails to do business with your partners, clients and customers. You will find these much to your advantage both in management of clients as well as raising the confidence of all those who are in business with you. 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Google Plus – a new platform to promote business

The impact of social media on business has been tremendous. The use of many platforms already available on the internet has been greatly taken advantage of by shrewd and clever businessmen who find these platforms an easy, attractive and popular forum to promote their products and business.  Many thought that Facebook was the ultimate, till Google Plus came forward.

Google has already dominated the internet world for its user friendly approach and accessibility. With eh introduction of Google Plus, yet another forceful, dynamic and platform has now been made available to Google users in particular and others in general.

As Marshall Kirkpatrick  writes, “The fundamental value proposition is around privacy: it's the opposite of Facebook and Twitter's universal broadcast paradigm. Google Plus is based on the Google Circles feature, which lets you share and view content to and from explicitly identified groups of your contacts, and no one else. It's really easy to use and a great feature - but even if you're communicating out in public, the rest of the service is very well designed, too. This is a smart, attractive, very strong social offering from Google. Below are some notes after a few hours of use.

Although for the time being, Google is testing its new social media platform with a small group of users, it is already attracting earlier users of many older platforms through its rather smart and thoughtful solutions that mar the performance of other social media platforms. Since I joined the Google Plus club, I find it appropriate for people or groups who have similar interests and it allows integration of other Google services at one platform.


The businessmen can find this platform a novel way of promoting their business to group of people who have similar interest and likings This feature of the Google Plus should usher in a new era for the promotion of business than any other earlier social media platforms. Another feature of Google Plus that would be buyable by the businessmen is its privacy feature. Unlike other platforms where one gets bombarded with followers, here no one gets added automatically. One has a choice to add people, just like Twitter. And one can make circles or groups of people of similar likes and interests to target one’s activities, rather than throwing everything in one basket to be seen by interested and non-interested alike.

Two other features of Google Plus will be of much interest to the businessmen; the group video chat via webcam, called Hangout, and the ability to chat with a group, called Huddle. These two functions have immediately been adopted y Facebook to be competitive.

Although there are certain snags in Google Plus, like the search facility and to send messages. But then it is still in the testing phase and I am sure these will get added in as people send back feedback.

So stay tuned and get acquainted with Google Plus, as it is all set to dominate the existing social media platforms in time to come and will prove to be the strongest and dynamic of all.

Why some managers win, and some don’t

We often find some brilliant managers in business; shining, progressive, beaming, confident and full of life and energy. The CEO and the board of directors praise them whenever there is a board meeting or an occasion to celebrate. And then there are some, who are always blamed for anything that goes wrong; or they do things advertently or inadvertently that make them a show-down case and a loser in the long run.

The difference between a successful and failed manager is in their perspective. While the successful have a positive attitude towards life and the business, the failed one use all their energies focused on negativity to let down the successful one. If somehow they transform their negative perception to positive one, they can be a winner too. But they don’t, and continue to lose for all or some of the following reasons:
  1. Negativism: As I just said, the losers focus on negativism all the time. The loser chose it as a matter of choice, which changes their perception from a broad winning one to a narrow and painful negative one that not only hurts them physically, as thinking in negative terms takes a heavy toll of your nervous system, but also professionally in losing.
  2. Jealously: Yes, the monster inside most of us. Every new car a neighbour buys, or the appreciation letter or pat from the chief executive to that sparkling and striking manager makes many around him jealous of him. The jealous people just forget that they in fact are harming themselves as it will sap your energies and rather than working hard to overtake, you burn your energies in grudging and cursing.
  3. Perfectionism: There are many who need 100% output of their effort and when they don’t, they lose heart and become self-drawn. Man is not a machine to produce 100% all the time. The successful managers settle for 80/20 ratio. And that is the key to success.
  4. Irresponsibility: People who blame others and fail to accept responsibility when things go wrong, are caught one day and are then labelled as hoodwinkers. It is better to accept responsibility when things start to go wrong, rather than blaming others that may result in a bigger loss. Assuming responsibility makes one stands tall and strong, rather than sheepish and feeling guilt by hiding one’s failures.
  5. Argumentation: Ever seen some arguing and reasoning with clients and colleagues on petty matters? Argumentation never makes people win, reasoning with logic does. Argue only when required but remember that argumentation should not become a war of words to the point of losing tempers. Because when one is in anger, he gives away all of his weaknesses to his opponent, who if is an intelligent one, can make these as basis of building counter actions. So one must disengage amicably when odds are against, rather than making enemies and people walk away from you.
  6. Low self-esteem: The losers normally have low self-esteem since losing always makes a person pull down all the down. In such a scenario, one cannot take stock of one’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses and loses continuously. Therefore concentrate on all aspects of life and job positively, this would raise the self-esteem for a winning game ahead.
  7. Sense of meaningless: Continuous setbacks make one think as one was worthless or meaningless. This is a loser’s mind-set and those who get out of this mind-set as early as possible on detecting the very first symptoms of lownessnes, the better. Everyone has his worth and something to contribute to. Add that little, no matter how insignificance, to the job. Rest assured it will be noticed and observed by those who matter. This will make you of some worth rather than a worthless.

Don’t cry I’m a loser as once sang the Beatles. Be happy, therefore, and live your life with an open mind, positivity and as part of team, rather than being self-drawn, hiding, and stealing confidence. Smile as often as you can to win over the hearts rather than grudging and making people run away from you. If you do so, you will find that hidden charisma inside you that makes wonders for other – it will make for you too. Try it !! 

Saturday, July 16, 2011

My Horror-scope today

Yesterday was a rough day as the power outages would not let my computer work - Due to long spells of load shedding, the entire office looked gloomy, morose and helpless. While the workers had a excuse not to work as the computer network was down, they wanted electricity back too as they were devoid of their air conditioned environment. Even an important meeting meeting had to be called off since the presentation was to me made on the VPS through computer.

Dejected and appalled by the suffocation inside the office, I made the newspaper as a hand-held-fan and started blowing some wind to cool myself. It was then that the day's horoscope caught my eye. I am never a believer of the horoscopes, but what the day's horoscope read, was in fact my horror-scope. But I smiled after reading it, as for the first time it was true to each word of it. 

See down below what it read:

Sunday, July 3, 2011

10 Ways to succeed in business

Business is a “tricky business.” I mean it. One really cannot borrow someone else’s model to apply to his business and succeed. Every business set up has its own dynamics and one really has to proceed with caution, guts, foresight and full knowledge of the dynamics of similar and matching business fields to succeed. Having said that, there are always general guidelines that one may follow to be one’s benefit.

I was attending a workshop lately and listened to some of the speakers talking on business success strategies and tips that may prove to be beneficial for those trying to adopt measures that could ease their business through. I sifted the most important, at least for me and thought of sharing with my viewers. Here are some:
  • Eye on winning: Right from day one, eye on winning, and not on losing. Business is not  like a marathon or a 100-meters sprint in which even the athletes with 2nd and third place also get a medal and a bouquet of flowers. Nor anyone gets a consolation prize. There is only prize for the winner and that prize you must get. Remember the Wimbledon final between Nadal and Frederer a few years back? When Nadal won, Frederer was all tears right there on the centre court. This is exactly what happens in business. While the winner lifts the solo trophy, the losers leaves with tears in the eyes as everything he invested is lost forever. So plan on winning and then make sure you win too. This can only be done if one is well aware of business conditions, and has a team that can make him achieve his dream.
  • Organize a team of forthright and trusted professionals: And naturally, without a trusted, forthright and highly professional teammates, realization of one’s goals is not possible. You do not need sycophants and yes-men to depend. You need forthright people who call a spade a spade and present to you the very candid and well researched analysis of the market dynamics for you to take decisions. In the absence of such an arrangement, you may falter in decision making which could be fatal for realization of your winning goals.
  • Goal posting: Set realistic and attainable goals. Over ambition works sometimes, but not most of the times. See your resources, have trusted help and support lines that you would need to achieve your goals. Planning on faulty lifelines and resource which are not guaranteed, will not help you reaching your goal posts.
  • Learn from Mistakes: If you have faltered in the past, don’t forget that. Successful businessmen always remember what they did wrong and why, and aren’t fool enough to apply the same mechanics once again which previously failed them. Wise are those who learn from their follies, just like great leaders who learn from bitter experiences of the history. Learning from one’s pitfalls and ill planned ballgame strategies in fact polish, understanding of market dynamics and trends.
  • Plan Variants: Always war game your business strategies before putting these to play. Plan on the best course of action, but have up to your sleeve variants and supporting strategies if you think the market conditions and dynamics are pushing you back to a dead end. Always be well prepared to maneuver around a dead end rather than find yourself helpless when hit against the wall.
  • Recover ASAP and Push on: If you find yourself against odds, try the variants prudently but timely. Don’t just throw in the towel so soon. A boxer determined to win doesn’t lie in the ring for long after a fierce blow from the opponent. One has to recover firing all afterburners and bounce back the jubilant opponent by surprising him with your speedy recovery. This is the winning tip. Don’t ever lie on floor a nanosecond more than required.
  • Move-don’t cling to older methods: Inertial attitude leads to stagnation. One has to inject new business techniques, methods and strategies rather than clinging on to age old or the so called “time tested” methods. These may work to keep your business gong, but not thriving.
  • Boldness with flexibility, not rigidity: Have set a course, one has to pursue one’s goal posts boldly and vigorously. But when winds change direction, one has to be flexible to change course, but keeping the direction and destination in sight. Clinging on to the same course and claiming to be bold, is nothing but rigidity which may drift you off course by many degrees.
  • Trust yourself: Easier said than done. But only those can trust themselves, who have clear vision and well thought out achievable goals. A strategy based on fiction cannot make you confident of what you do. Do your homework diligently, have right people beside you to keep you on course and then move on. Remember, no one else can make you decide things for you. It is your confidence that can make you do so. Do not be unethical in your dealings as these smack your trust. If you do the right things, people will have confidence in you and would support you. Unethical businessmen are not liked and soon die their own death in the long run.
  • Plan an honourable timely exit: Having said all above, it is wise and prudent to leave when there is still time for an honourable exit. Continuing clinging to a drowning ship can be disastrous, both for your resource, your organization and your reputation Remember, in business results count or may I say the end game. No one would listen to your excuses for your downfall, as many would be happier finding you collapsing and vanishing from the scene. Excuses may only comfort you for a while, and then you would curse yourself for continuing to invest on a limping horse. When a horse leg is broken, no amount of efforts can bring him back to the track with same vigour and strength, except what happens in movies.

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