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Archive for Business development

Can a REAL Entrepreneur Have a 21-Hour Work Week?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Feeling chained to the desk, is it possible for entrepreneurs to have a 21-hour work week?

Feeling chained to the desk, is it possible for entrepreneurs to have a 21-hour work week?

I recently read an eye-opening, unorthodox article from Fast Company discussing the possibility of instating a 21-hour work week instead of 40 hours.
So there’s the REAL entrepreneur’s 70+ hour work week, Tim Ferris’s four-hour work week (outsource everything and sit at home and eat Twinkies), and now we have a proposed 21-hour work week.

The New Economies Foundation (NEF) released a report stating that the 21-hour work week would create more jobs and stop the “unsustainable cycle of rampant consumerism.” They argue that not only is the American society obsessed with work and consumption, but we live to work, work to earn, and earn to consume. It’s like when a 16-year-old kid gets his first job to pay for a car, so he can drive to work to pay for his car; its an endless, antiquated cycle; I agree. Read More→

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Do you offer family and friends discounts? Do you have clients who try to twist your arm, play hardball, and try to get great deals? I’m sure you answered “yes”, because every entrepreneur encounters these situations. You know… the family friend who you see once a year who thinks that since he eats your family casserole at the summer picnic, that he’s entitled to a 40% “Family & Friends Discount.” We’ve all run into this situation and it can be tough maintaining your price integrity in the face of their “connection” to you. I recently ran into this with a prospect whom I already knew; I met with him, reviewed what he was looking for on his end, what I had to offer, and my pricing. Read More→

Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Support your local Entrepreneur!!

This is a reprint of something a reader sent to me that I think is a GREAT idea that we should all adopt.  I’m in…who’s with me?

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Read More→

Network Marketing vs. ‘The Pyramid Scheme’

Friday, June 17th, 2011

I’ve recently joined the ranks of an outstanding direct sales/network marketing company, after some serious due diligence, I might add.

The skeptics among you are silently screaming..”what are you thinking, they’re all scams!” I must confess…I’ve been in the network marketing industry on and off for more than 15 years and while some companies have had integrity problems, the business model is more than 100 years old and in fact is something that you’ve also been participating in, week in and week out, whether you know it or not.

When I begin to talk to someone about the business the most common reply is “it’s one of those pyramid schemes…leave me out”. There is a very fundamental difference between network marketing and a pyramid scheme…a huge difference and if you don’t understand them you’re staying away from something that could make you a lot of money and give you great time freedom. Read More→

New Year…New Direction ?

Friday, December 31st, 2010

As 2010 is winding to a close it’s time to reflect on what was, what could have been and what will be in the year ahead.

We’ve dealt with a sluggish economy, clients who opted not to initiate projects, governmental regulation changes, team members who had family members laid off, perhaps you faced the need to downsize your staff as well.  All in all, not one of the better years for business owners. Read More→

As a business owner, do you find yourself getting frustrated when all around you seem to think differently from you? Angry when the simplest of tasks or requests seem to be an imposition to others?  When the common sense approach (i.e. Yours) turns into an all out brawl when trying to get cooperation? If this sounds familiar it’s because most of the people you are trying to enlist to help you are listening to different stations, they’re all on a completely separate channel.

Now this channel isn’t on Sirius, not on XM, not on cable and not even on those funny in-between HD bands. They are all listening, with you canceling headphones, to WII-FM.

The What’s-In-It-For-Me channel.

The only way that you can get and keep their attention is with really good incentive based advertising on their favorite station. As entrepreneurs and small business owners we have to craft our messages in ways that create mutual agenda items. Read More→