Round Penning
Some regard round penning as a controversial technique in horsemanship. Indeed a Google search on round penning has a critical opinion as the number one choice.
Round Penning Clinic Langley BC December 3 and 4
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Category Archives: business
Vancouver For Sophisticated Street Food
This is a guest post by Dee Mason.
In most large cities, if you say the term “street meat” to anyone, you will receive a nose wrinkle and a full-body shudder in return. Everyone, at some point in their life, somewhere in the world, has visited a curbside food vendor.
Amazon Associates Success Tips
This is a guest post by Mariana Ashley.
I will preface this post with the cold fact that not all blogs or websites will benefit much from using the Amazon Associates program. That being said, since the program is free to use, it is at least worth trying out. It is a great affiliate program that is simple to implement and can make surprisingly large sums of money. But for any site or blog to make any serious money from the program, they should fit at least most of the following criteria:
Online Business Coach – Choosing The Best One
According to one online business coach, Internet Coaching can show you how to earn more, work less, and enjoy life online by living the Internet lifestyle. It's an alluring promise so perhaps it is no surprise that a search for 'Online Business Coach' results in 26.7 million items. Here are some of the top ranking resources:
Clearly there is intense competition and it is gratifying that at least in this search SMM Internet Marketing Consultants came up at #2. Given that Google now delivers personalized search results, you may find that a Google search for 'Online Business Coach' produces a slightly different list.
You will usually find that Terry Dean is in the top few, but perhaps the most surprising entry is Ken Troyer at #1. He describes himself as an online business coach and mentor, who is quietly working behind the scenes. In a previous post on online business coaches, we did give a link to Terry Dean but he was the only one we mentioned. However working 'behind the scenes', Ken Troyer clearly amasses large numbers of back links to appear so high in the Google rankings.
There is a real need for honest business coaching, since in some ways the Internet is a field of dreams. It is true that you have the ability to communicate globally with a vast potential audience. And yes, even if only a very tiny fraction of them could potentially buy your product or service, that can still total up to very significant revenues.
Where the dreams come in is that of course anyone else can look at that potential market place and jump in too. If it is far too easy, then that could encourage a vast number of competitors. Avoid such markets like the plague. What you should consider is a market place where there is what the strategy experts call a barrier to entry. For example if you must be certified to provide a particular service, then that is a barrier to entry. If you are not certified, then you are not permitted to offer your services
Even if you have the skills and certification to be able to cross that barrier to entry, you may still find too long a list of potential competitors. This then presents two challenges:
- how can you offer something that others cannot offer, in other words offer a competitive advantage, and
- how can you expect to stand out from this crowd.
Both questions require serious effort to find effective solutions and in some cases solutions will not be possible. If you have really become extremely enthusiastic about your potential product or service, you may be blind to the reasons why success may be elusive.
This is where the right online business coach may render you immeasurable service. Giving honest, frank advice will allow you to put effort into the things that matter.
- Perhaps you have not defined the right market niche.
- Perhaps you have to refine your service so you will truly be offering something that is unique for that niche.
- Perhaps your cash flow plan does not allow for a slow startup.
For more on those key questions you should be asking, check out The NUB Of Your Marketing Strategy. In that title, NUB stands for Niche, Unique Selling Proposition and Bottom Line.
If your choice of online business coach is not asking you tough questions on such matters then be very wary. If your online business coach is only painting pictures of the promised land, then move on. What you really need are strong doses of realism. The online business coach and mentor who can provide that is worth whatever they may charge. Buyer beware.
The Lincoln Electric Spark
Frank Koller has written a most thought-provoking book entitled Spark: How Old-Fashioned Values Drive a Twenty-First Century Corporation.
Lincoln Electric, a manufacturing company in Cleveland, Ohio rejects normal North American business practice by refusing to lay off its employees in tough times. The company’s century-long record of profitability and innovation is proof that trust, flexibility and fairness can inspire people to achieve amazing things when they are confident that their future – and that of their families – is secure.
He uses the Lincoln Electric story in a wide-ranging critique of current American management practices and the value system underlying American business. He homes in on the widespread attitude that layoffs are now seen as an everyday technique of modern management and are an almost instinctive reaction to corporate downturns.
His account could be seen as a reasonable description of the paradox that Lincoln Electric’s ‘old fashioned values’ that have produced success are so often rejected by most modern businesses. However his analysis could perhaps have gone a little deeper.
The key label attached to the Lincoln Electric approach is that it has a no-layoff policy. Koller downrates this by describing it as reflecting old-fashioned values. This naturally is anathema to the average big business CEO, who would like to be seen as:
- producing short term results fast
- action-oriented
- tough-minded
The advantage of instituting lay-offs when results are dropping is that it looks as though it confirms that the CEO ‘is not afraid’ to do what it takes.
The Lincoln Electric approach could have better been described as the timeless set of best practices, rather than just the ‘old-fashioned’ way of doing things. Homing in on only the no-layoff practice provides only a caricature of what Lincoln Electric is all about.
Lincoln Electric has a set of 6 core values and non of them refer to a no-layoff practice. Here is a very short summary of these values and you will see that they are very much now-values rather than just old-fashioned ones.
- Be customer-centric
- Value your team
- Reward Performance
- Be financially prudent
- Respect the environment
- Support local communities
Most businessmen would support these six values. However many would not list them in this order which I believe is very much an order of priority. Only by applying these values in a tough-minded way will success he achieved.
- Clearly #1 is that the customer will perceive above all else that the company will do its utmost to meet their expectations and fulfill their needs.
- The team is equally important and management must develop a climate of mutual respect and mutual commitment.
- #3 is the lever by which this climate is maintained and enhanced. It is not solely rewarding the good performers but ensuring that unsatisfactory performance is identified and corrected. This may mean that some team members who are not willing to pull their weight will be shown the door.
The remaining three values are clearly important too. They are very necessary for a successful company. However they are not sufficient in themselves to ensure success. That only comes from a strong commitment to the first three values.
The staff are very much a key asset for any company. Real success comes from making assets perform rather than getting rid of assets.
In fact getting rid of human assets generates costs rather than bringing in revenues. The biggest cost is the alienation that everyone in the organization feels as they note that anyone is expendable. Rather than everyone putting out 100% of effort to satisfy customers, part of that time is spent in polishing up their resumes and seeing what other opportunities may exist in the marketplace.
Usually also there will be cash costs in termination packages or redundancy arrangements for those who are let go. These are rarely mentioned in the PR releases as the firings are announced. However a true accounting might well show little net benefit when all is taken into account.
Lincoln Electric is all about a very different way of managing enterprises. It may well be too tough a challenge for those Wall Street quick-fix merchants.
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Marketing Right Now For Winners
There is a new book available that every entrepreneur and SoHo (Small office home office) owner should read. It is called Marketing Right Now.
You should not confuse it with the book featured on the right. That book may never be on the shelves of your local bookstore, although there is an undoubted need for such a book. What we are talking about here is an e-book.
The correct title does not include that last For Winners phrase, but be assured that what is included can make your business a winner. The e-book is available as a free download.
Although it naturally deals with how to do business on the Internet, the most interesting sections deal with the important steps you should take before you get close to creating a Web page. If you are to succeed, then you must have a clear strategy.
Some people treat the concept of strategy in a somewhat cavalier fashion. Perhaps without realizing it, you are one of these people. You can easily check whether you have a clear strategy by answering the following three questions:
- What marketing niche will my product or service target? (What does a typical prospect of look like?)
- Who are the strongest competitors going after these same prospects?
- How will my product or service offer a superior experience to my target prospects?
Do not feel bad if any of these three questions stump you. There are a significant number of businesses owners who would be similarly stumped.
As you may note, the concepts discussed here seem to be getting attention from some very important commentators. Strategy is challenging because it defines what you will put efforts and resources into and what you will not allow yourself to be diverted by. This single-minded focus is not easy to achieve and many people almost goof-off in doing whatever comes to mind as they try to grow their business.
This e-book puts the emphasis on this first step of strategy. That starts with the potential customers you feel your business might serve. You must be capable of creating a product or service that they will find superior to what the competition is offering.
You can of course sometimes make a reasonable living by having a me-too product or service. However the Internet is a real threat to such merely adequate suppliers. Buyers can explore what is available and they will undoubtedly go for the best they can find.
Two important operational details are also emphasized. If you put Time as Job One, then this can give you an almost instant competitive advantage. You must also have good communications with your prospects and clients on a continuing basis. That implies an effective blog. Without it your business will be hard pressed to grow as it should.
Since the e-book is a free download, it is almost a no-brainer to check it out for yourself. The e-book itself is a one megabyte PDF file so please be patient when you get to that step.
We welcome feedback on the e-book since this would allow a revision of the contents at some time in the future. Please add your comments here. They will be most welcome.
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Immigration or outsourcing
India is a growing powerhouse of technology. Its position in the global economy cannot be ignored. It is interesting to compare how Canada and the US are reacting to this phenomenon.
For Canada, India provides the opportunity for a new era of trade.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit Mumbai and Delhi between Nov. 15 and 18 and meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sources said, a visit that is intended as a turning point. India and Canada are moving to jolt stagnant trade ties, concluding a series of trade-related deals, including opening nuclear commerce and starting the first phase toward a free-trade agreement.
On the other hand, questions are being raised on where US current policy is headed.
If any foreign policy camp best captures mainstream American opinion in 2009, it is probably neo-isolationism: a return to the inwardness of the post-World War I years, when the country refused to join the League of Nations. Even as intellectuals call for cosmopolitanism, more and more Americans are declaring themselves anti-outsourcing, anti-foreign-products, anti-immigration, anti-international-law — and pro-protectionism. According to a February 2009 Gallup poll, nearly half of Americans view foreign trade as a “threat to the economy,” and 65 percent believe the government is spending “too much” on foreign aid.
That explains why Bill Gates was unsuccessful last year in persuading Congress that it should allow US companies to hire more skilled foreign workers by increasing the number of H-1B visas. Without this change in immigration policy, the only solution would be to outsource more technological work to countries such as India.
India to is now asking the US for more H-1B visas.
India is likely to ask the United States to raise the cap on visas for skilled workers at the bilateral trade forum meeting to be held. India may also push for a special mechanism for Indian professionals travelling to the US for short-term assignments arising out of contractual obligations.
Perhaps the mood is now more receptive since a bill now introduced in the U.S. Congress would double the number of immigrant worker visas available each year under the H-1B program.
The Innovation Employment Act, introduced by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, (D-Ariz.), late Thursday, would increase the cap in H-1B visas from 65,000 a year to 130,000 a year. In addition, there would be no cap on H-1B applications for foreign graduate students attending U.S. colleges and studying science, technology and related fields. Currently, there’s a 20,000-a-year cap on visas for graduate students in all fields.
The legislation would increase the H-1B cap to 180,000 in the years 2010 to 2015 if the 130,000 cap is reached the year before.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates had repeated his pitch:
“We provide the world’s best universities … and the students are not allowed to stay and work in the country,” Gates said Wednesday. “The fact is, [other countries'] smartest people want to come here and that’s a huge advantage to us, and in a sense, we’re turning them away.”
Undoubtedly all countries gain by a freer trade in technical abilities. It is not a forced choice between immigration and outsourcing. An appropriate balance is probably optimal.
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Charity Donations Improve Corporate Reputations
Even in tough times, it appears that America’s biggest businesses are still donating a lot to charity. If you check out America’s Most Generous Companies you will find some of the biggest companies on the list.
Large companies gave 5.1% more to charity in 2008 than in 2007, on average, even though the recession officially began in December 2007.
During tough times, reputation is everything. A recent survey by Boston College’s Center for Corporate Citizenship and the Hitachi Foundation found that 70% of senior executives considered reputation the No. 1 driver behind their companies’ corporate citizenship efforts. At the biggest companies, 82%. It’s no wonder chief executive officers now directly lead the corporate citizenship agendas at three out of four corporations.
You can find more details of the study on the website of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Newspaper of the Non-profit World.
At the other end of the scale, you have Guerrilla Giving. This is one family’s adventure in philanthropy as they describe it.
For a year (a lifetime?), we’re committed to giving away 10% of our annual gross income in daily increments to mostly random recipients. We have had experience with tithing in the past (10% traditionally) but it was often done as an after-thought, at the end of the month or at the end of the year–written as a cheque or dropped in an offering bowl. Giving like that was rarely joyful for us. Guerrilla Giving, on the other hand, is fun, adventurous, and immediate.
Giving to charities can be done for a variety of reasons. Whatever the motivation or the amount, it seems clear that charity giving brings benefits both to the givers and to the receivers.
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Entrepreneur Insecurity
Entrepreneurs are always feeling insecure according to Rick Spence.
He is commenting on a list of entrepreneurs’ top three fears as published by marketing specialist Warrillow & Co. What really scares business owners are not the day-to-day aches and pains, such as sales, rising taxes or increasing competition; the real fears spring from deep in the entrepreneur’s insecure soul. These fears are:
- Fear of not marketing effectively (38%).
- Fear of never being able to retire (33%).
- Fear that they’re not staying abreast of new technology (20%).
Spence has some useful tips to help remove or alleviate these feelings of insecurity. However perhaps insecurity is part of the drive that propels entrepreneurs to make it happen.
That is the view of an expert quoted by Leslie Whitaker in an item on Entrepreneur or Employee? Fernando Trias de Bes is the author of The Little Black Book of Entrepreneurship and the owner of a marketing firm in Spain.
Trias de Bes believes that one common mistake is failing to distinguish between being spurred by a “motive” (I lost my job, or I hate my boss) and having the “motivation” to be an entrepreneur. The latter means being someone who “enjoys the uncertainty and insecurity of not knowing what will come tomorrow.” . He also suggests that you need “enormous, colossal and infinite enthusiasm” to drive away thoughts of failure. A third characteristic, tenacity, is also necessary to make up for deficits in the other two. No matter how solid your entrepreneurial spirit, you need persistence to succeed.
As an entrepreneur, one can never completely remove insecurity and perhaps that is a necessary stimulus to ensure complacency does not set in. At the least, you always have to be watchful of the external influences such as competitors and governments and be ready when the unexpected happens, as it surely will. Whether you call that insecurity or alertness, it’s a necessary activity for the successful entrepreneur.
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If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
It suddenly struck me today how much the phrase, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, is customer-centric. Your current customers, particularly if they are repeat buyers, are a valuable asset. Handled right, they can represent significant future potential profits.
The incident that triggered the thought was that my news feed aggregator service, Bloglines, added a new look and functionality. To each news feed item, it now adds at the right-hand end a column of possible related search terms you might wish to explore with Ask. The problem it creates is that I wish to see as many news items on the screen line-by-line as I can. This allows me to scan many more items and I rely on the Titles to determine whether they need to be perused. Now with each item taking up a space five times as high I have only one fifth of the productivity. You might assume that there would be a button that would allow me to switch off this unwanted extra service. Not so. It seems impossible to return to the classic simple look.
I tried to get some information on a way to correct the situation via Twitter. Someone with the username Bloglines did suggest I use a Firefox Addon to change the style. It was partially successful but I never managed to get back to the original simplicity. Reluctantly I have now switched to Google Reader, which with a little manipulation gives me close to what I want. I have been a long time Bloglines user and it is only with the greatest reluctance that I made the switch.
The counter view on these matters was one that Tom Peters suggested, and there is even a book about it now. If it Ain’t Broke…Break It!: And Other Unconventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World
Being product directed is often said to be the reverse of being customer centric and this really sums it up. Microsoft is an extreme example of this ‘Break It’ approach with its constant upgrades. Overall they may make more money this way, but they leave behind them a trail of disgruntled customers. When something does exactly what the customer wants, it takes a lot to have them accept that they need the product or service to be changed. If it ain’t broke, please don’t fix it.
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