One of the hard truths of business is that you are paid and evaluated on your results, not your effort—a fact that occasionally makes “knocking it out of the park” with pricing feel unattainable. (And job satisfaction, less than desirable.) Particularly for businesses that specialize in custom services (raising my hand; are you as well?), establishing concrete pricing is … [Read more...]
Take your Small Business Back to School
I've always loved the Staples commercial in which a father runs through the aisles, filling his cart with school supplies; a scene set to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." This brilliant marketing is a great take on parenting, but also highlights the hate-to-love it excitement and promise of another academic year. As a kid, back to school season always … [Read more...]
Get Your (Business) Priorities Straight
Repeat after me: No. No. No. No. And no. Now, think about what your workweek would look like—and where your company might be today—if you'd used the word "no" a little more often. (Awkward silence.) I'm right there with you: The Ultimate Yes Woman. "Yes," because I have varied interests and a ridiculous amount of curiosity, and because I inherently like to be … [Read more...]
13 Lists to Make Your (Work) Day Better
In the market for some new office art? Here's a tip: Skip the ethereal paintings and photographs and surround yourself with a creative display of insight and advice, culled from your favorite sources. If you don't mind dedicating a few pages of printer paper to your design, you can quickly create eye-catching "snippets for success" to motivate yourself and others during the … [Read more...]
Read to Succeed: A-List Business Books
With one eye on deadlines and bottom-lines, and the other on client and customer relations, it's easy to lost sight of professional goals. And, to maintain a palpable level of on-the-job inspiration. Some days you feel at the top of your game, full of energy and vision. Others, it's high anxiety, frustration, failure or an overall sense of defeat. You start sweating about … [Read more...]
Finding the Right Piece for Your Puzzle
It's Okay to Change Your Mind It happens, sometimes you start on one path and realize part way down the road that it may not have been the best choice, or something else would be a better fit for the puzzle of your life. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make regularly is trying to force themselves into a puzzle that they don't quite fit into. They do it simply … [Read more...]
Make Tomorrow a Better (Work) Day
Surfing the web gets a bad rap, but when you stumble upon articles and posts that have workplace relevance (and that are so smart, you wish you'd penned them), there's real satisfaction. Such was the case yesterday, when a little aimless clicking led me to 14 Things You Should Do at the End of Every Work Day, an engaging summation of how ending your workday on a positive note, … [Read more...]
Women, Invest in Yourselves
Guest Post By Mary Kinney, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Ginnie Mae, a cornerstone of the U.S. housing finance system since it was created more than 40 years ago (More about Mary at the end of this post) We entered the new year with resolutions and new perspectives on life. Whether you want to focus on your health, spend more time with friends and … [Read more...]
How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills to Boost Your Business and Career
Public speaking is a skill that few people excel at without a lot of practice and training. However, public speaking is one of the best ways to indirectly promote yourself and your company. How do you improve your public speaking skills if you can't afford to hire a trainer to help you? Susan Dugdale of Write-out-loud.com offers a comprehensive speech evaluation process that … [Read more...]
Build your Brand by Building Relationships
What better day to mull the topic of relationships than today? After all, the masses (and, you and me) have been at it all week, conjuring up the perfect plan to show their significant other that he/she is special, and taking extra care not to overlook any hidden expectations. I'm trusting you've got that one in the bag, but what about your business relationships? Have you … [Read more...]