Next, the same group of participants was asked to identify the things they wish they would do instead. There was dead silence for what seemed liked an eternity.

It seems to be human nature to focus on the things we don’t want, the undesirable behaviors that we wish others would refrain from engaging in.

Parents are notorious for using this communication style when attempting to obtain behavior changes from their children, and many end up stressed and frustrated by their lack of success.

Instead, parents and business leaders must focus on and consistently ask for the specific desirable behavior they would prefer to occur.

Although leading employees in a business or non-profit is not ‘parenting,’ when trying to influence the behaviors of direct reports and subordinates, it is still vital to focus on desirable outcomes. This includes both focus on goals for the organization and even more importantly focusing on desirable behaviors of our team members.

Most people can articulate quickly and clearly the behaviors that drive them crazy. The behaviors they wish their co-workers, bosses, significant others or children would stop doing. There seems to be no end to the list of these undesirable behaviors.

There are three problems with this approach.

1. It focuses everyone’s energy on the behavior that is undesirable and wherever your focus goes, that thing grows.

2. It lacks specificity and asks the person being told what “not to do” to mind-read and guess as to the specific desirable action(s). For the individual it’s a trial and error approach until they figure out through environmental feedback the acceptable behavior.

3. There is no positive reinforcement when an employee does engage in the desirable behavior so it can be repeated. Many leaders wrongly believe that if someone is doing things right they don’t need to comment since the individual is doing things correctly. They assume they only need to address and correct undesirable behavior so that’s where the focus and comments go. This can be a very demoralizing approach for the subordinate.

Whenever providing feedback to request a change in behavior to achieve greater, more positive results, it is vital to communicate with a focus on the new, desirable behaviors and actions.

Here is a three-step exercise to help you transform any list of undesirable behavior into the preferred desirable behavior:

1. On a sheet of paper draw a line straight down the center of the page, making two columns. Label the left column “Undesirable Behaviors.” Label the right column “Desirable Behaviors.”

2. In the left column write a list of the things that you wish people would stop doing, all the undesirable behaviors that drive you crazy.

3. In right hand column write the alternative desirable behavior you would prefer to have people engage in. Ask yourself “what do I wish they would do instead?” There must be at least one alternative desirable behavior for each undesirable in the left hand column.

When you focus on desirable behavior it gives you something measureable. It is easier to judge if the desirable behavior was fulfilled. Trying to prove a negative, that something you didn’t want to happen didn’t happen, is much more challenging, it’s subjective and can be open to debate.

Additionally, catch people doing things right. Make specific comments regarding what you liked about the actions an employee took to complete a project or task. Tell them you’d like to see more of that type of behavior. This will reinforce positive behavior and make it more likely it will be repeated.

Failure to focus on desirable behaviors when communicating is just one of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication.” If you or other leaders in your organization are struggling to get greater results from your personnel at any level, the problem can be just one of two things, either habits of communication or how performance is managed throughout the organization.

For other issues of leadership communication you may want to visit www.HowToImproveOrganizationalCommunication.com and get a free special report “The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication” that will show you how to fix these sins, communicate like a champion and build a championship organization.

About the Author:

Skip Weisman works with organizational leaders to improve personnel, productivity and profits by helping them “Create a Champion Organization,” now you can get his latest white paper “The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication” at www.HowToImproveOrganizationalCommunication.com this will help your organization communicate effectively and take action with commitment towards a shared compelling vision.

The time to build these contacts is not when you are looking for your next job.

My friend Bob recently found himself staring at unemployment. The start-up he was working for found itself no longer a start-up, but a thriving, mid-sized firm listed on the NASDAQ. This organization was enjoying such success largely due to Bob’s leadership, but now the company needed a different kind of leader. So Bob started looking around at who he knew in the industry and realized that he hadn’t spoken to anyone for about 3 years. Hmmmm.

Too often, people start networking only after they need something. Imagine a friend or relative who only calls when he needs money. Do you take his call? Do you look forward to hearing from him?

Effective networking means creating contacts and relationships now. Dig your well before you’re thirsty as Harvey Mackay says.

If you choose your network members wisely, they can nourish more than your current position and future career. This is Value Based Networking.

Most people accept the fact that health studies show the connection between long-term life, health and happiness is based on the quality of the relationships that support us. Few of us think of this as an investment we make for our future…but it is an investment just like education or exercise.

Value Based Networking is about creating value for others and in turn receiving value from them. It’s about taking charge of this critical advantage in life in a planned and strategic manner. Regardless of where you are in your career or life, if you are looking to make your future bigger than your past, you need to invest in the people who have helped you achieve your current success and those who can do so in the future.

Here is an exercise we’ve developed to help you begin Value Based Networking:

1. List 10 people best able to bring value to your career, today and in the future.

2. Now, prioritize.

3. Then think about the value they bring to you.

4. And then, the value you (could) bring to them.

5. When was the last time you had contact with this person?

6. And finally, what actions could you take to invest further in this relationship?

Most of us are uncomfortable “investing” in people for the sole purpose of accessing their knowledge and connections. We want to bring value to the relationship perhaps in the form of our own knowledge and connections or unique skill or interest. It’s a case of mutual value for mutual benefit. If you can be clear about what you want, you can begin to take action today to expand your value based network.

Kleenex’s Feel Me

Kleenex recently took a very bold move, replacing their logo with the words ‘Feel me’. The UK firm Anthem was approached to create packaging that conveyed the softness of their tissues as well as generated new excitement and interest….

Continued in BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 101 >>>

- Gold Vending Machine
- Give Your Food A Boomerang Swing
- Zen Static Tap
- BookBook For Your Macbook
- Smart Banking
- Mobile Mental Therapy
- Free and Easy WeTransfer

Continue reading these top stories in the BIZNESS! Newsletter >>>

- Building Strategic Alliances For Success
- What I Learned From a Successful Small Business Owner About Sales
- Succession Planning: How to Meet Future Talent Needs
- Job Hunting Mistakes: Why Passion May Be A Problem When Finding New 100k Executive Opportunities
- Changing Your Type: How Entrepreneurs Can Become Exactly Who They Want To Be
- Living Beyond The Statistic And Claiming Your Talent Advantage
- Are Sponsorships Right For You?

Continue reading these top stories in the BIZNESS! Newsletter >>>

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In order for relationships to be effective there are steps that have to be taken to provide the solid foundation from which to build a strong and enduring relationship. Before entering into any relationship, there has to be a period of time where the customer and potential vendor begin to acquire knowledge about one another. This means communicating the values, mission, objectives and goals of each entity. This is just as or more important than reviewing and analyzing a company’s financial statement. This enables each party to see how the other company perceives itself and what it intends to achieve. If there are similar, shared or complementary fundamental values, missions, objectives and goals, the relationship has a greater probability of success than if they were separate and distinct. It is the customer’s responsibilities clearly communicate what they expect from the relationship. Most customer-vendor relationships that fail are because the customer’s expectations were not effectively communicated to and subsequently understood and accepted by the vendor. The vision for the future must be defined and shared at the beginning of the relationship. If the vendor knows at this critical juncture that he cannot perform to expectation during the course of the relationship because he does not have the required resources, then he is legally, morally and ethically obligated to inform the potential customer. It is better for an entrepreneur to decline business that he cannot support than to try to deceive the customer with “smoke and mirrors”. Customers have friends and networked relationships. They love to share war stories. Customers are people and people respect honesty and integrity!
The successful entrepreneurs who evaluate and select their vendors should work only with the “best” vendors in the market place. The “best” for discussion purposes are those goods or services providers who provide the most favorable mix of price, quality and service. Notice, price is not the primary or most critical variable to consider. If a decision to purchase based solely on price is made, without giving due consideration for quality and service then the decision-maker and his successors will most likely live to regret it! If the price was too low, then the supplier was more than likely, anticipating making a profit by not consistently providing quality goods or services and/or after market support. If the price was really too low, then the payment could be rather costly. Payment could take the form of disappointing and possibly losing customers or even costing people their jobs!

The key to establishing a mutually fulfilling relationship is for both parties to jointly determine what the acceptable standards of performance will be. For example, this could mean that all deliveries must be made within one hour from time of pick-up or all orders placed for supplies must be filled within twenty-four hours from time of receipt. If the goods or service provider fails to meet these mutually agreed upon standards then there should be a penalty for non-performance. A financial penalty is preferred since it hits where it hurts the most, in the wallet. Periodically, the performance bar should be raised so that the entrepreneur and the supplier do not become too complacent. The key is knowing when and how to raise the bar that measures performance.

No agreement or contract should ever contain an “evergreen” clause that perpetuates the vendor-client relationship. There has to be a definitive life cycle for each relationship. Otherwise, everyone runs the risk of becoming fat and lazy. If a strategic leader discovers an “evergreen” clause in a relationship that he inherited, he most likely will assume that the vendor slipped something questionable by his predecessor. Also, any agreement or contract can and should be open for renegotiations. Why not, things can and usually do change over time. The costs of a good such as paper or the cost of labor such as an increase in the minimum wage can impact both the vendor and customer alike. Flexibility and adaptability by both parties is essential. The best entrepreneurs are always way ahead of the curve in anticipating the client’s need to possibly adjust the terms, conditions or measures of performance. Management reports provided on at least a monthly basis, serve as the documents for discussion. The presentation of these reports at regularly scheduled meetings provides the vendor with the opportunity to showcase his “value-added” to the client. What vendor wouldn’t jump at the chance to have a friendly audience to not only report accomplishments but to pitch new or improved goods or services? Believe it or not many vendors consider monthly meetings a chore instead of an opportunity to grow within an existing relationship.

Strategic management is more of an art than a science. The entrepreneur has to know when and how to lead the relationship. A strong vendor manager accepts input and advice from his supplier. Good vendors can provide a wealth of information. They have access and entry into many organizations. This enables them to enlighten their clients on new and improved processes, systems, procedures and controls that their other clients have successfully implemented. A successful entrepreneur must always be searching and seeking other sources of supply. They must always have alternative solutions or contingency plans in the event that a provider fails to deliver goods or services and has to be replaced on short notice.

All strategic alliances have a life cycle and that may last a relatively long time dependent upon the ability of both parties to grow and adapt to changing business conditions. There are times when the client outgrows the need of the supplier. For instance, a client in the past may have used a local or regional supplier but because of a merger or acquisition may now require a national provider so that they can now enjoy the benefits of the economies of scale that the local or regional vendor cannot provide. Also, a client in the past may have been low maintenance and high profitability may now no longer be worth the time and effort to maintain because the profitability has significantly declined. The vendor may want to walk away from this relationship or start reducing his costs, which may have an adverse affect on the client’s goods or services. In either case, there should always be room for discussion and negotiating by both parties. Remember, the opposite of a win-win situation is a lose-lose situation!! Vendor managers and their vendors have to stay close so that they can study each other and be prepared for any changes in the conduct of the relationship. This could mean reviewing any available financial information or discussing common issues with fellow clients or suppliers.

There are times, believe it or not, when both parties in a contract forget what terms and conditions were to be met and subsequently someone has to pay a price. Also, there are numerous situations when vendors are constantly monitoring relationships and looking to provide “value-added”. In some relationships, either the client or the provider of services or both become complacent and do not see the need to always strive to improve. This lack of focus and concentration is a recipe for failure.

In conclusion, vendor management requires active participation by the client and vendor alike. Each one has a vested interest in the performance of the other. In today’s dynamic world of business, the strategic alliances a company develops, maintains and strengthens with its key suppliers of goods and services has a definite impact on the bottom line. The successful entrepreneur has to always seek out and build strategic alliances with vendors who share their vision and are willing to work with them in fulfilling the changing needs and exceeding the expectations of their customers.

Jane Out of the Box, an authority on female entrepreneurs, reveals there are five distinct types of women in business – five “Janes”. Based on professional market research of more than 2,500 women in business, this study shows that each type of business owner has a unique approach to running a business and therefore each one has a unique combination of needs. This article outlines those five types, and provides tips for becoming a whole new Jane.

Jane Dough represents 18 percent of women in business. She is a “natural-born” entrepreneur who is financially successful and enjoys a satisfactory balance between her work and personal lives. Go Jane Go represents 14 percent of women in business. She, too, is financially successful and she is so great at taking care of her customers that she often struggles to keep up with their demands as well as the demands she places on herself. Merry Jane, who represents 19 percent of women in business, runs a part-time or “flexible time” business. She has myriad other commitments and responsibilities and enjoys the balance she strikes between her company and her other constraints. Accidental Jane represents 18 percent of women in business and has set out to create her own ideal job. She may struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in business, but overall enjoys what she does and makes decent money. Tenacity Jane represents 31 percent of women in business. She is extremely passionate about what she does, and struggles with cash flow despite the long hours she works. She is bound and determined to make her business work.

Some entrepreneurs may relate to more than one Jane, and some may believe they fit strongly into one specific group. Entrepreneurial type can change over time, and for a variety of reasons. Industry transformations, personal growth, increased demand, and  new life circumstances may prompt the entrepreneur to evolve a different approach to business ownership.

Entrepreneurs hold the power and the opportunity to change types intentionally. Some of the changes will seem small and easy, and others will seem big and difficult, depending on the differences between an entrepreneur’s current situation and the one she strives toward achieving. However, the good news is that during this process, the business owner has control over whether, when, and how much to change. This freedom of choice is one of the greatest advantages of business ownership.

Here are the five main steps for making the change:

Step One: Choose a Jane. Remember that each type comes with tradeoffs; no one type is better than another. Business owners should choose their desired type based on their values and their needs. For example, an Accidental Jane or Merry Jane has the flexibility to spend more time with family, whereas a Go Jane Go makes more money and often has less personal time, and a Jane Dough makes more money, and works long hours managing a team of people. Business owners should determine which type they’d most like to become, and they can base that determination on the tradeoffs associated with the type’s lifestyle.

Step Two: Assess the gaps between current type and desired type. Consider the key attitudes and behaviors the desired type exhibits. A business owner should compare her own traits with those of her desired type, as well as the size of the disparity between where she is and where she wants to be. That way she can effect the greatest change. As an exercise, she can write down all of the habits, practices and viewpoints she needs to change to become her ideal Jane type.

Questions to consider:

* “What do I need to start doing that I’ve never done before?”
* “What am I already doing sporadically that needs to become consistent?”
* “What do I need to stop doing?” (Example: “I need to stop saying yes to opportunities that don’t move me in my desired direction.”)
* “What attitudes or beliefs do I need to change?” (Example: “I can never turn clients down no matter how difficult they are – I need the business!”)

Step Three: Determine strategies for closing the gaps. Some of the necessary changes can begin immediately, if a business owner focuses on them and chooses to act or think differently than she has in the past. Other changes may require more work or a decision to manage the business differently. For example, some changes will require a business owner to ask for help, or to invest in training or other resources. Writing down specific steps to take to get from her current Jane type to her desired Jane type is an excellent way for a business owner to decide which area to focus on first – remember, the idea is not to create an overnight change, but to evolve from one type to another. If the changes seem overwhelming (in size or in number), focus on one step at a time. Choose first the action that is easiest to complete, or the one that will have the single greatest impact.

Step Four: Be true to self in the moment of choice. During the evolution from current Jane to desired Jane, tough times will arise. A business owner may feel helpless, not strong enough, or pulled back toward her old habits. During those times, it is crucial to stay true to self. That means choosing between the way the current Jane would react, and the way the desired Jane would react. Every time the “old ways” win, progress is arrested, and backslide is possible. Every day, a business owner will have dozens of opportunities to be true to her goal of becoming her desired Jane. Whether she stays true to her goal during each of these opportunities will determine the speed and efficiency with which she is able to complete her transformation. This holds true for the process of making any change in life.

Step Five: Monitor progress until goal achievement is complete. A business owner should periodically step back and monitor her progress toward becoming her desired Jane. Keeping a journal or a to-do list is a good way of monitoring what has transpired during each monitoring period. Small setbacks or changes of direction are par for the course during a Jane type transformation, so business owners shouldn’t get discouraged if they run into roadblocks along the way. Each step provides valuable lessons, so business owners must be sure to think about not only what they are achieving but what they are learning every time they encounter a roadblock.

Many people say their business results are determined by factors outside their control. They blame the economy or their competition. They say it’s just luck or fate that determines how life ends up. However, at Jane Out of the Box we believe that results are determined by goals, determination and willingness to take action.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com.

I thought to myself, wow, if I was the CEO of the company, I would not be happy with the customer service. As a consumer, however, I quickly shrugged it off and accepted it as poor service that was not out of the ordinary, until today.

Today, I stopped in a small business and made another small purchase with a very different customer service experience. I was greeted with a friendly “Hello” and smile from the owner right when I walked in and was told to ask if I needed any help. I was then left to myself to complete my shopping. I checked out and he looked me in the eye, said, “Thank you, I really appreciate your business” as he reached out to shake my hand.

Wow. As I walked out, I felt really good about the interaction, just because he looked me in the eye and said a genuine “Thank you” with a handshake. That was it. That is all he did. Granted, maybe a handshake at a large retail store would be different, but maybe not a bad thing? Certainly a “Thank you.” while looking someone in the eyes would be appropriate.

What I learned from him is that the little, tiniest customer service experiences can have a huge impact on customer loyalty.

In the world of sales, make sure you are doing the simple little things, to have a huge impact:

1. Look people in the eye when you shake their hand.

2. State a genuine “Thank you.” when you have earned new business, set an appointment, or gained a commitment. Also, hand written “Thank You” notes never go out of style.

3. Always be early or on-time.

4. Never be late.

5. Be prepared.

6. Listen much much much more than you speak, please.

7. Smile and learn to laugh easily. (Both are contagious, good for your health, and make you more likeable)

8. Follow up when you say you will.

9. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

10. Be kind and thoughtful.

About The Author:
Sales Coaching Expert, Jeremy Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, and business owners just like you overcome sales challenges to increase productivity and win more clients faster. For 100′s of unbeatable, sure-fire ways to increasing your sales results, subscribe for your free sales tips or request a free sales coaching consultation at: http://www.SalesCoachingHabits.com

At Jane Out of the Box, in-depth professional market research of more than 2,500 female entrepreneurs has revealed five distinct types of women in business. Each type has its own strengths, challenges, and desires.  Jane Out of the Box’s most recent article, “Changing Your Type: How Entrepreneurs Can Become Exactly Who They Want to Be,” provides 5 steps for entrepreneurs to consider when changing their entrepreneurial type. The first step is to Choose a Jane, and this article provides more information about each of the Janes – so that those wishing to change their type have a well-rounded idea of the pros and cons of being a member of each group.

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and then she decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.

Many Accidental Jane business owners eventually evolve into one of the other entrepreneurial types. However, many run successful businesses as Accidental Jane for years, fulfilled by their work without being overwhelmed by it. Accidental Jane enjoys her freedom, and her biggest challenges include maintaining an even workload and keeping the workload at a manageable level.

How Accidental Jane defines success:

* Enough income to meet needs.
* Enough, but not too much, work.
* She makes the rules (no politics, no mandatory hours, etc.).
* Freedom of choice (the who, what, when and how of the work).
* Flexible schedule/control of her life.
* Providing excellent products and/or services
* Feeling fulfilled by the work.
* Pleasurable working relationships.
* Positive feedback, repeat business and referrals.
* A balanced life.
* Being a role model for others.

Some of Accidental Jane’s challenges:

* Workflow concerns. Many Accidental Jane business owners market when they need business, then get so busy they forget to market. This leads to an ebb and flow cycle, which usually smoothes out over time.
* Lack of a clear vision. Since Accidental Janes usually do not intend to start businesses, they often do not create long-term plans for their companies. They enjoy what they do, and may see potential for business growth in the future, but they don’t want the situation to change much immediately. This lack of a clear vision means Accidental Jane may have to make some tough decisions in the future – whether it means changing to a different Jane type or turning down new business to retain Accidental Jane status.

Go Jane Go is passionate about her work and provides excellent service, so she has plenty of clients – so much so, she’s struggling to keep up with demand. At 14% of women in business, she may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and she often struggles to say no. Because she wants to say yes to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged and feeling guilty about neglecting herself and others who are important to her.

Of all the five entrepreneurial types, Go Jane Go is undoubtedly the busiest, with more than a quarter of those interviewed reporting working more than 50 hours per week. Consequently, Go Jane Go business owners also take home the largest personal income. They often report feeling stressed and overwhelmed, but revel in being the best at what they do and being of service to others.

How Go Jane Go defines success:

* Making a positive difference in the world.
* Loving her work.
* Being the best at her work.
* Being in demand.
* Always learning and growing as a person and in her craft.
* Giving her all.
* Being of service to others – giving back.
* Doing the right thing/being a good person.
* Being decisive/action-oriented.
* Providing excellent products and/or services.
* Reaching the maximum impact.
* Making others (clients, employees, family, etc.) happy.

Go Jane Go’s challenges:

* Taking business troubles personally. She believes her work is a reflection of herself and often goes above and beyond to send a positive message.
* Difficulty saying, “no,” and therefore being overcommitted.
* Putting herself last.
* Perfectionism and the need to be in control. Her exacting standards make it difficult for her to delegate even small tasks.
* Never feeling she “has arrived.” Although, if pressed, Go Jane Go business owners will admit being experts at the top of their game, they also often feel like they need to do more to prove themselves.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and generally, she makes a nice living. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women entrepreneurs fall in the category of Jane Dough.

Although Jane Dough is what Jane Out of the Box researchers refer to as “a natural born entrepreneur,”  she is not without her challenges. Although, on average, her personal income is slightly less than Go Jane Go’s, Jane Dough’s business income is the highest of all the five types. She works long hours, manages a team of people, and spends more time running her business and strategizing than she does “doing the work.”

How Jane Dough defines success:

* Being visionary and strategic (engineering a plan for ensuring success).
* Being confident/decisive and taking action or “going for it.”
* Staying focused on tasks that drive the business.
* Growth and expansion.
* Being in charge/in control.
* Creating an entity that lives outside herself, to be sold or passed on.
* Creating wealth.
* Being “smart” about business and marketing.
* Leveraging resources, including human resources.
* Creating results others can see.
* Feeling proud of her independence and accomplishments.
* Working hard.
* Keeping it all in perspective/taking the longer-term view.

Jane Dough’s challenges:

* Her team can’t keep up with her. Jane Dough’s vision is often on a grand scale, so she may require several different strategies that will ultimately contribute to the growth of her empire. This diversification may be a strong business growth strategy, but can cause confusion among her team members.
* Her team gets disenfranchised. Jane Dough, a fast-moving, passionate visionary, can sometimes become abrupt and directive in her managerial communications. Because they know exactly what they want to achieve, their directives may come across more like orders issued.
* Over-delegation. In her desire to achieve growth quickly, some Jane Dough business owners delegate too much to their team members – without enough input.

Merry Jane is building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. Representing about 19% of women in business, she realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Merry Jane business owners love their businesses, which they often report having started to allow themselves more time to attend to their myriad responsibilities. Most of them work only part-time for one of several reasons: they are stay-at-home mothers, they take care of aging parents, they want to nurture their creative side without spending too much time running a full-time business, or they’ve started their own business on the side in addition to working a full-time job.

How Merry Jane defines success:

* Flexibility to work when, where and as much as she wants.
* Meeting all of her obligations well.
* Enjoying a smooth-running life.
* Making a sufficient contribution to the household.
* Being recognized for her gifts and talents.
* Relishing the freedom to say no.
* Using her business as an outlet for creativity/self-expression.

Merry Jane’s challenges:

* Obtaining new customers and marketing the business. Most Merry Jane business owners reported being happy with their work-life balance. However, most also said they would like to bring in new business and make more money.
* Setting appropriate fees. When starting a new business, Merry Jane may not have all the information she needs to set appropriate fees, such as standard industry profit margins, how long a project will take, the uniqueness of a product or service, and when and in what method payments will occur.
* Striking the right balance. Many Merry Jane business owners want new customers – but not so many that they can’t still enjoy the freedom they relish.

Tenacity Jane is an entrepreneur with an undeniable passion for her business, and one who tends to be struggling with cash flow. As a result, she’s working longer hours, and making less money than she’d like. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes make up the largest group of female entrepreneurs.

Nearly all of the financially successful women Jane Out of the Box interviewed say they went through a Tenacity Jane phase. They report that the lessons they learned during this time in their lives were invaluable and ultimately contributed to their longer-term success. Nine out of ten Tenacity Jane business owners reported dissatisfaction with their cash flow, and the majority reported being unhappy with revenue, business costs or personal income through the business. However, the good news is that it is possible to move out of the Tenacity Jane group and into another, and Tenacity Jane has the passion and determination to make that change.

Here are the key reasons an entrepreneur may fall into the Tenacity Jane category:

* She has a craft or skill, but little or no experience with many of the activities necessary to run a business (such as marketing and sales, technology, operations management, and financial skills). This is the case for 40 percent of the “new businesses” in the Tenacity Jane category.
* The business started undercapitalized or acquired more debt than can comfortably be carried given current revenue levels.
* The business owner doesn’t charge enough for her services – she undervalues the work her company does and therefore, does not attain adequate levels of margin.
* The business owner is trying to accomplish too much all at once. Lack of focus makes it difficult to drive income in any of the areas.
* Something has changed in the industry or cost structure that has caused the once-prosperous business to falter financially.

Tenacity Jane business owners must carefully consider which of the above conditions best explains why they are struggling – and it may be a combination of those conditions. They key to moving out of the Tenacity Jane group and into a more comfortable stage is to understand how she got there in the first place.

Before departing on her type-changing voyage, a business owner must familiarize herself with all the benefits and challenges of her “ideal” type. For example, Jane Dough business owners report high levels of satisfaction. They also work long hours, manage a team of people, and spend more time managing the business than they do “doing the work.” Go Jane Go is in high demand and takes home a high personal income, and she often feels overwhelmed and overcommitted. Accidental Jane is satisfied, and reports some stress about the ebbs and flows of her work. Merry Jane enjoys her flexibility, and would like to make more money.

Each entrepreneurial type has its advantages and challenges – and each female entrepreneur must decide which are most important to her. Then, she can begin her journey to living as her ideal type.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com.

Succession planning is a talent and organizational improvement initiative that enables your business or organization to grow and thrive now and in the future.

Why?

Because businesses and organizations can neither succeed nor grow without management talent. It’s really that simple. If you want to build your business and organization, you need to start developing, nurturing and grooming your talent pipeline starting right now.

3 More Reasons Why You Need to Immediately Implement a Succession Planning Strategy

Reason One:  Replacement for Key Employees

Replacing a CEO and key executives is clearly one of the reasons to do a succession plan. However, if you want to grow your business or organization than you need to have replacements identified (and in the process of being prepared) for all key positions within the organization. Remember, executives set strategy, managers implement strategy. You need strength in both areas to succeed.

Executives and managers will leave. It’s a fact of life. They may leave to take another job. They may be fired. They may retire. They may become ill or leave because of a spouse’s relocation. If you think you can just pick up the phone or post an ad on sites like Monster.com and Career Builders.com and get top talent, then you’re living in a dream world.

The truth is: Good talent is hard to find – in both good and bad economies. It’s nearly impossible to find the right combination of skills, behaviors, motivation, organizational fit, and passion when a fast hire is needed (yesterday).

However, if you have a succession plan in place, you’ll have time to manage a smooth transition when an executive or manager’s vacancy is anticipated. Maintaining continuity is important and it results in less cost and less service disruption.

Reason Two: Support Anticipated Growth

This is different than the replacement strategy noted above. In this case, new positions are needed to support growth initiatives like expanding into new markets, creating new products, or initiating new ways to market your products or services.

When anticipating growth, it is important not only to identify internal talent but it is also important to build and maintain a talent network comprised of viable, specialized candidates who currently work for other organizations.

Reason Three: Address and Deal with Talent Shortages

Yes, believe it or not – some industries right now, even in the face of a recession, are experiencing talent shortages. Examples include pharmacy managers, nurse managers, engineers and sales representatives.

If you were to experience a talent shortage right now, how would your organization respond? What strategies would you put in place to avoid a lengthy leadership void?

This may require promoting candidates before they are fully ready for the position. While this will only be done when there are no viable options available, who you select and how you support the candidate’s transition should be thought out in advance. Knee jerk placements and replacements that include fast hires who are “not ready for prime time” do not often fair well.

Succession planning is a process and not an event.

Whether you are anticipating turnover and vacancies, planning for growth or working to adjust to talent shortages, you need to manage the process effectively. That’s why we created a white paper focused specifically on, “Talent Recruitment and Integration” at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php

Succession planning is one of the core initiatives to prepare for the future of your organization. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a replacement strategy, a growth strategy or a talent development strategy. Placing the right people in the right jobs has always been and will continue to be one of your strongest competitive advantages.

About the Author

Sara LaForest and Tony Kubica are management consultants and business performance improvement specialists with more than 50+ years of combined experience in helping organizations just like yours manage the transition. Failing todo succession planning is just one way to sabotage your business. Get our complete “Self-Sabotage in Business White Paper” at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php

Over the years I’ve developed my own style for hosting teleclasses and found some shortcuts that allow me to present my content so that everything flows smoothly. Today I’d like to share with you my top six dos and don’ts for hosting teleclasses so that you can shorten your learning curve when you’re ready to host your own teleclasses:

1. Do prepare notes and timings. Even though you want your information to flow naturally from one point to the next, it’s also really important to have a plan and something to refer to so that you can stay on track. Planning out your topic timings means that you’ll also be able to deliver all of the information that you want to share, and within the timeframe that you’ve allocated. It also shows that you respect your attendee’s time too by sticking to your published schedule. 

2. Don’t staple your notes together but do number your pages. I realize this may sound like a contradiction – if your notes are not stapled together you could easily lose your page (which is why I tell you to number them). However it’s so much easier to turn pages that are not bound than it is to fiddle around turning pages that are stapled. And any added distraction will only cause you to lose focus when you’re presenting your teleclass.

3. Do make sure you’re comfortable. This goes from the room you’re presenting in to the clothing that you’re wearing (and everything inbetween). Okay, I know it’s a teleclass and no-one can see you, but if you’re not comfortable with what you’re wearing and constantly fiddling around with it, you will come across as sounding distracted and not focused. This also goes for your surroundings too – if they’re not conducive to delivering your information, i.e. background noise, it will come through in your delivery and your attendees will sense that.

4. Do give yourself plenty of room. When I host my teleclasses I prefer to sit on the floor rather than sit at my desk. This allows me plenty of space to lay out my notes and any other materials that I may have without having to have everything bundled together on my desk. And it also goes to point three above – I’m much more comfortable sat on the floor with plenty of space around me which means that I’ll be able to focus much better.

5. Do be respectful of your attendee’s time. This means making sure you stick to your teleclass timings and if necessary ensure that you have a timer or watch in front of you at all times. Personally I take off my watch and have it on the floor in front of me so I can see the time throughout my call.

6. Do mute your attendees out during your presentation. This is important because you will get a much better quality recording if the line is completely clear of any background noise; and it also means your attendees get a clear line too. You can always open up the lines for questions at the end of your call.

Follow these simple steps above and you’ll soon be on your way to hosting your own successful teleclasses.

(c) 2010 Tracey Lawton

About the author:  Online Business Development Strategist, Tracey Lawton, teaches online solo service professionals how to create the essential online marketing and office organization systems needed so that they can create a more streamlined, systemized, and automated online business.  Check out http://www.officeorganizationsuccess.com for fr.ee how-to articles, resources, tips, and tools, and sign up for your fr.ee “Office Organization Success Toolkit”.

Got a bunch of photovoltaic cells and a vehicle that requires electricity? Toshiba’s thought up a process dubbed “Charge Grid” by which you can juice the latter efficiently. When the sun’s out and the electrons are flowing, it doesn’t pay to put them into the grid, so this system stores them in a rechargeable battery ready to rapidly charge your EV. For nighttime when the electricity rates are low, a bidirectional inverter lets you hop right back on the neighborhood grid, so your solar cells are put to good use and your car is always well fed. The company tells Tech-On commercialization of the system is still a few years away, so you’ve plenty of time to raze that roof antenna in favor of some photosynthesized electricity.

Toshiba’s Charge Grid puts your solar panels to work, smartly charges your EV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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