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A Mass Customization Revolution
A Mass Customization Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
The great social and economic changes due to the introduction of machine and power tools and large-scale industrial production began in 1760. Through the first 70 years of this...
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On the plus side, search engine traffic is the cream of the crop. There is very low cost...
Increase Your Page Rank Through SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) must be considered a process and over time you can build your ranking and traffic.
Remember, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
This article provides 10 SEO tips that will build your search engine rank.
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Small Business Loans for Women
The Small Business Administration states that business loans for women are on the rise, and will continue to be needed on an increasing basis in coming years. Business loans for women are more popular than ever due to a variety of factors.
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The Steps from Product Idea to Product Success
Michelangelo once said that his statue of David was embedded in the block of marble and he merely chipped away the edges to reveal it. Is your product idea inside your mind just waiting to come alive? Or, is your product already formed and you...
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Small Business Strategies - Four Critical Success Factors
Scenario One
During a recent presentation, a business owner was given the following challenge. If 10 of his 100 employees were asked to name the top 3 organizational goals for the current year as they perceived them to be, would he receive the same 3 goals from everyone or would he receive 5, 10 or even 25 different goals? The business owner shook his head and thoughtfully responded, “No, I am sure that I would receive more than 3 goals.” He was then asked to consider what these misdirected actions from his employees were costing him in terms of missed opportunities.
Scenario Two
At another presentation, a business owner was asked if she set goals? She responded quite enthusiastically, “Of course, I set goals.” She was asked a follow-up question: “Can you state with 100% conviction that your employees know how to consistently achieve both their personal and professional goals?” After a few moments, she replied “No.” She was then asked how this lack of knowledge potentially affected her bottom line?
Scenario Three
A president of a company was asked: “Have you ever seen behavior inconsistent with your strategic plan?” He quickly answered “Yes!” A second question was asked, “What did you do about it?” “Well, we sent them to training and within 6 months we had to send them back again?” A final question was then posed to the President. “Are these performance failures a result of a lack of knowledge or skills or due to poor attitudes and habits?” The president immediately said “Why bad attitudes and poor habits.” Again, the facilitator asked another question: “What are all these re-do’s costing your company?”
Scenario Four
During the annual meeting, the CEO of a manufacturing company informed her executive team that she wanted to achieve a 10% growth during the next 12 months. The VP of Operations made plans to purchase new manufacturing equipment for some new products while the VP of Marketing & Sales began to implement a plan selling existing products. The CFO decided to cut budgets to capital improvements and marketing. All three executive team members believed that their actions would help achieve the 10% growth.
These scenarios shared four critical success factors (CSF’s) that impede all organizations from achieving consistent results: communication, goal setting and goal achievement skills, attitudes and alignment.
Critical Factor #1: Communication is the key to unlocking the potential within businesses as well as individuals. When the goals are in alignment with the vision and consistently communicated from top down, then performance excellence is much more
likely to happen. Inconsistent communication contributes to missed targets and lowers the performance for the entire organization.
Critical Factor #2: Goal setting and goal achievement are learned skills. Unfortunately, many presume that these skills are acquired during the K-12 educational experiences through the “Osmosis Process.” Also, these skills are not actively taught in the corporate setting. Yet, consistent goal achievement or the results are what every organization seeks.
Critical Factor #3: Attitudes drive behaviors that result in change. Many companies focus on trying to change negative behaviors because they are experiencing negative change. However, when the negative attitudes are replaced with positive attitudes, those attitudes will drive positive behaviors creating positive change. By failing to address negative attitudes, new trends, changes or initiatives, the result is wasted resources creating a negative drain on the “KASH Box.”
Critical Factor #4: Alignment is necessary to ensure that the desired results are achieved. Performance excellence happens when the strategies, systems and people are working together to build loyal internal customers that drive loyal external customers. The much heard adage about “Getting everyone to row in the same direction” is true, but probably should be amended to include the following “by using the same paddles.”
When these four CSF’s work together, results happen quicker and create a culture of working “smarter and not harder.” The following questions may help you to achieve the consistent results that you desire:
1. Do I know with 100% accuracy that every employee can clearly articulate the top 3 goals for the organizations?
2. Does every person within the organization consistently sets and achieves all of his or her personal and professional goals?
3. Does everyone within the organization at ALL times consistently demonstrate positive attitudes?
4. Are the strategies, systems and people in alignment to build loyal internal customers?
About the author:
Leanne Hoagland-Smith helps individuals and organizations to secure results usually within 2 to 12 weeks. She coaches lifelong change through proven processes seeking that next level of success. If doubling your revenue, improving your organizational culture or finding balance interests you, visit www.processspecialist.comor ask to subscribe to complimentary copy of Power Choices a monthly newsletter at info@processspecialist.com
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| United States Small Business Administration |
| An electronic gateway of procurement information for and about small businesses. Search engine for contracting officers, marketing tool for small firms, ... |
| www.sba.gov |
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| SBA |
| The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle. ... |
| www.sba.gov |
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| Main Page - SmallBusiness.com - Small Business Resources |
| Find Small Business plans, advice, tutorials about organization, corporations, entrepreneurship, and smallbusiness. |
| www.smallbusiness.com |
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| Yahoo! Small Business: Domain Names, Web Hosting, E-commerce ... |
| Yahoo! Small Business provides products and services that enable you to establish and grow your business on the Internet. Services include domain name ... |
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| www.smallbusiness.co.uk |
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| Smallbusiness.gov.au redirect to business.gov.au |
| Business Entry Point - Helping small business in big ways. An Australian Government initiative. The content from this website has now been consolidated into ... |
| www.smallbusiness.gov.au |
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| Business & Small Business |
| Online and print small business publication. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. |
| www.entrepreneur.com |
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| Microsoft Small Business Center |
| Your home for information about Microsoft's small-business products and services, tailored business advice, technology tools, and more. |
| www.microsoft.com |
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| The Small Business Advisor - advice for starting and operating a ... |
| Advice and assistance for starting and operating a small or home based business. |
| www.isquare.com |
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| SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" |
| A nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs. |
| www.score.org |
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| Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource |
| IR-2006-2, January 3, 2006 - Temporary and proposed regulations will significantly reduce tax filing burden for nearly 950000 small business owners. ... |
| www.irs.gov |
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| Welcome to Small Business BC your business resource in British ... |
| BC Business Services offers assistance and resources for those running or starting a business in British Columbia and Vancouver. |
| www.smallbusinessbc.ca |
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| Small Business Service | Home |
| Provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. |
| www.sbs.gov.uk |
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| NSW Small Business |
| A site developed by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development for small businesses. Topics include management, resources, current issues and ... |
| www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au |
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| Business Management & Advice: Small Business Resources & Information |
| Looking for business management and advice? Our website includes small business resources and information that can help you. Visit the small business ... |
| www.businessweek.com |
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| Small Business Lawyer, Attorney, Law, Legal Help - FindLaw for ... |
| Information and legal sites relevant to small business. |
| smallbusiness.findlaw.com |
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| Small Business Funding Opportunities (SBIR and STTR) |
| Links to Small Business Funding Opportunities and SBIR / STTR Applications. |
| grants.nih.gov |
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| Microsoft bCentral Small Business Directory |
| Directory categorized by industry with company business card feature. |
| sbd.bcentral.com |
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| Our site has moved! Please update your bookmarks! |
| Facilitates the sharing and exchange of information among small business development centers, the small business administration and other business-oriented ... |
| sbdcnet.utsa.edu |
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| Small Business Development Corporation |
| Our business information services provides guidance to improve business skills and knowledge on advice on starting, buying, selling and expanding a small ... |
| www.sbdc.com.au |
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