5 Reasons why Business Shouldn’t Use Generic Envelopes | Getentrepreneurial.com

September 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How many times have you simply grabbed the nearest envelope for the posting of crucial business correspondence? Without knowing it, you could be harming the image of your business by sending important letters and documents via sub-standard, inappropriate or generic envelopes.

The first job of an envelope is to get its contents to their final destination safely. However, it also the first thing your clients and customers will see when you make contact through the mail. A neatly addressed envelope that is appropriate to the tone of its contents, and designed specifically for your business, can deliver five unexpected benefits.

Engage Your Employees Or Lose Billions | Forbes.com

September 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Most employers are failing to engage employees, and it’s costing billions of dollars. According to Gallup’s 2013 State of the Global Workplace survey, just 13 percent of worldwide employees say they are engaged at work. In the U.S., where engagement is at 30%, Gallup estimates that active disengagement 18% of the workforce costs the economy $450 billion to $550 billion per year.

“Engagement” is all the rage in business, but we’re failing at it, and we aren’t clear on what the word means. We’re engaging employees, engaging customers, engaging partners, engaging with social content, engaging in dialogue and engaging millennials—basically engaging everything and everywhere without results. The problem is that most employees don’t have any outlets for engagement. Thankfully, every business leader has the power to change this.

Howdy Partner | Peter Mehit

September 29, 2014January 22, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A consultant we know was talking about a partner she was working with on a project. She thought that they agreed prior to an important client meeting that they would present themselves as a single company to minimize any client concerns. At the meeting the ‘partner’ grandstanded, establishing his separate identity and launching into something approximating a sales pitch. The client became confused and my consultant friend and her ‘partner’ lost the work.

We have partnered with several firms over the years and have had both negative and positive experiences. What we’ve learned is there are levels of partnership that reflect the level of commitment between the players. These levels also reflect the amount of trust between them as well. While have identified the levels as: ally, collaborator and partner.

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Managing Your Personal Finances As An Entrepreneur: 14 Tips | Inc.com

September 29, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

There’s no doubt about it that being a successful entrepreneur requires a lot of expertise in a lot of different areas. Arguably one of the most important aspects to becoming a successful business owner is having your finances in order; after all, with no money, you’ve got no business. So, to help aspiring entrepreneurs take their next step towards building their empire, we’ve asked 16 expert entrepreneurs for their best piece of advice for managing your personal finances. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Diversify!”Diversify. Diversify. Diversify. I know that’s canned advice you would hear from almost every other “financial expert,” but it rings especially true for entrepreneurs. Here’s something you might not want to admit to yourself: your entrepreneurial venture has a greater chance of failing than succeeding gasp!. By diversifying and placing funds into another side business, alternate investments, or just setting aside cash, you will give yourself breathing room in the event that you have to call it quits or need to pivot to another business. In my own experience, I have been able to diversify into other ventures that operate independently of each other and that has led to constant growth and more exciting opportunities.”–Jeff Rose, GoodFinancialCents.com

2. Plan For Inevitable Rainy Days Or Months

Do You Really Invest in Yourself as an Entrepreneur? | Allbusiness.com

September 26, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’m writing this post from my new, shiny HP desktop. It wasn’t cheap, and I dragged my feet on the purchase for years, but I’m glad I bought it. I’m now more productive, and stressing less over slow load times. Are you like me? Do you find your business or your professional development to be the last thing you invest in? I think it’s a symptom of being a micropreneur. If we had staff complaining about their computers, we’d have to do something about it. But when it’s just us, we put up with faulty equipment and subpar technology just because we think we’re not worth it. Let’s change that.

How to Improve Your Business Credit Score | Businessnewsdaily.com

September 26, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you’re good about keeping your personal and business finances separate, you may think that the only credit score you have to worry about is your own. While maintaining good personal credit is certainly important if you’re applying for business loans, you may not realize that your company has its own credit score — and it’s just as essential to monitor.

“Businesses in the eyes of the law are treated like people,” said Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corporation, which provides credit-building and credibility solutions for businesses. “The smallest businesses tend not to incorporate or get a credit file, so they [think they don’t] have a credit score. Whether you’re proactively trying to get your score or not, it’s very likely that you still have one.”

4 Neuroscience Secrets to Remain Calm Under Pressure | Inc.com

September 25, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

Great leaders always seem to remain calm during situations that make mere mortals fall to pieces. Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack.

Neuroscience, however, has recently revealed that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that anybody can learn.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Understand the biochemistry.The opposite of remaining calm is the state of “fight or flight,” a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.

Time is of the Essence in Funding Deals | Peter Mehit

September 23, 2014January 22, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

‘Time is of the essence’ is a contract clause used when an action must occur by a certain time or the deal is in jeopardy, such as the buying and selling real estate. The reality is, when dealing with funding sources, that time is of the essence for the entire transaction.

I have seen deals that seemed rock solid, collapse. The reasons for their demise didn’t come from any unsolvable disagreement or lack of information. Looking back, I see that many of them just simply took too much time.

When an applicant applies to a bank, there is a flurry of activity. Applications are completed, appraisals ordered, interviews conducted. There is a lot of information gathering as the bank prepares the loan package for underwriting. Once the package goes behind the curtain, the wait begins. Occasionally, requests for information will come from underwriting. If underwriting likes the deal, they’ll defend it to a loan committee and the deal is, or is not, approved.

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