tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86153392643692748002024-02-07T22:14:14.100-07:00Pushing Water Uphill BlogDO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU'RE PUSHING water uphill with a rake in your business and your life?
This blog and my website is a place for great tips for improving both.Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-69858590755567002712012-03-08T08:34:00.000-07:002012-03-08T08:34:33.529-07:00Moneyball – How a Baseball Movie Can Help Your Business Grow<em>By Steve Baker</em> <br />
This year at the Oscars, my favorite nominee for Best Picture was Moneyball starring Brad Pitt.<br />
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Many think it is a great baseball story but to me it is a terrific business story with lessons to help small businesses compete in a big money world. It’s a story about underdogs who had to rethink how to level the playing field against incredible odds.<br />
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In 2002, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) had a huge problem. The big money teams like the New York Yankees had lured away his top talent.<br />
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By comparison, the New York Yankees spent more than $125 million in payroll in the 2002 season while the small market A’s were limited to less than $40 million. <br />
Beane knew the Yankees and most other teams had an unfair advantage with their big budgets but the A's new owners refused to spend any more money. They demanded that the team be treated as a business and charged Beane with the task of winning in the Major Leagues with a budget that was smaller than that of nearly every other team. <br />
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Beane understood that he could not compete when playing the same game against the big teams and bigger budgets. He had to try a different path of do or die. In a desperate need for a way to compete, Beane went against conventional wisdom and set out to develop his own new unfair advantages with tools that didn’t require a lot of capital investment. <br />
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He turned to analytics.<br />
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Beane listened to new ideas and hired a 25 year old Yale graduate student who was a master at analyzing stats that were not generally considered top priority in the average scouting process. Ignoring traditional recruiting techniques, the A’s took advantage of more empirical gauges of player performance to build a team that could successfully compete in Major League Baseball. The new team was built with young players and cast-off older players who didn’t fit the norm.<br />
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The results?<br />
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The Oakland A’s finished 1st in the American League West with a record of 103 wins and 59 losses, and set an American League record of winning 20 consecutive games. The A’s won the exact same number of games that the Yankees won, but the Yankees spent $1.4 million per win and the A’s paid $260.000. <br />
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The recruiting game was forever changed.<br />
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Like many startup and growing businesses owners, Billy Beane was willing to try an idea that was disruptive to traditional thinking. He listened and hired an expert to assist him in creating a new plan. <br />
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Beane lacked the belief or support of his scouting staff, many of the players, the media and even the team’s manager who fought and ridiculed him every step of the way. But he committed himself to it and did not change course.<br />
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I suggest that you watch Moneyball movie twice; the first time for pure enjoyment of a fun film and the second time with your finger on the pause button, ready to take notes.<br />
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There are many lessons for business in the movie’s dialogue. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:<br />
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• “There are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there’s fifty feet of crap…and then there’s us. It’s an unfair game.” (Be honest about where you really are in your business)<br />
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• “Your goal shouldn’t be about players, your goal should be to buy wins.” (Keep the real objective in sight and in mind)<br />
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• “A dollar for a soda?...Welcome to Oakland.” (Don’t blow the value of goodwill by being cheap with pennies…it’s the old penny wise – pound foolish)<br />
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• “We’re not New York. Find players with the money that we do have.” (Be honest and firm. Play the cards you’re dealt) <br />
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• “You guys are talking the same old nonsense; we’ve got to think differently.” (Clean the slate and start from scratch)<br />
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• “The first guy through the wall always gets bloody.”<br />
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• “When you get the answer you want, hang up.” (keep it short and to the point)<br />
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• “We’re going to rethink the game. If we win, this team will have changed the game.” <br />
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• “So what’s my biggest fear?…that a baseball will get hit in my direction.” (acknowledge and face your fears and self-doubts)<br />
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• “The question we should be asking is do we believe in this thing or not?”<br />
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How about you? Please share your thoughts and any favorite Moneyball lines. Shoot me an email at steve@pushingwater.com <br />
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May all your hits be homers and you have a winning season! <br />
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<em>Steve Baker is a founder of successful businesses and a business advisor with a passion for every phase of business cycle from startup to exit. He is also a public speaker and author of the award winning book "Pushing Water Uphill With a Rake." He lives in Colorado and is an avid poor golfer. He welcomes your e-mails at steve@pushingwater.com and invites you to visit his website: http://www.pushingwater.com.</em>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-17414881901792069062012-02-01T08:21:00.000-07:002012-02-01T08:21:36.408-07:00To Succeed in Business, Take Off That HatHat rack management can hinder your growth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Vn81H4mqlv4_LYJpk6hyphenhyphenfCEdFrhu1nodjmOgzq6KX1CSfO1ad3ta0Hv2xaBX9sJFHKhTSRBqU9_PTlh6b0bwyOP0byo_EXsGHlaszz6xRXFMxKlMWeFNM4xd7s5a6Q4gJhhYfMmkYcg/s1600/mens-vintage-hats-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Vn81H4mqlv4_LYJpk6hyphenhyphenfCEdFrhu1nodjmOgzq6KX1CSfO1ad3ta0Hv2xaBX9sJFHKhTSRBqU9_PTlh6b0bwyOP0byo_EXsGHlaszz6xRXFMxKlMWeFNM4xd7s5a6Q4gJhhYfMmkYcg/s400/mens-vintage-hats-1.jpg" width="243" /></a>I use the term "hat rack management" to describe what startup and small business managers go through.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As managers, you wear many hats: management, sales & marketing, accounting, production, IT, strategic planner, fireman, custodian, the list goes on and on. So all day long, you are mentally running back and forth to the hat rack to change hats to fit the immediate task at hand. Most days you are attempting to wear multiple hats at once. After all, everything has to be done, and you're the one who has to do it. You </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">have the skills and drive that started the business, and you know it best.</div><br />
But guess what? The truth is that you can't know everything or do everything well, and some of those hats just don't fit.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was fortunate to figure this out early in my business life. I was starting my first business while still in college. As a business major I was taking as many courses as possible including an advanced accounting course. As a young business owner, I knew that I had to understand accounting but I also realized that I didn't like it. My strengths have always been in developing and executing business and marketing plans and the accounting hat is a uncomfortable fit on me.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After a few days in class, I went to the instructor to inform him that I was dropping his class to pick up an additional marketing course because I wanted to strengthen my expertise. I knew that accounting was one hat that would never fit my head. Acknowledging that I could not wear it well directed me to outsource this important function to those who have a passion to do it well. Not trying to squeeze my head into the wrong hat left my brain fresh to do what I do best. Conversely, if you're a top-notch CPA, chances are very good that marketing hat doesn't fit you well.</div><br />
Spend your time and talent wisely. Every hour spent on things that are not your expertise is distracting you from what you do well and will adversely affect your overall performance. Trying to wear a hat that doesn't fit will give you a headache. It will wear you down, cause frustration and diminish your overall effectiveness. So play to your strengths. There may be an added cost to pass tasks to others but you will gain it back in increased productivity and efficiencies.<br />
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Another negative consequence in trying to wear too many hats and do everything yourself is that it can become a bad habit that turns you into a micro-manager (that's a nice term for control freak) who cannot or will not delegate. Micro-managers tend to run roughshod over others and inhibit growth in their employees.<br />
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Yes, in the very beginning, you must and will do it all. But for the sake of your company's success and your own peace of mind, truthfully analyze your strengths and weaknesses (<a href="http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/your-business-needs-a-good-swot/" target="_blank">see my article on SWOT</a>) and decide where you need others' expertise. Then set and follow a new plan to transition the delegation of these tasks to others.<br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Hats off to your success!</span></em></strong>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-22435008840900164892012-01-19T19:41:00.000-07:002012-01-19T19:41:20.393-07:00Your business needs a good SWOTTo continue the growth and success for your business, you need to periodically step back and analyze what’s going on. One of the best tools I have used for years is the SWOT Analysis.<br />
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SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.<br />
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SWOT analysis was developed from research conducted at Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s and is an extremely useful tool for a deeper understanding for all sorts of situations in business and organizations. I have found it helps me balance the decision making process.<br />
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The SWOT headings provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition. It helps you to quickly identify and manage threats and uncover new opportunities. In most cases, you’ll find strengths and weaknesses to be internal while opportunities and threats will be more external.<br />
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I prefer using it with a team of managers or all members of a department. Using a big dry-wipe board, I’ve found that the best way is to think fast and write down items as you think of them. Then go back and add and further define. Don’t be humble when listing your strengths but be brutally honest in listing weaknesses and threats for it is through constructive criticism that they can be overcome.<br />
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Make a four box grid with the following headings and start adding items under each heading.<br />
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<strong>Strengths,</strong> <strong>Weaknesses, Opportunities &</strong> <strong>Threats</strong><br />
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Here are a few general examples:<br />
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<div><strong>Strengths:</strong> </div><ul><li>In what ways are you better than your competition?</li>
<li>Your organization's Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?</li>
<li>Resources, assets, people?</li>
<li>Experience, knowledge, data?</li>
<li> Financial reserves?</li>
<li>Marketing - reach, distribution, awareness?</li>
<li>Price, value, quality?</li>
</ul><strong>Weaknesses:</strong><br />
<ul><li>Lack of competitive strength?</li>
<li>Reputation, presence and reach?</li>
<li>Cash flow, start-up cash drain?</li>
<li>Reliability of data, plan predictability?</li>
<li>Morale, commitment, leadership?</li>
<li>Poor quality control?</li>
</ul><strong>Opportunities:</strong><br />
<ul><li>New markets, vertical, horizontal? Technology development and innovation</li>
<li>Geographical, export, import?</li>
<li>Market need for new USP's?</li>
<li>Market response to tactics, e.g., surprise?</li>
<li>Major contracts, tenders?</li>
<li>Business and product development?</li>
<li>Partnerships, agencies, distribution?</li>
</ul><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul><li>New regulations?</li>
<li>New competitors entering market?</li>
<li>Competitor intentions?</li>
<li>Market demand?</li>
<li>New technologies, services, ideas?</li>
<li>Financial and credit pressures?</li>
<li>Economy - home, abroad?</li>
</ul>The SWOT analysis has multiple uses. <br />
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The brains at Stanford Research Institute spent ten years using SWOT with over 1,100 companies verifying that SWOT analysis is a powerful model for many different situations and is a valuable aid in the decision making process. <br />
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Some of important Stanford examples of how companies use a SWOT analysis are:<br />
<ul><li>A company’s position in the market, commercial viability, etc.</li>
<li>Methods of sales and distribution</li>
<li>Competitors </li>
<li>New products or brands</li>
<li>A business idea</li>
<li>Strategic options, such as entering a new market or launching a new product</li>
<li>An opportunity to make an acquisition (or be acquired)</li>
<li>A potential partnership</li>
<li>Changing a supplier</li>
<li>Outsourcing a service, activity or resource</li>
<li>Project planning and project management</li>
<li>An investment opportunity</li>
<li>Personal career development - direction, choice, change, etc.</li>
</ul>You’ve probably guessed by now that I’m sold on SWOTing my business decisions. Completing a SWOT analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for workshops and brain-storming sessions. The beauty of the SWOT analysis is that you can use it in a very quick and basic form or create a very detailed strategic assessment, as your needs require. <br />
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After using this powerful tool a few times you will begin to look at things with a new mindset – one that automatically looks at various considerations and ideas that will help your business grow. By looking at your business, your competitors and yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to craft a strategy that helps you distinguish yourself from your competitors, discover new opportunities, and compete successfully in your market. <br />
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So give your business a good SWOT and let me know how it works for you.<br />
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To your Success!Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-36291154101060702172011-09-14T10:02:00.017-06:002011-09-14T15:12:59.080-06:00Starting a New Business - Where Can You Find Your Next Great Idea?<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">Where is your next business?<br /></span><em>Your new business may be right in front of you but you have to learn how to see it. </em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I’m a huge fan of <a href="http://www.bevdoolittle.net/">Bev Doolittle</a>. She is often called a "camouflage artist" because her distinctive use of context, design and pattern help viewers discover images and meanings which seem hidden only until they become obvious and then, bam, they’re right in front of you.<br /><br />Often, new business opportunities are hidden in plain sight, right in front of us until like Doolittle’s art, we view them differently.<br /><br />Anyone who has ever driven across Wyoming has noticed the miles and miles of snow fences. As I drove across those lonely highways I looked at the snow fences flying by and, like most of you, just thought, “Boy, that’s a lot of wood.”</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652252871056655394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDhYVg07hLsA1BveZPBDZ-sP7FWuXezoRmKGDwhf4SAdKKjHaiQ_cFmD6vSBwZWzG8Jmn4yswqM03JaQaIym9PfSQ52-CW_1ttAAzytgvet9Iq6GgS-fjemNOtH5IzBlC8FxEGNxnRPM/s200/images.jpg" />But some entrepreneurs look deeper and see beyond what’s in front of them.<br /><br />I recently met with an interesting business group in Laramie, Wyoming. The founders of this company drove by those fences everyday and wondered what happened to all that wood when the fences needed repaired. Their investigation found that it was burned or tossed in landfills.<br /><br />One person’s trash is another one’s treasure.<br /><br />So in 1999 the founders created <a href="http://www.centennialwoods.com/">Centennial Woods</a> and cut a deal with WYDOT to reclaim the wood from snow fences across Wyoming and replace it at no cost to the state.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">John Pope, the company’s CEO explained, “We created the perfect win – win business relationship. The state gets miles of snow fences repaired for free and Centennial gets raw materials for our business.”<br /><br />The company trims and sizes the sustainable harvested wood and sells the boards for both interior and exterior applications across the United States and Europe.<br /><br />Snow fence boards harvested by Centennial Woods can range in age from 7 to 25 years old, giving it a distinguished look that’s a true product of Wyoming’s wild and windy weather: snowy winters, arid winds, clear skies, and abundant sunshine. The wood is a stunning mixture of grays and browns in unique grain patterns that are characteristic of the windblown state of Wyoming.<br /><br />But instead of being broken down by the weather, the wood is naturally weathered and strengthened by it, or as Pope calls it, “perfectly cured.”<br /><br />Since snow fence boards don't touch the ground, the wood isn't affected by bugs or ground moisture making it extra resilient. And, unlike other reclaimed woods, Centennial’s have never been painted or chemically treated, and are completely free of lead and other hazardous treatments common in older barns and other structures. That’s important in the green building industry and Centennial was LEEDS certified.<br /><br />What for years was overlooked and discarded is now an excellent lumber choice for interior and exterior building/remodeling projects of the rustic variety. The company has repurposed more than 7 million feet of reclaimed wood from snow fence, saving Wyoming more than $10 million and avoiding more than 9,000 tons of CO2 emissions.<br /><br />So, Centennial Woods is the newest winner of the Steve Baker <em>“Duh, Why Didn’t I See That?”</em> award.<br /><br />Because these entrepreneurs focused on something with a curious eye, they peered deeper and discovered something that the rest of us missed. Centennial Woods exploited a business opportunity and created a thriving international business that has grown to become one of the largest providers of reclaimed wood in the world.<br /><br />If you know of other creative companies that have made something big out of something else, please leave me a comment or shoot me an <a href="mailto:%20steve@pushingwater.com">email</a>. I’d love to know them. </span>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-19179541286635264282011-04-21T20:24:00.003-06:002011-04-21T20:31:19.692-06:00Top three tips for finding the best employees<em>It's about who they are, not just what they can do </em>
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<br /></em>There are signs that the economy is beginning to pick up and companies are starting to hire once again.
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<br />As an executive of fast growing companies, I have always taken pride in the quality of our employees and have always felt they were the best. We didn't find these employees because we were lucky; it was by following our plan for finding the best people for every position in every department.
<br />Here are my three tips:
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<br />Tip 1: Core Capability Strengths
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<br />Okay, this is the DUH tip. This obvious first tip is to find people with the strong core capabilities to perform the required and requested tasks. Interviewing and testing for the skill competencies to complete the department tasks goes without saying. But many young companies stop at this first step and make their hires. They regret it later.
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<br />Tip 2: Core Character Strengths
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<br />Because our companies were exploding in growth, we wanted strong entrepreneurial spirits. But just as important to us was the strength and quality of a person's character.
<br />After it was determined that a person had the skills we were looking for, we conducted a final interview to look for the quality character traits that would fit our goals and the company personality for the team that we were building.
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<br />The character traits we were searching for:
<br />• Strong work ethic. They worked or took on responsibilities at an early age and a work ethic is part of their being
<br />• Accepted risks, handled pressure and paid the price to reach their goals
<br />• Honest with a high degree of integrity
<br />• Quick thinkers and learners with an insatiable appetite to learn and grow
<br />• Competitive, with the drive to strive and win in whatever they are doing
<br />• Will follow the company plan but have the ability to take charge when needed
<br />• Enjoy being part of a team and participated for the good of all
<br />• A positive attitude, sense of humor and enjoyment for life
<br />• The desire and ability to become a leader in his or her department and grow within the company
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<br />So, I can hear some of you saying, "Who are you looking for, Steve, a Boy Scout?" Well, growing up as a Boy Scout myself, I think the laws of a scout can pretty well set your course for finding great employees: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent, along with working hard to get those merit badges.
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<br />Tip 3: Look Outside Your Industry
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<br />Many companies hire only within their industry. I think this is a big mistake. People in the same industry too often think alike, act alike, and believe they already know everything about the industry.
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<br />Starting at the management level, it's clear that success is driven by a creative team. I've had greater results in building a strong team by looking at successful people from other industries with transferable skills and new ideas and approaches. My process has been supported by the Stanford Project on Emerging Companies, an eight-year study of nearly 200 Silicon Valley startups conducted by Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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<br />The results of the study confirmed that founding and senior management teams with a variety of prior company affiliations and broad functional diversity tend to be more successful more quickly.
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<br />The study showed evidence that "putting together teams that are diverse with respect to both functional diversity and prior company and industry experience is a good thing. It's not just about who knows what, but where they come from."
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<br />I have found that the same is true across all levels of employees. Because they come from different backgrounds, they work together to learn your industry and how to apply their knowledge and experiences. Diverse teams will bring more perspectives and different sets of information together and often do a better job of solving problems and being creative as a team.
<br />Diversity of industry experiences increases employee engagement.
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<br />As stated in "The Economics of Engagement" published by the Human Capital Institute, "A fully engaged worker brims with enthusiasm, they contribute ideas, are optimistic about the company and its future, are seldom absent from work, typically stay with the organization longer and are among the organization's most valuable ambassadors."
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<br />By building a team with strong core character traits coupled with core capabilities and diverse experiences, you can create an unstoppable force for your company.
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<br />Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-84995252976951549412010-04-23T13:21:00.019-06:002010-04-23T14:50:41.302-06:00Our new company in Belize<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9FWwnz8dAFPSSrAMpKav_NoC5G5WE1olgyrxAFm4OymhNClhJZZGLHGMVk-h_DP8zBhDwgmKvSeMv3CBWzycB7mxHSMoWGREDapNbTJ-QHaNU4Gmf3CsE8BQ_PJ7D359rm5hsKpHjH0/s1600/placencia123.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463418748053524450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 149px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9FWwnz8dAFPSSrAMpKav_NoC5G5WE1olgyrxAFm4OymhNClhJZZGLHGMVk-h_DP8zBhDwgmKvSeMv3CBWzycB7mxHSMoWGREDapNbTJ-QHaNU4Gmf3CsE8BQ_PJ7D359rm5hsKpHjH0/s200/placencia123.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEzuM-HJPETfvtHEGl9dwZ3l4srTc8AqV7_3Xe-QPMF9014lRfs2K6KoFxcIN0NTFHxKhmG9fZH4-ip-wP8qAl6YsXWY9h5c1Qp2cKbYzOJVePEsH5TpvhSzOJearXR3jmPPJaa_Pqxw/s1600/reverse2.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463419274763169426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 163px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEzuM-HJPETfvtHEGl9dwZ3l4srTc8AqV7_3Xe-QPMF9014lRfs2K6KoFxcIN0NTFHxKhmG9fZH4-ip-wP8qAl6YsXWY9h5c1Qp2cKbYzOJVePEsH5TpvhSzOJearXR3jmPPJaa_Pqxw/s200/reverse2.png" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Announcing our new company in Belize!</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">After nearly two years of research and planning, I’m pleased to announce that my international team & I have officially launched <em><strong>International Wellness Resorts Inc.</strong></em> This startup business represents a unique combination of short and long term revenue streams working in a complementary fashion: medical tourism, hospitality and land development with the theme of ultimate personal wellness.<br /><br />We plan to build and operate a number of wellness centers at resort locations around the world that will provide common and proprietary healthcare treatments. The treatments will be offered in combination with travel within the new industry of medical tourism. </span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eq_sRwG3wBNEsd5wLCLxbd6CRtFpdn6zrdYqHMkrToJ8Nr57i4yIdbEzMvu6p63POnQpXj6IkQQoUQfAIN988-PNKwT_5dHZD6eJ3PWg8dKRpE_VVVE-XHy-2w1R1qJ24au8OQ5cMuE/s1600/health9.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463415410786487970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eq_sRwG3wBNEsd5wLCLxbd6CRtFpdn6zrdYqHMkrToJ8Nr57i4yIdbEzMvu6p63POnQpXj6IkQQoUQfAIN988-PNKwT_5dHZD6eJ3PWg8dKRpE_VVVE-XHy-2w1R1qJ24au8OQ5cMuE/s200/health9.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) is a term initially coined by travel agencies</span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and the mass media </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain healthcare. </span></span></div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /><div></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">A forecast by Deloitte Consulting</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> projected medical tourism originating in the U.S. and Canada could jump by a factor of ten over the next decade. The report estimated 1.6 million North Americans will travel overseas for health care in 2010, spending billions of dollars. Steve Forbes stated “Medical tourism is a fast growing phenomenon which will be a $40 Billion industry (worldwide) in 2010.”</span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><div><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463417649525909362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 114px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fHkphAigCIxSOFN-n9ULuj2CVozk6dxHoO_NjxVsbNw_XSI8meXMIdPG6sS1-Kf9EXiN-1bep8YeOJ93ZHBjCJTNREPNDOD5DS9SHZGF_usDJwlYa9YDlQJLKi5KK-3hLrbvHPmOASY/s200/hammer.bmp" border="0" />Initially, we will participate in medical tourism through the provision of a proprietary treatment for relief from migraine headache pain at a newly constructed temporary medical facility in the beautiful resort destination of Placencia, Belize. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">We will secure necessary permits from the government of Belize; recruit doctors to participate and conduct treatments with a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Patients will be provided resort accommodations during their stay in Belize.</span></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463420370145448882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_sIg3eAZAPgC5aSGhhWKk_VdmYk0_OqJepXMVAo3r6-uw2bVzz72TvLgUhO9Ac-B5DZYEfCGhb6LDT0QhAc-VHe93TQT5hAY92o_iDIs6pXtDXMm4yfqjNs08rf4uh0hyRsQNpv4nkg/s200/placencia_belize.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#000000;">Placencia, Belize has been selected as the site of the initial wellness center because of its growing popularity as a Caribbean tourism destination by United States and Canadian residents. A former British colony, citizens speak English and the country accepts the U.S. dollar as a currency. Visitors enjoy some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean and the second largest coral reef in the world. </span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><div><br />Additional proprietary healthcare treatments will be secured or licensed to differentiate our wellness centers from all other competitors. A variety of wellness, cosmetic and other spa products and services will also be offered. Our services will be directly marketed and promoted through established medical tourism businesses within the United States, Canada, Europe and Belize.</div><div><br />Upon successfully attaining full scale operations in Belize, we plan to replicate its business model at numerous locations across the globe to serve large population centers. These locations will match our Belize center in maintaining world class health standards with a resort experience.<br /><br />If you would like to review the information on our investment opportunity, please email me at <a href="mailto:Steve@PushingWater.com">Steve@PushingWater.com</a> </span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">and if you know of someone who may be interested, please have them contact me.</span><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">Oh, and one more thought...did you know that when you visit your investment in Belize that it's tax deductible?</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;color:#00cccc;"><em>Happy Margaritas!</em></span></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-45811606860540898922009-10-19T14:03:00.011-06:002009-10-19T14:26:45.430-06:00Rules for a Successful Think-Tank<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQlni-6PK7j5wCnM7FwwLRya04rc-i99RhmtzOEvshXIisCOHs9cOuijHX94UHShlH3sVt_r_TNqtoXzcxdUN1Ck82nhWs-P7gf4eieKggp4uJllirNlB6O10nLo53QPXNkkA3fQAZU/s1600-h/brainstorming_10_08_08_pc_pro_me.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394404914469951906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQlni-6PK7j5wCnM7FwwLRya04rc-i99RhmtzOEvshXIisCOHs9cOuijHX94UHShlH3sVt_r_TNqtoXzcxdUN1Ck82nhWs-P7gf4eieKggp4uJllirNlB6O10nLo53QPXNkkA3fQAZU/s200/brainstorming_10_08_08_pc_pro_me.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">A brainstorming think-tank can be great if you follow the rules.<br /><br />I have always had great success in using think-tanks to come up with new ideas and solutions in my companies.<br /><br />Don’t limit to only one department with one mindset. My most successful think-tanks are a team of creative thinkers with diverse backgrounds who can offer different slants and perspectives.<br /><br />As the think-tank leader, you should explain the mission, i.e. “New ways to increase market share.” You should be the moderator that keeps things on pace but no one, including you, dominates the conversation. Your tank-mates can create valuable ideas quickly if they operate within a set game plan.<br /><br />Here are 13 Rules that will help you succeed: </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"><br /><div><br /><strong>1. No egos allowed.</strong> I have a sign outside my conference room that says “Please leave egos here.” You’re not in the tank to impress others with your brilliance and monopolize the time. A good think-tank is a cooperative supportive team where all thoughts are welcome and shared, and only the team succeeds. </div><div><br /><strong>2. Use a dry-wipe whiteboard.</strong> The bigger the better. I once had an entire wall in the conference room wallpapered with dry-wipe paper so we could get more ideas. If you can’t get a white board, use a large lecture paper pad. I prefer that each member have their own marker and go to the board with their ideas.</div><div><br /><strong>3. Stay on topic.</strong> Your idea for an iPhone microwave oven app is awesome, but not during a session on how to improve customer service.</div><div><strong><br />4. One conversation at a time.</strong> When different conversations are going on within a team, no one can focus. </div><div><br /><strong>5. Encourage each other to participate.</strong> Often the shy person has great ideas that they’ve been quietly thinking about. </div><div><br /><strong>6. Go for volume.</strong> Getting to 100 ideas is better than 10. The more ideas you have the more chances you have for quality ideas. Try setting a goal for the number of ideas you'll get to in a certain amount of time to provide incentive. </div><div><br /><strong>7. Think fast & keep it short.</strong> Impulse thoughts and ideas are often sound and worthwhile. Got an instant thought? Write it on the board.</div><div><br /><strong>8. Encourage wild ideas.</strong> As Albert Einstein said, “If at first, the idea is not absurd then there is no hope for it.” Most great ideas and inventions were first silly ideas. (but remember #3) </div><div><br /><strong>9. Headline your idea.</strong> Make it quick and sharp, then move on to the next one. </div><div><br /><strong>10. Be visual.</strong> Sketch your ideas out for your tank-mates. It will communicate them more clearly than words alone, plus it might inspire some new ideas. </div><div><br /><strong>11. Review and build on the Ideas of others.</strong> This leverages the perspectives of diverse teams and can be especially useful when you feel like you're stuck.<br /><br /><strong>12. Withhold judgment.</strong> Don't block someone else's idea. If you don't like it, look at it on the whiteboard and maybe you'll be able to build on it later. Remember, this is a Think-Tank, not a Shark-Tank. </div><div><br /><strong>13. Summarize and condense for action items</strong>. Assign action steps to follow through with sound ideas. </div><div><br />Have Fun. Even when the topic is serious, try to keep the pace loose. Anger and worry hamper creative thought. I’ve had great success with after-hours sessions over pizza and beer. If that’s against your rules, at least have brain fuel and energy snacks.</div><div><br />A good think-tank session not only produces results, it strengthens communication and inspires all participants to be more creative and think for the good of the company. Using these simple guidelines will help make your think-tank session a brainstorm instead of a drizzle.</span></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-74402656790576769182009-07-19T20:00:00.000-06:002009-07-19T20:12:53.640-06:00Steve's Entrepreneur AA Club for Success (no, not that one)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtjuHSW1upCheWqwORD8DiRgCfvyjUKdZ9Kpuch3OvSA3rXhUBctjLJXr2jE0cA-XDa5XMBRQEJlPC7xPUFVhTx2CMVUkPLSvWsRGOoATUeCutrDgxICeWJn3vawotXpPzkVCvfRe_UY/s1600-h/Picture1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360289038753910258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtjuHSW1upCheWqwORD8DiRgCfvyjUKdZ9Kpuch3OvSA3rXhUBctjLJXr2jE0cA-XDa5XMBRQEJlPC7xPUFVhTx2CMVUkPLSvWsRGOoATUeCutrDgxICeWJn3vawotXpPzkVCvfRe_UY/s200/Picture1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Extra! Extra!</strong></span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let's talk about being Successful Entrepreneurs!</span><br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">I apologize that I've been remiss in writing my articles for a few weeks. Being the entrepreneur and start-up junkie that I am, I've been very busy building yet another new company (which I can't discuss with you yet). So I have been writing a lot...business plans, executive summaries, comprehensive marketing plans, financial needs analyses, critical staff profiles, mission and vision statements - you know the drill.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"><br />Many of us have been entrepreneurs most of our lives. Our businesses have strived, thrived and occasionally died. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">But we start again. It's in our DNA; it's not what we <u>do</u> - it's what we <u>are</u>.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">Now, with the recession, many successful corporate business men and women have been tossed out on the street and are considering starting their own businesses and becoming entrepreneurs. I welcome you to our new and different world.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">So for all of us Startup Junkies and you Newbies, here are some tips that I think can help you in starting and running your business, and you don't even have to read them.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">I recently sat down for a short one-on-one interview to discuss what makes entrepreneurs more successful and share one of my best tips for your success:</span> <span style="color:#cc0000;">The Steve Baker Entrepreneur AA Club. </span><span style="color:#000000;">(no, it's not <em>that</em> AA, and <u>no</u> there's <u>no</u> membership fee and <u>no</u> you don't fill your garage with crap to resell downline) </span></span><br /></p><p><a href="http://player.broadbandvideo.com/VideoPlayer.asp?Station=w3w3_corising&Id=61343&ShowOrClip=s&MediaType=v&ResizeX=&ResizeY=&CheckPayment="><span style="font-family:verdana;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> <span style="color:#000000;">to watch the interview <span style="font-size:85%;">(sorry, there's a 60 second ad first)</span> and then post <u>your</u> comments, thoughts and ideas for success.<br />Oh, and please pass this on to others.</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;"><em>To Your Success!</em></span><br /><a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/page/page/1546424.htmcom"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>Steve Baker</em></span></a><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;">Steve is an entrepreneur, business advisor, author and avid poor golfer who has a passion for business and life.</span><br /></a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/catalog/item/1608837/1053307.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">Purchase PUSHING WATER UPHILL WITH A RAKE</span></a></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-16396910072245683362009-06-10T10:01:00.032-06:002009-06-10T10:46:52.177-06:00Is It Time To Bend Your Ethics?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBiMxB2BuaIsMzmSG9MGhbZo83gCJpiy8JFEk3AUUCC45Jn8QCXHi1GHrxy97b3oVcPCgYr2VVZbhvvn8VJglshJDMFqoARtPhPSIniaIBLvcTg2UgNwIfabZ3I1ZEOLef63Rt4Wdr7c/s1600-h/7063176021344856510076_610w.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345730235246930034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBiMxB2BuaIsMzmSG9MGhbZo83gCJpiy8JFEk3AUUCC45Jn8QCXHi1GHrxy97b3oVcPCgYr2VVZbhvvn8VJglshJDMFqoARtPhPSIniaIBLvcTg2UgNwIfabZ3I1ZEOLef63Rt4Wdr7c/s200/7063176021344856510076_610w.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">These are the turbulent times that try one's soul.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Many of you are going through painful times in your business and personal life right now.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It gets tough when your back's against the wall and you are faced with maintaining your moral compass and your ethics. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I was recently interviewed about ethics and rather than write this article about it, I thought I'd let you watch the interview. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(sorry, there's a 60 second ad first) </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lqqpdj"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Please click here to watch.</span></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.pushingwateruphill.snapmonkey.net/catalog/item/1608837/1053307.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">Click here to purchase <em>PUSHING WATER UPHILL With A Rake</em> with Free shipping</span></a></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-28762843529966441542009-05-27T07:00:00.000-06:002009-05-27T07:00:13.666-06:00Your Baby's Ugly…and you've got bad breath<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgIaiaH7qT2W1Z2dH3P16I5qcfaMl-T3dgokGpaAkMD0UY1QzzsJSxn8cbqR14Fd3jfmZlMsbc8q92wwdQLxv9a8TZfTQLSeNLb0NZhZypzjeQwV-4DrPymFn8RyIl9mjg8iQ1XYPXU0/s1600-h/tn_8_ugly_people.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340216816091849666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgIaiaH7qT2W1Z2dH3P16I5qcfaMl-T3dgokGpaAkMD0UY1QzzsJSxn8cbqR14Fd3jfmZlMsbc8q92wwdQLxv9a8TZfTQLSeNLb0NZhZypzjeQwV-4DrPymFn8RyIl9mjg8iQ1XYPXU0/s200/tn_8_ugly_people.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Your product or service must be perfect; after all <u>you</u> thought of it.<br />But guess what?</em></span><br /><br />I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that 98% of businesses are small businesses. The bad news is that from 60% to 80% of new businesses will fail in their first five years.<br /><br />After years of building my own companies and consulting growing businesses, I've found that too many business owners can't see their business through an objective eye, which often leads to their demise.<br /><br />It takes an incredible amount of intense drive, determination and strong ego to breathe life into a business and create products from scratch, but it's also that same ego that won't let a business owner be objective about what their business needs to succeed. </div><div><br />The business is up and running at light-speed and management doesn't have the time or willingness to stand back and take an honest look at what they have created. They are too close to the problems to see them. Just like a proud parent, they have spent sweat and time creating this "baby," and they refuse to believe that it might be less than perfect. </div><div><br />I call this the "business parent trap." It is in this trap that business owners often create and introduce products that would not test out in the marketplace. There's an attitude of "Hey, it's gotta be great because I thought of it." </div><div><br />I've found that there are usually two basic things wrong with a business: the product (the baby) and the management (the breath). </div><div><br />So how do you assess your business? Are your employees going to tell you that you're headed in the wrong direction? Not likely. </div><br /><div>Occasionally a consultant will be brought in to review the company's performance in a given area. Unfortunately, when management does bring in a consultant, they often are really looking for affirmation - not straight-forward constructive criticism. Unfortunately, some consultants are more than willing to "affirm for a fee." </div><div><br />If you're going to succeed, then someone needs to tell you if your baby's ugly or you've got bad breath. So here are some blunt yet truthful thoughts for your business, and perhaps you:</div><div><br />· GET OVER YOURSELF: Know yourself, trust yourself, believe in your self...then Get Over Yourself. You're really not the smartest person in the world. You built the business and know it better than anyone else, but no one else really cares how much you know.<br /><br />· SPECTATOR SPORT: Conversation with you should not be a spectator sport for others. Remember that there's a huge difference between listening and merely waiting for your turn to talk. You hired your employees and perhaps a consultant because you assumed they had brains, so let them use them. Ask questions and listen to answers.<br /><br />· JUST ANOTHER PRODUCT: Realize that even though you think that your new product or service is the greatest thing since the flip-top beer can, the world just sees one more product and must be convinced. You created this product and you know every function of it, but customers do not buy functions, they buy only benefits. Whether your product is a high tech internet service or a left-handed widget, you must show how it is uniquely beneficial to your customer. Functionality makes your products work, benefits make them sell.<br /><br />· PAPER WEIGHT: If you have the skills to create a product, chances are that you don't have the skills to market and sell it. Many business owners think that marketing and sales are the simplest part of their business, so it is almost an afterthought. There is only one reason that inferior products outsell better ones; and that is successful marketing. Think of your marketing plan as the complete story book that sells your product. If your story book is a best seller, then your product will be a best seller. Without the right story that will build sales and distribution, your wonderful product is just another paper weight that is headed for a land fill.<br /><br />· STAND BACK: Your competitors are not all stupid. Guess what? They think their babies are cute too, and they may tell better stories that make them look even better than yours. So stand back and look at yourself and your baby and try to look through the eyes of a disinterested party, because believe it or not, the world is a disinterested party. </div><div><br />Remember, there's a strong chance that you will not be in business in 5 years. As busy as you are, and successful as you think you are, you must set your ego aside and realize that there are things beyond your control. </div><div><br />The secret to success does not lie in knowing everything; the secret lies in knowing what you don't know, and finding those who do. I’ve been successful because I seek out constructive criticism, asking others to tell me my baby’s ugly…but tell me why.</div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-12010256259020468112009-05-02T11:30:00.051-06:002009-05-10T15:46:04.757-06:00Are You A Twitter Quitter?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4rAYE4Gbjl9PzAQtdVC-OGMWb1aCZN3eAAgLHU_TUXTIOzTP_S6SwEBl7-Zv1m0AMYKt_khXZ3mf4aCBe0dLZHpP93M49kziwOWgFVN8B0WT-836aIqkswcUMOYq616m0I3Y3z-fWas/s1600-h/bird.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332846791844053314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4rAYE4Gbjl9PzAQtdVC-OGMWb1aCZN3eAAgLHU_TUXTIOzTP_S6SwEBl7-Zv1m0AMYKt_khXZ3mf4aCBe0dLZHpP93M49kziwOWgFVN8B0WT-836aIqkswcUMOYq616m0I3Y3z-fWas/s200/bird.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/dzl5qc"><span style="font-size:78%;">Cartoon created by Steve Hearn</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#990000;"><em>"To Twit or to Quit Twit, that is the question."</em></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have mixed feeling about Twitter.<br /><br />Twitter is the free Internet-based service that allows people to follow the 140-character messages or "tweets" of friends and celebrities which could be sent to computer screens or mobile devices and in turn send their own instant thoughts to those same people and more who follow them. It's basically short text messaging that goes out to many at once. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was told by many friends that I was stuck on stupid in the stone-age and just had to start using Twitter to get into the real new world. I took a very good class on Twitter and set out to share my goings-on with the waiting world. I was told that I should strive to get as many people following me and I in turn should follow them and read their 140 character impulsive thoughts because they would be reading mine.<br /><br />I also read that using Twitter could help my business grow if people get to know and like me.<br /><br />So I started "tweeting" but could not bring myself to confess to total strangers that, as a successful businessman, I had time to share that my grass is growing.<br /><br />I've been using Twitter for awhile now and I must confess that in reading other people tweets, what I've found is that a whole lot of people have a whole lot of time on their hands and want me to know that they are enjoying a cup of coffee somewhere or that they're stuck in traffic (and tweeting this important information while they're driving…hmm, I see a new traffic law coming).<br /><br />It also does not seem to be two-way communication but rather a narcissistic "Look at me and what I'm doing." I very rarely see anyone respond or comment on others tweets, they just keep telling others about themselves.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I kept thinking, “Maybe I am stone-age stupid, I don’t get this.” </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, this week I read a Reuters report - </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE53S1A720090429"><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Today's Twitters are often tomorrow's quitters"</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> The article reports data that questions the long-term success of the latest social networking sensation used by celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Britney Spears. President Obama used Twitter during last year's campaign.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Sounds like the new wave, but data from Nielsen Online, which measures Internet traffic, found that more than 60 percent of Twitter users stopped using the free social networking site a month after joining.<br /><br />"Twitter's audience retention rate, or the percentage of a given month's users who come back the following month, is currently about 40 percent," David Martin, Nielsen Online's vice president of primary research, said in a statement. "For most of the past 12 months, pre-Oprah, Twitter has languished below 30 percent retention."<br /><br />It has enjoyed a recent explosion in popularity on the back of celebrities such as actor Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey singing its praises and sending out "tweets" which can alert readers to breaking news or the sender's sometimes mundane activities.<br /><br />Twitter does not disclose the number of its users but according to Nielsen Online, Twitter's website had more than 7 million unique visitors in February this year compared to 475,000 in February a year ago. But Martin said a retention rate of 40 percent will limit a site's growth to a 10 percent reach figure over the longer term.<br /><br />"There simply aren't enough new users to make up for defecting ones after a certain point," he said in a statement. Martin said Facebook and MySpace, the more established social network sites, enjoyed retention rates that were twice as high and those rates only rose when they went through their explosive growth phases. Both currently have retention rates of about 70 percent with Facebook having about 200 million users.<br /><br />"Twitter has enjoyed a nice ride over the last few months, but it will not be able to sustain its meteoric rise without establishing a higher level of user loyalty," said Martin.<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">My conclusions so far:<br /></span><br />Starting out on twitter is like using a spoon to carve a steak. It might work but you need more utensils to work effectively. I have discovered that there are a great many tools out there to make Twitter more effective, like Twellow, Twellowhood, Tweetstat,Twitterfriends, Twitpwr, Twtpic, TweetBeep and more. But you need the time and desire to learn how to use each of them to get the most out of Twitter.<br /><br />Twitter is a fad. It's great for celebrities, but don't for a minute think that they are following you back. Okay, I confess that I do want to have a million adoring fans following ME, just like Oprah, hanging on my every thought to make their lives more complete and then rushing out to buy </span><a href="http://www.pushingwateruphill.snapmonkey.net/page/page/1546423.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;">my book</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, PUSHING WATER UPHILL With A Rake.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">But back in the real world I have no illusions that if I am following 5,000 people and don’t have time to read their comings and goings that they are all going to be actually following me or caring about what I’m doing or not doing. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I think Twitter might have value if used in conjunction with other networking media. Successful internet networking needs to be more related to personal networking and less about chatter. I have found success with smaller sub-groups on twitter that have shared values and geography, like </span><a href="http://www.denvertwitterconnection.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Denver Twitter Connection</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. These types of groups are twittering within twitter much like groups on Facebook. </span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So for now, I’m not a Twitter Quitter, but I’m certainly not a fan.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">What Do You Think? </span><span style="color:#990000;">Please share your comments. You too can tell me I'm stuck in stone age stupid, just tell me why.</span> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-56045685577366588942009-04-29T14:00:00.015-06:002009-04-30T10:32:45.469-06:00Recession Sing-Along<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Lpjw-0_vKPOFun8aox3w787lkhXHLBXlpviUq4n-YFuYESV6bSD2vhCTXsfqrYlux1huQtyiWvIl7aOhAztKWuNUIRpnZJ8y97R13f3cGehU3p2X-bOHWP0m7p3gOTNviigvkTiL4Q/s1600-h/walt-animations2009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330206604188862642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Lpjw-0_vKPOFun8aox3w787lkhXHLBXlpviUq4n-YFuYESV6bSD2vhCTXsfqrYlux1huQtyiWvIl7aOhAztKWuNUIRpnZJ8y97R13f3cGehU3p2X-bOHWP0m7p3gOTNviigvkTiL4Q/s200/walt-animations2009.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">The economy is in the toilet<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">and the recession is going on and on.</span><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">What can WE do about it? </span><br /></p><p align="left"><a href="http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/opinion/walthandelsman/blog/2007/10/who_is_walt_handelsman.html">Walt Handelsman</a>, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist and animator has created the Recession Sing-Along. The classic "West Side Story" is enjoying its Broadway revival. Now comes the remix, <span style="color:#990000;"><em><strong>"Worst Slide Story."</strong></em></span></p><p align="left">So sit back, relax, turn up your speakers and sing along. <a href="http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/opinion/walthandelsman/blog/2009/04/animation_recession_singalong_1.html">CLICK HERE</a></p><p align="left">As I say in my <a href="http://www.pushingwateruphill.snapmonkey.net/page/page/1546423.htm">book</a>, sometimes life is to serious to take seriously, so keep your sense of humor.</p>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-769492623704604002009-04-22T21:00:00.001-06:002009-04-22T21:00:06.166-06:00Have You Failed Real Big Yet?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTdH_kbtCmB6B04cHiO3Icq1_eOvG9f__1PPmrHzQcgtNRrrlNAY6FUBHPP2qaFmpcfQmhsYSQ-e02AnGHeBDtc37uuE-gFE-qJmaX2iP_T-DOp5XXcfsoIwJS8hH72b_UaS8nzENtW0/s1600-h/Picture2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327703294041582802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 162px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTdH_kbtCmB6B04cHiO3Icq1_eOvG9f__1PPmrHzQcgtNRrrlNAY6FUBHPP2qaFmpcfQmhsYSQ-e02AnGHeBDtc37uuE-gFE-qJmaX2iP_T-DOp5XXcfsoIwJS8hH72b_UaS8nzENtW0/s200/Picture2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeDqqTCLiaxATgcHq_u1jAjB5MKIEzj3-TRKIHB_StxYsi9KT0u-gtBP6aJQqjRZQTUbcADbMQ1ndJwx9iaRZdWtOkeqqgCGHEZNH85AbHa2S7aeL7ZHfMK_u1GnDAeN9HOqnVrbM1Wk/s1600-h/Homer.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again,<br />only this time more wisely."<br />~ Henry Ford<br /><br /></em></span></div><br /><br /><div><br />Years ago I was in the midst of trying to find investor groups that would allow us to take our company public. We needed some more firm commitments to complete the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of our stock.</div><br /><div>We met with a prospective investor who ran a large fund in Seattle. He had once been a successful professional baseball player, and though he was now 70, was still quite fit. He came across as a good ‘ol boy, but he was as sharp as they come. He spent a day and a half with us, doing his due diligence by going over our operations and meeting with our employees.</div><br /><div>Over dinner, Hal asked my partner and me the strangest question. “Boys, when was the last time you failed real big?” </div><br /><div>My partner and I gave each other a bit of a startled look and I replied, “Excuse me sir?”<br />I chuckled and said, “We haven’t and we certainly don’t intend to start now. We have a sound plan and it doesn't include failure. Why do you ask?”</div><br /><div>“Oh, because you will,” Hal replied. “It’s not a matter of if, only when. I was just hoping that you had already gotten it out of the way.” </div><br /><div>We gave a quick glance to each other and passed on Hal’s strange remark. We instead steered the conversation on how successful we had been in building previous companies. As we ate dinner, we nonchalantly intertwined how we both grew up in farm towns and started working at an early age, and how we had been raised with a good old fashion Midwestern work ethic. As we were sipping our after-dinner drinks, Hal gave us the news. </div><br /><div>“Well, boys, I’m going to invest in you. I don’t bet on the horses, I bet on the jockeys, and I think you two have the determination and persistence to ride anything across the finish line.”</div><br /><div>“Thank you, sir,” I said. “You won’t be disappointed.” </div><br /><div>We completed our offering and had incredible success. At the end of our first year we had over $500 million in revenue. We were unstoppable. But here’s the short version ending to the story: along came a $1.4 Billion lawsuit and a pesky stock market crash and our company exploded. We had to cease operations and my partner and I both ended up losing everything we owned and filed bankruptcy. </div><br /><div>Now <em>that</em>, my friends is failure.<br /><br />What did I learn from this big failure?<br /><br />Very smart people with strong business plans will fail along the way; some from their own mistakes and some from unseen circumstances. But as Hal told us...you will fail. </div><br /><div>I had to restart my life and finally wrote a book, <a href="http://www.pushingwateruphill.snapmonkey.net/page/page/1546423.htm">PUSHING WATER UPHILL With a Rake</a> about my story to help others plan for great success and cope with unforeseen failure. </div><br /><div>I speak to many business groups and college business students about becoming entrepreneurs and you should see the look on their faces when I guarantee them failure on their roads to success. I promise them three things as they think about becoming entrepreneurs and starting their own businesses:</div><div><br />1. It will take longer than you think<br />2. It will cost more than you project<br />3. You will fail along the way…and that’s good.</div><br /><div>Okay, I can hear what you’re saying out there. “Wait a minute, Steve, you’re telling students that Failure is Good? What kind of negative advice is that?”<br />Oh, I’m sorry, I should have told them that the business world is like grade school soccer; you’re a winner just for being there and hey, here’s your trophy (but I digress, the preceding was merely an editorial comment by this writer.)</div><br /><div>It’s great advice because the sooner we know that failure is part of the game, the sooner we prepare for it. As I explain to the students, their real education begins when they get on the playing field of business and start learning from their mistakes and failures. </div><br /><div>Every quality education in life is expensive. You could say I bought myself an honorary MBA/PHD in the school of hard knocks. Did I learn a lot through my experiences? Yeah, a ton. If we learn by each failure and apply what we learned, that’s education. If we fail and do the same thing again, that’s stupidity.</div><br /><div>So, do I wish you a failure of my magnitude? No way buckaroos, that’s <em>my</em> record. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>What I do want is for you to remind yourself to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and go forward with aggressive plans. Never let the fear of failure hold you back from taking risks but know that, in some form or fashion, failure will come. Then embrace the lessons that you learned and move forward, smarter than before, towards your next success. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Sometimes in business and in life, you can do everything right and it all goes wrong.</div><div></div><div>Get over it. Move on, and Succeed.</div></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-65298862224219073472009-04-13T11:27:00.014-06:002009-04-13T12:12:40.253-06:00Top Five Ways To Cash In On Your Feminine Strengths<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGWVweNq-mWNLWb7rAYB3jSXuPmb2KmT27VvTD7s5BLPql4viteLJNgohzTZDzSKtTPJQoxUsITet0ubRloA_lc-SiWogBrBqHMszDDIDEkgdnF53yotJlqUtDcM9FZU946DhdcTKjP8/s1600-h/SwingingBagLady.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324229099887508402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 121px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGWVweNq-mWNLWb7rAYB3jSXuPmb2KmT27VvTD7s5BLPql4viteLJNgohzTZDzSKtTPJQoxUsITet0ubRloA_lc-SiWogBrBqHMszDDIDEkgdnF53yotJlqUtDcM9FZU946DhdcTKjP8/s200/SwingingBagLady.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">One of the joys I get from professional networking is getting to know very talented people with great ideas. One such person is Linda Hollander, better known as the <a href="http://www.wealthybaglady.com/about/">Wealthy Bag Lady</a>.<br /><br />Women are the fastest growing segment of business <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">start ups</span>. There are many new business <a href="http://www.gvchamber.com/index.html">networking groups</a> sprouting up to help women network and grow and this week I want to share Linda’s great tips with you.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Top Five Ways To Cash In On Your Feminine Strengths</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;">- by Linda Hollander</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"><br />Ladies, you were born with the ability to make your dreams a reality. Being a woman is your base of power, not your weakness. Women entrepreneurs are the fastest growing segment of the economy. We are starting businesses at twice the rate of men and claiming our true economic power. It's not just because we want financial independence and empowerment. It's because we're good at it.<br />Here are some ways to develop entrepreneurial power:<br /><br /><em>1. NURTURE YOUR CLIENTS</em><br />Women are all about connections and relationships. From birth, women are relationship-oriented. In business, this translates to nurturing clients, listening to their problems and providing great customer service. In sales, women are able to focus on helping, rather than pushing products. They ask poignant questions, learn their customer's needs and offer extraordinary solutions.<br /><br /><em>2. DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION<br /></em>Some of the most talented business people can read profit and loss statements but neglect to pay attention to their intuition. Use that famous female sixth sense. If you get a bad feeling about the character of a prospective customer or business associate, heed your body's warning instead of ignoring it. Your first impression is usually right.<br /><br /><em>3. SEEK OUT MENTORS</em><br />Finding a mentor is the fast track to success. It allows you to tap into the business skills and knowledge of visionaries. Many successful business people have had mentors who believed in them and pushed them to excel. Mentors come in many forms. Some women are lucky enough to find mentors within their own families. For Patti Regan of the Regan Group, a marketing firm, it was her father who helped her build her business. Over the years, he offered Patti great advice, inspiration and insight.<br /><br /><em>4. FORM SUCCESS TEAMS</em><br />A success team is a group of people who gather at regular intervals to help each other achieve their goals. The group intelligence activates imagination and creative energy. Being with successful people who believe in you and who are actively working on behalf of your success will instill tremendous confidence. The members of your success team balance out your strengths, weaknesses and experience, and they widen your horizons.<br /><br /><em>5. PRACTICE LIFETIME LEARNING</em><br />There's a reason that women are more likely to ask for directions than men. We're willing to learn. We're also willing to change. We seek out ways to better our lives and the lives of the people we care about. School is never out for the pros. Don't ever become complacent and think that you know it all. You've got to invest in yourself. Develop the mindset of a wide-eyed child always eager to learn new things. Each day brings you new problems to solve, new challenges, new things to learn. Finding mentors, attending seminars, reading books and forming success teams are all a part of the course. For women, success is the ability to live life on their terms. To be fulfilled creatively, financially and emotionally, cash in on the feminine.<br /><br />Like so many successful entrepreneurs, Linda Hollander overcame her personal adversities to create her own successful business and help women around the country. She is a small-business consultant, international speaker and<br />frequent television and radio guest. She is the founder of Women's Small<br />Business Month and the Women's Small Business Expo and has more than<br />twenty years of experience running a small business. Visit her <a href="http://www.wealthybaglady.com/">website</a> and sign up for her <a href="http://wealthybaglady.typepad.com/blog">blog</a> and newsletter.<br /><br />Please pass this on to other women and, and by the way, I think these tips are valuable for men too!</span><br /></span>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-36602915848045684312009-04-08T19:00:00.001-06:002009-04-08T19:25:59.426-06:00Bacon Cures Hangovers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU5Q_6HnmHhFkI_-Ohz7KSd5VQKzOQGrG6ZpzNJH9uz-t8AxHblEBeuiB5tgyRcbvS9Xmy-bu-BC_P3i6klSTaL5oTkP8zcpcX1iwPMbI1eD-Z1JLMdnCxyfWSk5HB1mOLpmlndellqw/s1600-h/Bacon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322125903228401858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU5Q_6HnmHhFkI_-Ohz7KSd5VQKzOQGrG6ZpzNJH9uz-t8AxHblEBeuiB5tgyRcbvS9Xmy-bu-BC_P3i6klSTaL5oTkP8zcpcX1iwPMbI1eD-Z1JLMdnCxyfWSk5HB1mOLpmlndellqw/s200/Bacon.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Okay, I've been sharing business tips with you, but if you read my banner, I also said that this is a place about tips for <em>life</em>.</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">On your behalf, I search the world over for the information that can add value to your life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">So here, all the way from England is my first life tip.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Scientists say they have proof that the best cure for a hangover really is a bacon sandwich.<br /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Elin Roberts, science development manager at the Centre for Life in </span><a href="http://www.toonale.co.uk/usearch/x.php?qry_str=newcastle+uk"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Newcastle upon Tyne UK</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, says: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol, but it does increase your metabolism - helping you to deal with the after-effects of over-indulgence." </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />So food will often help you feel better. Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Binging on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of amines which increases these levels, giving you a clearer head.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />There's even a scientific formula behind that tantalizing aroma of a bacon sandwich, reports <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/most-popular/2009/04/06/scientific-proof-that-a-bacon-sandwich-is-the-best-cure-for-a-hangover-revealed-115875-21259410/">London's Daily Mirror</a>.<br /><br />Elin adds: "If you've got amino acids and reducing sugars at a heat above 150 degrees centigrade, it kick starts the <a href="http://www.food-info.net/uk/colour/maillard.htm">Maillard Reaction</a> in the pan. That means lots of lovely smells are released and it's this which draws us in. I know of three vegetarians who have been broken by the smell of bacon."</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Elin went on to explain "It's not just the bacon sarnie that helps clear the fug; the very act of preparing the British culinary delight will help the fragile rebuild their shattered brains."</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">See, I bring you things that count in your life...hmm, a Bacon <em>Sarnie</em> to clear your <em>FUG?</em> (love the brits) not to mention the Maillard Reaction<em> </em>that, until now, was not part of your knowledge library.<br /><br />So how can you ever thank me?<br /><br />Buy me some beers and we'll head for <a href="http://www.dennys.com/">Denney</a>'s, I can smell the bacon!</span><br /></p><p align="right"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.pushingwateruphillblog.blogspot.com/">By Steve Baker</a></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><br /><p></p>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-16775233918977568742009-04-06T07:00:00.031-06:002009-04-06T09:27:22.848-06:00How to Protect Your Personal Brand<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtJAAVOiT66oL0KzkuafvxRSv3aHE-OLxiPSRGXPeWPpS4_g4P72sQ121dVxxlHHKjS5qoWkdOJMtDEDw9EdCdZKyFOBqgy4d_icFdH2vsBQcritglNagfA5bKrXoQTBFT8oURyGnUE4/s1600-h/safe.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321250737413687090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtJAAVOiT66oL0KzkuafvxRSv3aHE-OLxiPSRGXPeWPpS4_g4P72sQ121dVxxlHHKjS5qoWkdOJMtDEDw9EdCdZKyFOBqgy4d_icFdH2vsBQcritglNagfA5bKrXoQTBFT8oURyGnUE4/s200/safe.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Everyone in business has a personal brand. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Your title says what you do, your brand says who you are. It establishes an image in the minds of your colleagues, customers and the general public. <a href="http://yourbrandplan.com/mv.html">Branding expert David Sandusky</a> points out that an effective brand gives you a recognizable trusted personality and tells the world what you stand for. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Some let their brand just happen while successful businesspeople proactively plan and develop the brand that they wish to project. Your strong brand is a valuable asset to your business.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The good news is that creating and projecting your brand is faster and easier in the new social media world. Using your website along with social networks such as <a href="http://www.pushingwateruphillblog.blogspot.com/">Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook </a>and <a href="http://twitter.com/pushingwater">Twitter</a> can increase your exposure and image in exponential growth on a global basis. But along with benefits, there are pitfalls in today’s new media world.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>You Must Protect Your Brand.</strong> </span><span style="color:#000000;">Your brand is the image of how you want people to know you but in the new media you must be cautious.</span><br /><br /><strong>You are always seen</strong>. Can you say <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,486809,00.html">Michael Phelps</a>? Here‘s a guy that worked for years to become a champion, picking up 8 gold medals at the summer Olympics. He established his brand and was rewarded with huge endorsement contracts. Then, with a little help from a bong, he forgot that everyone has a cell phone with a camera and many of his contracts went up in smoke. In today's world, you're always in the public eye.<br /><br /><strong>Your words are forever.</strong> What you say as well as images you put on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. are there for the entire world to see and they are going to stay there. When someone does a Google search on you two years from now, what you write now will be there. And don't do a fake blog. It can come back and bite you, ask <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/business/12foods.html">John P. Mackey of Whole Foods Market</a><br /><br /><strong>Protect your website.</strong> There are thousands of hackers out there trying to break into your computer system and your website. Don’t go cheap on your security system, it can be very costly down the road.<br /><br /><strong>My website nightmare.</strong> Two years ago <a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/">my website</a> was 'legally' hijacked and the link led to a Porn site. I registered my website domain name with a major company for three years. I began selling <a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/page/page/1546423.htm">PUSHING WATER UPHILL With A Rake</a> and corresponding with readers through my site and life was good. Then, without my knowledge, my contract expired.<br /><br />Here’s the scam: On the expiration date, companies that work directly and indirectly with the domain registration companies buy expired names in bulk, assign them as links to porn sites and then play an extortion game of offering to obtain it back for you for a fee of thousands of dollars.<br /><br />This happened to me in December when I sell 25% of my books. I had sent out a book promotion to my various email lists and discovered that no one could access my site or send me emails. My email, tied to my site was no longer working and everyone that went to the site saw a sleazy porn site instead.<br /><br />For many of you who know me, you are probably laughing about this. It does sound pretty funny until you realize that a person's copyright, trademark, and identity can be legally defiled for a quick buck. It cost me thousands in sales. All the various articles by or about me on <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=avid+poor+golfer&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=">Google</a>, Yahoo etc., as well as all outstanding business cards and books now had the link to a porn site and I couldn't remove any of it. I could only set up a new site and start over.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">To anyone who has a website:<br />- Check your files and verify the expiration date on your domain name.<br />- Be certain that the domain registration company has your current email address on file so they can notify you before expiration.<br />-Renew before it expires.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></div><br /><div align="right"><a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/page/page/1546424.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">By Steve Baker</span> </a><br /></div></span>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-65162119745875500752009-03-30T07:00:00.008-06:002009-04-01T10:45:03.066-06:00Does Your Mind Need An Enema?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg53OASklUr2fKRF0ad14etWKKTdygCoUo4rxzSSxzcQTuFKO5v_oibVlH6jV2Z_Y0FnkW8VSBFBxjwnUpy5yIkSvoTqqspQOM-jynGncoyKLnTqB-rmao5yrDcuTur85zZe4A0COnmg/s1600-h/stress3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318343593777441106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg53OASklUr2fKRF0ad14etWKKTdygCoUo4rxzSSxzcQTuFKO5v_oibVlH6jV2Z_Y0FnkW8VSBFBxjwnUpy5yIkSvoTqqspQOM-jynGncoyKLnTqB-rmao5yrDcuTur85zZe4A0COnmg/s200/stress3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Every now and then go away,<br />have a little relaxation,<br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>for when you come back to your work<br />your judgment will be surer.<br />Go some distance away because<br />then the work appears smaller<br />and more of it can be taken in at a glance<br />and proportion is more readily seen.<br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>- <a href="http://www.davinciinstitute.com/">Leonardo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DaVinci</span> </a><br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A few months ago I was attending a <a href="http://www.gvchamber.com/index.html">networking event</a> and a client introduced me to Bill. When Bill discovered that I was a serial entrepreneur and a business advisor he opened up and explained that his business problems were driving him absolutely nuts. He had a small company that he had sunk all of his time and money into and things were going terrible. He had lost a big account and was grappling with how to not lay off some of his staff.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Bill felt like his head was going to explode.<br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br />I could see the immense stress and pain in Bill's face. He hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks and was spending every waking hour staring at the same problems with no apparent solutions. He confided that he was at a loss for ideas and asked if I could offer any suggestions to help.</span></div><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Bill was buried under a pile of stress and his mind could no longer function in a creative way because it was totally constipated with useless negative crap. By allowing himself to be constantly surrounded by his problems his mind could not get a new clear original thought flowing.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here's my advice to Bill and to all of you facing similar circumstances.</span></p><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#ff0000;"><em>Give Your Mind an Enema!</em></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I asked Bill what his favorite thing was to do in his free time. He replied that he loved skiing, but even though we're in Denver, he hasn't skied in two years.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I told Bill to go home and pack his ski gear. Send an email to the office saying that he will not be in the next day and cannot be reached. Get up early and head for <a href="http://vail.snow.com/home/?CMP=KNC-Google&HBX_PK=vail+skiing&HBX_OU=50">Vail</a>. Leave his cell phone in the car and spend the day skiing alone. Think only of each run and how he can go faster and better.</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">I explained to Bill that with every ski run he would find his mind freeing itself and while riding the lift, new fresh ideas would start flowing into his mind.<br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br />Bill responded that he loved the idea but didn't see how he could do it. I replied that though I could not guarantee him 100% success if he went skiing, I could guarantee 100% failure if he thought about it tonight and didn't go tomorrow.</span></p><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I saw Bill about a month later at another event and this time he had a bounce to his step and a smile on his face. He did indeed go skiing and during the last run he remembered an old business contact with money and strong connections. They got together and his business was getting back on track.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My own mind enema is Golf. Being an <a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/page/page/1546424.htm">avid poor golfer</a>, a round of golf clears my mind. So is golf or skiing the perfect answer to business problems? No, they're just two of many ways of getting away and flushing out the negative thoughts that are constipating your mind, thus making room for fresh positive creative thoughts that will help you succeed.</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>"What happens is not as important<br />as how you react to what happens." </em></span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>- </em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaddeus_Golas"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Thaddeus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Golas</span></em></span></a> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-79921633367296930082009-03-26T07:06:00.020-06:002009-03-28T10:17:14.684-06:00Are you a pair of brown shoes?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMA5gZgE5Yyqx5vnCgtNhU5PgDFMZhdlk7Ckd5ry-igZP8Ee36JJ0SUryAfEu7I8btmZHXVqNhUj-h1LfCDV9rmR8xXVRfUwxROusyz98rllPAhPPLvWr9usJznTX6BVcXmMdve83GXQE/s1600-h/Picture16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316927987814091138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMA5gZgE5Yyqx5vnCgtNhU5PgDFMZhdlk7Ckd5ry-igZP8Ee36JJ0SUryAfEu7I8btmZHXVqNhUj-h1LfCDV9rmR8xXVRfUwxROusyz98rllPAhPPLvWr9usJznTX6BVcXmMdve83GXQE/s200/Picture16.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>"Did you ever get the feeling that the world </em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>was a tuxedo and you were </em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>a pair of brown shoes?"<br />- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gobel">George Gobel</a></em></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We all are going through some strange and challenging times right now. We were cruising on this glorious road to success and then <em>BAM, </em>we're out of the race.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">What's going on? Is it you, is it them, or perhaps it's the cosmic flow in the universe?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I can't explain everything for you so I thought I'd just let <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Idle">Eric Idle</a> of Monty Python fame give it a try. Take a lighter moment, turn up your speakers, sit back, relax and see everything in it's proper perspective.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Then get back to work because <strong>you</strong> are the one that will make it happen!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc0000;"><em><strong><a href="http://dingo.care-mail.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf">CLICK HERE</a></strong></em></span>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-37148767222185609272009-03-20T08:00:00.009-06:002009-03-28T10:20:02.437-06:00Attitude of Gratitude<div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><span style="font-size:180%;">The Master in the Art of Living<br /></span><br />The master in the art of living makes<br />little distinction between his work and his play,<br />his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body,<br />his information and recreation, his life and his religion.<br />He hardly knows which is which.<br />He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does,<br />leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.<br />To him, he’s always doing both.<br />- <a href="http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/mic0bio-1">James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Michener</span></span></a></em></span><a href="http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/mic0bio-1"><br /></a></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've had this inspiring quote framed and hanging in my office for years and read it often. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Like many entrepreneurs, I am passionate about business and life, and I'm happy to say that one feeds the other. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">98% of all businesses in America are classified as small business and we are what keeps the entrepreneurial spirit of our great nation alive and well. When you started your business, you all had positive attitudes that no one could dampen. You worked the incredibly stupid long hours, living on adrenaline and dreams as you grew your companies and took great pride in what you were accomplishing.</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /></div><div align="left"><br />But things change, we get set into a routine and the day-to-day challenges seem never ending and, quite honestly, a bit depressing. Your attitude turns negative and you start thinking, "What the hell did I get myself into?"</div><div align="left"><br />I host the <a href="http://www.davinciinstitute.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Startup</span></span> Junkie Underground</a>. It's a great group of independent people creating great companies. Over 100 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">entrepreneurs</span> get together <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">once</span> a month for a strong speaker and networking that makes them wake up at 3 AM with a "wow" idea. Last month, I was speaking to a friend about his business and he complained how biz is down 30% and said, "I should probably close and get a real job." My reply was to point out that the "real Jobs" are cutting back big time and to stop the pity party, think smarter and work with the same enthusiasm as when he started his business five years ago.</div><br /><div align="left"><em><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Attitude of Gratitude!</span></strong></em></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Are things tough now? Yep, for everyone. But stop, think back and remember when you started and why you did it. Get up in the morning with an <em>attitude of gratitude, </em>grateful that you followed your path and you're in a country where you can build your dreams. Read <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Michener's</span></span> quote again and realize this is <em>you,</em> <em>who</em> you are and <em>what</em> you are. You're a crazy entrepreneur that starts businesses and has the passion and drive to keep it going.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Remember that a bad day working for yourself is better than a good day working for someone else.</span></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-26863866869257802772009-03-13T11:09:00.010-06:002009-03-28T10:21:53.253-06:00Absurd Ideas - the Mother of Creativity<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAmE5J6bT-L682fvSNnti168SZIhwv2hsxtC23T96KQI9_Duf7xKHNbAra8893ko0xHbgYCGKEPm3azByzc1CQcPiZurf0wcK9iXE3efKvChEVgsaJeIGVxErVBJw2A_pJeFAKbUAKHA/s1600-h/Albert+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312720831002808178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAmE5J6bT-L682fvSNnti168SZIhwv2hsxtC23T96KQI9_Duf7xKHNbAra8893ko0xHbgYCGKEPm3azByzc1CQcPiZurf0wcK9iXE3efKvChEVgsaJeIGVxErVBJw2A_pJeFAKbUAKHA/s200/Albert+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>“If at first the idea is not absurd,<br />then there is no hope for it.”<br />- <a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html">Albert Einstein</a> </em></div><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><p align="left">I<span style="font-family:verdana;"> think we'll all agree that Al was a pretty smart guy and came up with some great ideas and concepts, but his quote above is also great advice to all of us in business. As we begin to look at new and different ways to do our business, we often get stuck in "linear thinking", following the same thought paths that the industry uses and we recognize as the norm. It's a path that we're comfortable with but does not inspire new ideas. Luke Mansfield, head of innovation in the London office of Landor Associates, points out that "If your business has only one answer, or one definition of innovation, it’s time to try something new. You will be amazed at the results."<br /></span><em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Embrace the Absurd!</strong></span></em><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Many successful inventors, innovators, marketing and business people started on what others considered an absurd, silly, can't-be-done idea. You know, that stupid round earth thing, the light bulb, wind powered electrical generators, the list goes on throughout history.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I love kids. I am constantly delighted by kids’ boundless excitement and enthusiasm for life, and their wide imagination. Kids have this uninhibited ability to think the absurd, imagine the undoable openly and without reservations. But alas, they are then taught the linear thinking in a regimented world and join the rest of the dead heads.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Never stop asking "what if?" and "why not?" when it comes to curiosity, creativity and innovation. Be ABSURD, think crazy thoughts, have impossible ideas! If you have or can capture that childlike absurd enthusiasm, don't let anyone calm you down or cool you off. Be different and succeed.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just think, if Al had not thought the absurd, someone would have come up with E=ONICBD<br />(oh nevermind, it can't be done)<br /><br /></span></p><br /><p align="left"><br /></p></span>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615339264369274800.post-28666253157775509682009-03-10T13:56:00.016-06:002009-03-28T10:23:59.042-06:00The Real Secret to Success<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJNAONIbpHM5CCnuQGTF4dKuMAaRiK4tXlWk131ez5jRfDxY918uN1adM70VuF2efHNm9O-iiyo8Y07l-leQq7_S4k9MhHUZRXCMplsljT4qGNMT445avurTKdCmSZnSQzm0X0obTaI0/s1600-h/k1317922.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314210470664128818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJNAONIbpHM5CCnuQGTF4dKuMAaRiK4tXlWk131ez5jRfDxY918uN1adM70VuF2efHNm9O-iiyo8Y07l-leQq7_S4k9MhHUZRXCMplsljT4qGNMT445avurTKdCmSZnSQzm0X0obTaI0/s200/k1317922.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>"The secret to success is not in knowing everything. </em></span><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>The secret is in knowing what you don't know<br />and finding those who do."</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">- <a href="http://www.pushingwater.com/page/page/1546424.htm">Steve Baker, Pushing Water Uphill With a Rake</a></span> </em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I use the term "hat rack management" to describe what a start up business owner goes through. On a daily basis, we wear many hats; management, sales & marketing, accounting, production etc. As a business owner, you must realize that you can't know everything or do everything well...some hats just don't fit.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Every hour spent on things that are not your expertise are distracting you from what you do well and will adversely affect your overall performance. Decide to take off the hats that don't fit and concentrate on your strengths. Network and outsource to find best solutions to your problems and your business will grow faster and stronger.</span></div></div>Steve Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177700575055945276noreply@blogger.com3