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Answer Upon - How To Get Started With Your First Invention
“If that was the problem, why didn’t she come to me directly?”These are the words of a distraught boss who lost Sarah, his highest performing sales rep to another company. The reason: more money, more opportunity and extra time off to go to Texas to see her ailing mother.The boss, a hotel owner didn’t want to lose Sarah. In fact, he had just invested in sending Sarah to a mandatory training in Atlanta and now he was losing her. Had he known she was quitting he wouldn’t have sent her to the training.As he scratched his head wondering why Sarah didn’t approach him before taking another job, the boss made a deal he thought Sarah couldn’t decline: more money, an extra week off and a better office.Of course, he made the offer through his Sales Director who had to tell the boss the bad news: Sarah declined the new offer.The boss never knew Sarah was lying. Sara didn’t quit because of a better opportunity, she quit because her boss was a jerk.Sarah was planning on quitting before she went to Atlanta. In an interview Sarah told me how she felt about her boss.No one ever got a pat on the back.People were constantly fired without explanation.There was no training and no employee hand book.He has no compassion and no one ever knows what to expect.It was miserable working for him and I knew I had to get out.These are words straight from the horse’s mouth…(the horse being Sarah, who is now happily employed elsewhere) with a boss she respects.Sarah’s boss will never know the truth about why she quit because when you don’t trust someone you won’t be truthful with them.There are about seven things that employees won’t tell their bosses, and the number one thing is the real reason they are quitting. In Gallup poles, research suggests that no other variable directly affects an employee’s pr
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to
Commercial office space is unnecessary when you first start out in computer consulting. Unless you have a very compelling reason for renting commercial office space, save your money. You're much better plowing that money back into marketing and promotional expenses.Even a tiny commercial office space is going to be $400 - $600 a month. A low traffic retail store is even more; at least a $1000-$2000 per month. Rather than waste that money on commercial office space, invest it in marketing and business development. You're going to need to do these things whether you have commercial office space or not. There is no reason to add to your overhead expenses.When you start out, a home office is the best choice. Until you bring on a lot of staff, it’s really not going to benefit you to have a commercial office space. Most of the time you will be servicing clients at their office, going on sales calls, or attending networking events.In computer consulting your clients will not be coming to you. You go to them. The time you spend in your own office is minimal. The money you spend on your office space should be minimal as well.You might think that you need commercial office space if you want to run seminars. These are an excellent marketing tool but you can rent executive office space very reasonably. This type of commercial office space is rented on an as need basis by the hour or day.The Bottom Line on Commercial Office SpaceCommercial office space is expensive. There is no reason to put yourself on the hook for $500 or $1,000 a month or more, every single month just to be able to do say you have an office. The time you or your clients spend in your office does not warrant renting commercial office space. Use your home office for as long as you can and rent out space by the hour or day as you need it.Copyright MMI-MMVI,
Before we proceed with the discussion, I would like to offer a few words of wisdom. While working on your idea you will encounter people who will criticize your work and try to discourage you from forging ahead. Some of the criticism will be deserved and should be taken into account. If you see that a valid point is raised that you never thought of before - the better off you are. It gives you opportunity to pause and view your idea from another perspective (or angle). However, you may also encounter a so-called destructive criticism that is not based on any facts.
When you learn how to separate these two, you will be better of. My advice to you -
- Don't be afraid to question professionals, because most experts are one-track minded and oblivious to other things
- Don't be afraid to challenge other people's ideas, stand by your principles and be firm
- Don't be afraid to discover that your own idea is faulty. Pause, make corrections, re-analyze and move ahead
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to
*********************************************Know Thyself - Socrates*********************************************I'd like to start this article with a test …What do you get when you cross a Northern Canadian male, a 4x4 truck and heavy rain?You guessed it! … Mud Bogging!!!!That is how I spent my morning. My husband's new truck was too shinny, so he felt he had to get it dirty again just so he could wash it for the fourth time this week.Of course, I won't say no to adventure so I hung up my leather coat and pulled out my bush jacket. Put away my fashion footwear and pulled on my rubber boots.Then we hit the trails! I bit my tongue, possibly dislocated a shoulder and lost my sunglasses, the whole time yelling, "Yahooooo!"We made it home in one piece but I think our mechanic is going to make some real easy money in the next couple of days. :0)What does this have to do with business you ask? It's called balance … and if you don't have balance, work and business are a whole lot tougher and a lot less fun.This week I created a rather enlightening assignment for myself. My coach and I were discussing the importance of knowing what kind of an image we portray to the world.How we think others see us and how we are actually perceived may be worlds apart.Being a successful business owner, or achieving success in any endeavor, has a strong connection to how others regard us.Building a solid, successful business is highly dependent on the relationships we build with our clients and customers.You can provide a top quality product or service, but if a potential buyer does not feel comfortable with you or a sense of trust or caring on your part, it doesn't matter how good your product is.In order to measure how I was portraying myself to others, I created a questionnai
Before we proceed with the discussion, I would like to offer a few words of wisdom. While working on your idea you will encounter people who will criticize your work and try to discourage you from forging ahead. Some of the criticism will be deserved and should be taken into account. If you see that a valid point is raised that you never thought of before - the better off you are. It gives you opportunity to pause and view your idea from another perspective (or angle). However, you may also encounter a so-called destructive criticism that is not based on any facts.
When you learn how to separate these two, you will be better of. My advice to you -
- Don't be afraid to question professionals, because most experts are one-track minded and oblivious to other things
- Don't be afraid to challenge other people's ideas, stand by your principles and be firm
- Don't be afraid to discover that your own idea is faulty. Pause, make corrections, re-analyze and move ahead
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to
I received a postcard from my local Infinity dealer. The card offered a set of cut crystal and a chance to win a new Infinity if I stopped in during their Grand Opening Sale. It appeared that somebody took some time to plan a classy sales event. Like you though, I generally toss this type of solicitation instantly. But for some reason I kept the card and visited the dealership.The morning I visited the dealer, there was not a sales person to be found. Was I surprised; my expectation was to be met with open arms by a sales person expanding the virtues of the new Q45. I was wrong. Not a sales person to be found so I walked toward the back to a receptionist. Abruptly, she took my postcard and paged a parts clerk to get for me the box containing my gift. In the box were two cut crystal "bird bath" champagne glasses. That was it! What a colossal disappointment. This was not even close to world-class service. What a waist of money and energy for the dealer!They invited me to visit their grand opening "sales party." When I arrived, they could have cared less that I came. Was it because I drove up in a Saab? Was it because they were busy? Who knows the source of their apathy? One thing for sure, they lost the opportunity to influence me to consider Infinity. They lost a potential sale! Why in the world invite potential buyers to a sales event and not even ask them to look at your wares? Am I crazy to expect that they might offer to me the chance to purchase a world-class luxury car? Have you ever been guilty of the same sin? Have you ever invited customers to visit your business and not been ready?The best advertising campaign in the world will quickly be assassinated by employee lack of interest. The next time you have a special sales event, see to it that your employees' "desire to serve" is quite high. No matter how much money you spend inviting your custo
When you learn how to separate these two, you will be better of. My advice to you -
- Don't be afraid to question professionals, because most experts are one-track minded and oblivious to other things
- Don't be afraid to challenge other people's ideas, stand by your principles and be firm
- Don't be afraid to discover that your own idea is faulty. Pause, make corrections, re-analyze and move ahead
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to
Gum removal in hotels is one of the more important tasks set for hotel cleaning crews. This is because the presence of chewing gum pollution in hotels greatly detracts from the comfortable atmosphere of cleanliness and welcome that most hotels strive for. And, because chewing gum is so prevalent in our society, the fact of the matter is that gum removal in hotels will remain something that is very important.Areas that need active gum removal in hotels:Nearly every area of most hotels will require some sort of gum removal, as chewing gum soiling is common in all areas where people go. Indeed, gum is chewed quite often in order to freshen breath and even just to give the chewer something to do. Chewing gum removal in hotels is a very necessary part of a hotel cleaning job simply because people will always be bringing the gum into the hotels. Some hotels even have chewing gum machines that dispense the gum in their own hotels, thus continuing to perpetuate the problem.Of course many of the hotel rooms need gum removal. Not only can gum get under the tables in the rooms, but it can also get in the carpets. This means that carpet cleaning of some sort is needed to get rid of the carpet stains caused by chewing gum. Other places where gum can get is in the bathroom, where it definitely needs to be cleaned up, and also even in the bed. This can be especially annoying if the gum gets into the sheets. Rather than simply washing out in the laundry, gum actually gets onto the other items in the load and can contaminate them, making a bigger mess and possibly ruining other sheets. Gum removal in hotels also involves looking very carefully to ensure that it is found and properly removed.Another place that warrants gum removal in hotels is the lobby. Most lobbies are beautifully decorated, and the presence of gum can mar this decoration and cause people to f
- Don't be afraid to question professionals, because most experts are one-track minded and oblivious to other things
- Don't be afraid to challenge other people's ideas, stand by your principles and be firm
- Don't be afraid to discover that your own idea is faulty. Pause, make corrections, re-analyze and move ahead
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to
Finding The Right FranchiseWhether it’s hamburgers, pizza, telecom, coffee, Internet, muffler parts, or seniors’ services, there are Franchise opportunities available to evaluate. There are great Franchise systems, good Franchise systems, and bad Franchise systems. The challenge is to ask the right questions to find the right system that will fit your goals and dreams. The key is to ask the questions – and listen closely to the responses. Only then can you determine if the Franchise opportunity is the right fit for you. So whether it’s food services like burgers or coffee, professional services like telecom or IT, or manual services like cleaning or oil changes, ask the questions and record the answers.Franchisor’s Qualification SystemOne of the initial things you should strive to understand is the level of development that the Franchisor’s Candidate qualification system has reached. Your first reaction to that might be ‘Why do I care about a Franchise Qualification system – I only care if I get a Franchise or not?’ I would suggest that you should care a great deal.After all, if the Franchise Candidate qualification system hasn’t been well developed, it may be a reflection on the business of the Franchise itself. The most important asset of any Franchise system will be its people, including both Franchisees, and Franchisor staff. Almost all companies will confirm that to be the case. They say it even if they don’t believe it. They say it even if they don’t actually put systems in place to ensure they add the best people, and nurture their development over time. So how do you determine if the statement matches the execution?If people are the most important asset, it would follow that the system of finding, qualifying, and granting Franchises to the best Franchisees would be a well thought out and well developed system. If there is no forma
When you are ready to market your idea, you will have to deal with large corporations. Keep in mind that the bigger the company is, the more bureaucratic it is. Many big companies lose focus and often hire employees who are either not qualified for the job, or just not interested in what they are doing. If you come across these folks who are trying to make you feel insignificant (and your idea unimportant and impractical) don't get discouraged by this - chances are you will be better off dealing with smaller company that is more focused and willing to take risks!
Step 1 - Stay Focused and Clearly Document Your Idea
This step has huge benefits, because –
1. You will clearly define your idea/invention 2. While documenting your idea, you may find ways on how to expand your invention
Always try to put on paper what it is that you invented - precisely define your idea, its purpose, limitations and target audience. If you cannot precisely define your idea, then this means that you should take a step back, re-analyze your thinking and simplify things. The most common error that people make at this stage is over-complicating their idea. A quick example will clarify this point:
Case Study 1
John K. has an idea on how to improve Automatic Knife Mechanism. While laboring hard on his invention, John K. produces technical drawings and decides that his future product will benefit from the addition of extra items – a scissor and a screw driver. However, the addition of these items makes the final product larger and heavier. In order to make knife lighter, John K. goes back to the drawing board – he compromises his original, Automatic Push/Pull mechanism design in attempt to accommodate unnecessary extra features that have nothing to do with his unique design. By taking away features from his original design, John K. makes his final design very ped
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Innovation - The Bright Light in the Night Sky
Creativity Leadership and Business Management
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