• Article #1 -- Top 7 Tips to Avoid the Top 7 Mistakes Small Business Owners Make. (See link at bottom of article to previous article.)
• Article #2 -- Coaching Your Business to the Next Level Series Part 2

Assess Your Business both Externally and Internally Mistake: Don’t presume that you know what is going on in your business. Take the time to assess your business both externally and internally. Using an organizational assessment based upon proven criteria such as Baldrige may help you to focus on the directionally correct actions.

Many business owners resist assessments because they take time, cost money and potentially reveal what the business owner fears. And FEAR in many instances is just False Evidence Appearing Real.

If you as a business owner, entrepreneur or department manager were to survey your employees and ask them to list the top 3 goals for the company or department as they believe them to be, would you receive EXACTLY the same answer from each employee? As a small business coach who works with entrepreneurs to even large corporations, I have asked this question and have yet to receive exactly the same answers from all employees. The next question is the real shocker for the organization’s leadership. What are all of these missteps, misdirections, costing you?

To avoid these unintentional mistakes, using an organizational assessment is one logical solution. The assessment should be have the following characteristics:

• Based on nationally recognized criteria such as Baldrige
• Be easily and quickly delivered such as via the Internet
• Provide a paper based instrument if Internet is not available
• Have a history of proven use (Customized solutions in many cases are expensive and build the in
  So You Want to Be Your Own Boss? (Or: the Rewards and Challenges of Self-Employment)
  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 10 million self-employed workers in the United States and that number is increasing - for good reason. Being your own boss means not worrying you'll be laid off or fired. It allows you to create your own work schedule. It holds out the promise of great financial reward. It frees you from having to attend mind-numbing staff meetings. In short, self-employment lets you call the
  i> Don’t presume that you know what is going on in your business. Take the time to assess your business both externally and internally. Using an organizational assessment based upon proven criteria such as Baldrige may help you to focus on the directionally correct actions.

  Many business owners resist assessments because they take time, cost money and potentially reveal what the business owner fears. And FEAR in many instances is just False Evidence Appearing Real.

  If you as a business owner, entrepreneur or department manager were to survey your employees and ask them to list the top 3 goals for the company or department as they believe them to be, would you receive EXACTLY the same answer from each employee? As a small business coach who works with entrepreneurs to even large corporations, I have asked this question and have yet to receive exactly the same answers from all employees. The next question is the real shocker for the organization’s leadership. What are all of these missteps, misdirections, costing you?

  To avoid these unintentional mistakes, using an organizational assessment is one logical solution. The assessment should be have the following characteristics:

  • Based on nationally recognized criteria such as Baldrige
  • Be easily and quickly delivered such as via the Internet
  • Provide a paper based instrument if Internet is not available
  • Have a history of proven use (Customized solutions in many cases are expensive and build the i
    Time And Date Stamps
    Affixing the time and date on products and documents is an important procedure in factories and offices as consistent time and date marking facilitates traceability. Writing dates manually on a large bunch of documents is labor intensive. Such a task is also monotonous, and therefore prone to human errors. Time and date stamp is a mechanical device used to address these problems. It also allows business establishments to track time
    ost money and potentially reveal what the business owner fears. And FEAR in many instances is just False Evidence Appearing Real.

    If you as a business owner, entrepreneur or department manager were to survey your employees and ask them to list the top 3 goals for the company or department as they believe them to be, would you receive EXACTLY the same answer from each employee? As a small business coach who works with entrepreneurs to even large corporations, I have asked this question and have yet to receive exactly the same answers from all employees. The next question is the real shocker for the organization’s leadership. What are all of these missteps, misdirections, costing you?

    To avoid these unintentional mistakes, using an organizational assessment is one logical solution. The assessment should be have the following characteristics:

    • Based on nationally recognized criteria such as Baldrige
    • Be easily and quickly delivered such as via the Internet
    • Provide a paper based instrument if Internet is not available
    • Have a history of proven use (Customized solutions in many cases are expensive and build the i
      7 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips
      Companies often seek cost-effective, high-return marketing strategies. They may be as close as your wallet or the business next door. Below are seven easy to apply strategies for virtually any business.1. Business cardsBusiness cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in marketing. Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. You can put valuable information on the back such as a sports
      er from each employee? As a small business coach who works with entrepreneurs to even large corporations, I have asked this question and have yet to receive exactly the same answers from all employees. The next question is the real shocker for the organization’s leadership. What are all of these missteps, misdirections, costing you?

      To avoid these unintentional mistakes, using an organizational assessment is one logical solution. The assessment should be have the following characteristics:

      • Based on nationally recognized criteria such as Baldrige
      • Be easily and quickly delivered such as via the Internet
      • Provide a paper based instrument if Internet is not available
      • Have a history of proven use (Customized solutions in many cases are expensive and build the i
        Nonprofit Incorporation Services
        An organization that has a large number of employees and a steady flow of cash will benefit by becoming a nonprofit corporation. Incorporating will save employees from paying the debts of the organization, and will increase the organization’s chance of getting government funds.The first step in incorporating a nonprofit organization is to file nonprofit articles of incorporation with the relevant clauses on tax exemption duly
        assessment is one logical solution. The assessment should be have the following characteristics:
        • Based on nationally recognized criteria such as Baldrige
        • Be easily and quickly delivered such as via the Internet
        • Provide a paper based instrument if Internet is not available
        • Have a history of proven use (Customized solutions in many cases are expensive and build the income of the vendor at the expense of the client.)
        • Tailored to industry needs such as manufacturing, professional services, health care or education
        • Be affordable (Estimated range of $20 to $50 per person depending upon number of employees for the instrument only. Analysis not included)
        • Include one on one confidential interviews to confirm or validate individual collected data using a cross section of the employees
        • Provide a comprehensive report broken down by individual criterion, reporting groups, total responses and linked to current strategic plan
        • Be timely from collecting responses to delivering a final comprehensive analysis
        • Provide a simple action plan for immediate action
        • Include a detailed debriefing between the decision-maker and the consultant
        • Can be replicated in one year as a check up
        Assessments are indeed necessary to quickly turnaround current actions and to ensure alignment for all shareholders within any business or organization. By investing time to assess or survey where you truly are right now, will help you as the small business owner to executive avoid this second mistake of the 7 top mistakes that many make. After all, would you agree to major surgery without a series of tests to determine what the real need is, then why should your business be any different?