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    Student Business: Why You Should Jump on the Opportunity
    If you are like me, I have always know that I one day, I would work for my own company. Entrepreneurs are born with it in their blood. The thing is, more often then not, students are left out of the loop. You see, as children, entrepreneurs are encouraged to dream – kids can be anything they want. But by the time they hit their teens it becomes painfully apparent that they are either going to give up those dreams and settle into the 9 to 5 grind or wait until they have some post secondary education before they can really get moving with their entrepreneurial ambitions.I don’t know why this happens. I went through it myself. I think that anybody with entrepreneurial drive should be taken seriously. Students are no exception. I was in university when I started my first serious venture. I met with
    te culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 lead

    Selling Deck Washing Services in Your Power Wash Business
    Selling deck cleaning and washing services takes a little practice. Additionally once you do a good job, often you can secure a second job, which pays even more to put a coating or treat the wood. Once you are done with this, well it is time for referrals, which you are sure to get merely by giving them a stack of five business cards for their friends.Spring and fall are always a perfect time for home maintenance in fact they are the best seasons in the deck care profession. Let your potential clients know that you have a professional staff at your company and you are here to help. Your customers should know that if they have a new deck they need to seal it now before the elements can do more damage. You need to study up on all the various types of woods, composites and coatings in the deck industry, then
    One of the biggest contributors to poor management performance, bad decisions, hiring mistakes, and a whole host of other problems is ego.

    Everyone has an ego. It is a natural part of everyone’s psyche and vital for success. The problem occurs when a manager’s ego is given too much control of their behavior, attitudes, and management style.

    The ego wants to look good, be right, not make mistakes, not admit failure, manipulate, and control or appear in control at all times. It would be nice if organizations and their strategies, objectives, goals, purpose, mission, and performance were always predictable and operating at peak efficiency and optimum results.

    However, in the real world, change is the mantra and norm. Uncertainty prevails. And there are forces at work that would sabotage your ideal world. They include: the government, the weather, unpredictable employees, technology, competitors, customer attitudes and expectations, just to mention a few. If all of these could be harnessed for optimum control, we would never have business failures, lost customers, unhappy and poor-performing employees, disgruntled suppliers, and frustrated accountants.

    Ego has cost Corporate America more money than any other single factor. It has resulted in poor decisions, thwarted initiatives, products that have out-lived their life cycle, and acquisitions gone bad. Want more?

    · New products that should never have hit the street
    · Bad products that were left on the street too long
    · Poor hiring decisions
    · The decision to terminate a good employee for no other reason than they have an ego, too
    · The unwillingness to let go of control of anything
    · Keeping decision-making at the top of the corporate ladder
    · Unwillingness to delegate difficult or critical tasks
    · The desire to look good to the rest of the corporate world, regardless of whether you are making money or not

    I believe by now I should have your attention. So why is ego such a big problem in business? After all, Donald Trump has one, and he is successful.

    If you were to ask an out-of-control-ego executive or manager if their ego is out of control, guess what you will hear. Believe it or not: No. Why is this? Denial? Arrogance? Insecurity? Or some other psychological or emotional need that has not been or is not being met?

    During my career, I have watched clients make acquisitions (against my recommendations) for no other reason than ego. In almost every case, these cost their organization dearly in focus and reputation, not to mention profits. And, ultimately they were shut down or sold off again to some other executive with a big ego, maybe this time to someone who prides him- or herself as a business savior or turn-around master!

    Before I lose you, I don’t want you to get the impression that ego is only an issue in the big decisions or choices made at the top. Its impact can be found day-to-day in many of the small and often less significant parts of an enterprise, in the actions and decisions made by mid-level managers and supervisors. I see the results of this every day and everywhere I go in my travels as a speaker and trainer.

    As a manager, how do you know if your ego is out of control?

    Just pay close attention to a number of critical factors. I guarantee that if you are aware of your circumstances, honest with your self-appraisal, and in touch with reality, it will become crystal clear whether your ego is in control or is running rampant in your organization or department. Some of these factors are:

    · consistently poor morale
    · constant communication breakdowns
    · bad hiring decisions
    · consistently poor decisions
    · acquisitions or mergers that go sour
    · high employee turnover
    · consistently poor quality
    · outdated policies, products, services, and/or procedures
    · loss of market share
    · vulnerability to competitors
    · poor sales results
    · decreasing profits from year to year
    · the negative consequences of your decisions

    Carefully observe early warning signs for these factors and determine their cause and any relationship between them and your ego, and then respond to them and manage them ego-free and effectively before they become embedded in your corporate culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 leade

    Improve Your Sales Letters Instantly with These 4 Simple Steps!
    Frequently clients will ask me, “How can you write effective sales letters so FAST?”One of my clients even shared with me how much time he was spending, hunched over his keyboard, trying to create the “perfect” winning sales letter.A long time ago, my personal mentor and good trusted friend told me a secret that I have used ever since to write sales letters and any other type of business (or personal) letter. I shared this tip with my client and he's spending much less time agonizing over his sales letters now.The “secret” is a little copywriting trick known by the acronym: AIDA. No, I'm not talking about some Italian opera - AIDA stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action, the 4 components every good letter must have.Here's how it works:Attention
    s, unhappy and poor-performing employees, disgruntled suppliers, and frustrated accountants.

    Ego has cost Corporate America more money than any other single factor. It has resulted in poor decisions, thwarted initiatives, products that have out-lived their life cycle, and acquisitions gone bad. Want more?

    · New products that should never have hit the street
    · Bad products that were left on the street too long
    · Poor hiring decisions
    · The decision to terminate a good employee for no other reason than they have an ego, too
    · The unwillingness to let go of control of anything
    · Keeping decision-making at the top of the corporate ladder
    · Unwillingness to delegate difficult or critical tasks
    · The desire to look good to the rest of the corporate world, regardless of whether you are making money or not

    I believe by now I should have your attention. So why is ego such a big problem in business? After all, Donald Trump has one, and he is successful.

    If you were to ask an out-of-control-ego executive or manager if their ego is out of control, guess what you will hear. Believe it or not: No. Why is this? Denial? Arrogance? Insecurity? Or some other psychological or emotional need that has not been or is not being met?

    During my career, I have watched clients make acquisitions (against my recommendations) for no other reason than ego. In almost every case, these cost their organization dearly in focus and reputation, not to mention profits. And, ultimately they were shut down or sold off again to some other executive with a big ego, maybe this time to someone who prides him- or herself as a business savior or turn-around master!

    Before I lose you, I don’t want you to get the impression that ego is only an issue in the big decisions or choices made at the top. Its impact can be found day-to-day in many of the small and often less significant parts of an enterprise, in the actions and decisions made by mid-level managers and supervisors. I see the results of this every day and everywhere I go in my travels as a speaker and trainer.

    As a manager, how do you know if your ego is out of control?

    Just pay close attention to a number of critical factors. I guarantee that if you are aware of your circumstances, honest with your self-appraisal, and in touch with reality, it will become crystal clear whether your ego is in control or is running rampant in your organization or department. Some of these factors are:

    · consistently poor morale
    · constant communication breakdowns
    · bad hiring decisions
    · consistently poor decisions
    · acquisitions or mergers that go sour
    · high employee turnover
    · consistently poor quality
    · outdated policies, products, services, and/or procedures
    · loss of market share
    · vulnerability to competitors
    · poor sales results
    · decreasing profits from year to year
    · the negative consequences of your decisions

    Carefully observe early warning signs for these factors and determine their cause and any relationship between them and your ego, and then respond to them and manage them ego-free and effectively before they become embedded in your corporate culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 lead

    Not Another Article On Networking (groan)
    Networking is “the thing” to do in business. I won’t repeat the benefits of networking here nor the 30 seconds infomercial, as there is much material available about them.What you are about to read here, is the energetic experience of networking.Have you ever walked into a room full of people, and feel drained? Have you experienced standing in a room full of people, and suddenly someone enters and all heads turn to look that person? It is all about energy and attraction.So how can you manage your energy when you network?First of all, be clear about what your business is all about. Be clear about what your product or service is, and your target customer. Your energies are more focused if your product or service range is narrow, and if you have a specific niche.Second, be clear ab
    eir ego is out of control, guess what you will hear. Believe it or not: No. Why is this? Denial? Arrogance? Insecurity? Or some other psychological or emotional need that has not been or is not being met?

    During my career, I have watched clients make acquisitions (against my recommendations) for no other reason than ego. In almost every case, these cost their organization dearly in focus and reputation, not to mention profits. And, ultimately they were shut down or sold off again to some other executive with a big ego, maybe this time to someone who prides him- or herself as a business savior or turn-around master!

    Before I lose you, I don’t want you to get the impression that ego is only an issue in the big decisions or choices made at the top. Its impact can be found day-to-day in many of the small and often less significant parts of an enterprise, in the actions and decisions made by mid-level managers and supervisors. I see the results of this every day and everywhere I go in my travels as a speaker and trainer.

    As a manager, how do you know if your ego is out of control?

    Just pay close attention to a number of critical factors. I guarantee that if you are aware of your circumstances, honest with your self-appraisal, and in touch with reality, it will become crystal clear whether your ego is in control or is running rampant in your organization or department. Some of these factors are:

    · consistently poor morale
    · constant communication breakdowns
    · bad hiring decisions
    · consistently poor decisions
    · acquisitions or mergers that go sour
    · high employee turnover
    · consistently poor quality
    · outdated policies, products, services, and/or procedures
    · loss of market share
    · vulnerability to competitors
    · poor sales results
    · decreasing profits from year to year
    · the negative consequences of your decisions

    Carefully observe early warning signs for these factors and determine their cause and any relationship between them and your ego, and then respond to them and manage them ego-free and effectively before they become embedded in your corporate culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 lead

    Gaming and Entertainment Industry Destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
    Due to the catastrophic affects of Hurricane Katrina there will be about 3 million people migrating to other cities? Where will they go? New Orleans had 1.3 million people in the surrounding area. There are few homes left, few jobs until relief efforts and rebuilding gets going. There will be need for engineers, heavy equipment operators, construction people, but their families will have no homes and will have to live elsewhere. One major industry and source of jobs was totally wiped out, along with its tax base; the entertainment and gaming industry. But where will these employees go, many have lost everything and their jobs were totally demolished?Which cities stand to gain people? Well let us look around. Shreveport and Tunica have casinos and will take some of those who worked in that industry and in t
    is out of control?

    Just pay close attention to a number of critical factors. I guarantee that if you are aware of your circumstances, honest with your self-appraisal, and in touch with reality, it will become crystal clear whether your ego is in control or is running rampant in your organization or department. Some of these factors are:

    · consistently poor morale
    · constant communication breakdowns
    · bad hiring decisions
    · consistently poor decisions
    · acquisitions or mergers that go sour
    · high employee turnover
    · consistently poor quality
    · outdated policies, products, services, and/or procedures
    · loss of market share
    · vulnerability to competitors
    · poor sales results
    · decreasing profits from year to year
    · the negative consequences of your decisions

    Carefully observe early warning signs for these factors and determine their cause and any relationship between them and your ego, and then respond to them and manage them ego-free and effectively before they become embedded in your corporate culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 lead

    What Color is Your Marketing and What is It Saying?
    Do you have any idea what role color plays in your marketing efforts? And if so, do you know what message your marketing efforts are conveying with the colors you use? Let me tell you that the colors you use in your marketing efforts – your brochures, business cards, letterhead, signage, office interiors, and more – play a very important role in motivating people. The colors speak loudly and clearly, so I believe it is in our best interest to learn what the colors convey in our marketing.The importance of color because of its “hidden language” is well known. I witnessed this firsthand several years ago when I was asked to and agreed to participate in a study being conducted by the Harvard Business School. I was one of a selected number of executives to be interviewed and asked many questions about co
    te culture, employee attitudes, and customer attitudes. You could ask yourself:

    1. Can I ever be wrong?
    2. Can an employee be smarter than I am?
    3. Do I trust my employees?
    4. Can I reverse myself after a bad decision or do I die by it?
    5. Can I give up control?
    6. Do I have pet projects or activities that I can’t let go of?
    7. Can I freely give credit where someone else was responsible for the positive outcome?
    8. Can I discard old products, services, or ideas that I was responsible for?
    9. Can I share the limelight with others?
    10. Do I give adequate appreciation and recognition to others?
    11. Can I admit failure?
    12. Can I admit to not having an answer?
    13. Do I procrastinate on simple or important tasks, decisions, or initiatives?


    These questions should get you started. Honest answers will help you clearly identify if your ego is a problem in your position.

    In his classic book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, Jim Collins states:

    Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for their institution and not herself or himself.

    If you can rise to the challenge of channeling your ego in this way, be encouraged by the following:

    1. Your ego is not part of your DNA or genes. It is man-made and can be un-made or controlled if you choose.
    2. It is better to succeed and enjoy your success with a controlled ego than it is to go down in flames with an ego that is out of control.
    3. You will never “win them all,” no matter how good you think you are. So get used to losing once in a while, if you aren’t already.
    4. Hire a personal coach. What it costs you will be peanuts compared to the time and money you could save your organization. I accept ten new coaching clients every year. If you want to be considered for one of the slots, give me a call.
    5. Business is not about winning or looking good, but serving others well.

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