So, now is the time for some research — before you open your doors for business. You're going to write a client profile. ("Eeesh Rose — I'm a designer, I don't want to write this!") Stay with me because this is easy to do — just answer the following questions and you'll have a profile of your ideal client:

1. What kinds of people do you relate best with? Are they calm people? Are they driven people? Are they right-brained people? Are they left-brained people? And what about your relationships with these people works for you? For example, my ideal client doesn't struggle about paying money for services they receive because they know that the business of business is to make a profit — and that goes for my services too. Also, my ideal client is an avid learner who is open to the possibility and magic of life. Who's your ideal client? Go for the challenge of a list of at least 100 qualities!
2. What kinds of people would you really rather *not* have in your life? Be specific here. Look at your past and current relationships for what really did not work for either of you. For example, my ideal client never says "yes, but..." and doesn't go into an intellectual analysis of every word or phrase, but instead is aware of the bigger issues and patterns. My ideal client doesn't have to be right all the time. Who's your ideal client? Go for a list of at least 50 qualities!
3. What industry, technology, service, association or corporate department makes your heart sing? Yes - really! Are you passionate about saving the environment, yet performing your services for a petroleum company? How long do you believe that will work for either of you? So, reflect on who you are and identify the industry, technology, service, association, or corporate department that is aligned with your internal compass. For example, my ideal clients are self-employed, or want to become self-employed, and primarily work serving the high-technology or communications and publishing industries. Be careful here, you don't want a long list.
4. What conditions must be present in order to do your best work? For example, my ideal client must open to learning from me as a mentor and coach. And the client must have a compelling reason to change and a willingness to do the work necessary to implement the change. What are the conditions that will allow you to do your best work for those you identified in question 3?
5. What services are ne
   The Big Question - Why Don't Middle Managers Know How to Lead
   This question appeared on a blog recently, and of course it caught my interest as it was framed in terms of Emotional Intelligence.I maintain the answer is quite simple: because no one ever taught them how. Now, let me say that I don’t know that middle managers don’t know how to lead. In fact I know many who DO know how to lead, and it is one of the most difficult jobs there is. But for those who don’t, I’ve found that in the vast majority of cases, a person who is not exercising good Emotional Intelligence skills is not doing this becau
   before you open your doors for business. You're going to write a client profile. ("Eeesh Rose — I'm a designer, I don't want to write this!") Stay with me because this is easy to do — just answer the following questions and you'll have a profile of your ideal client:
   1. What kinds of people do you relate best with? Are they calm people? Are they driven people? Are they right-brained people? Are they left-brained people? And what about your relationships with these people works for you? For example, my ideal client doesn't struggle about paying money for services they receive because they know that the business of business is to make a profit — and that goes for my services too. Also, my ideal client is an avid learner who is open to the possibility and magic of life. Who's your ideal client? Go for the challenge of a list of at least 100 qualities!
   2. What kinds of people would you really rather *not* have in your life? Be specific here. Look at your past and current relationships for what really did not work for either of you. For example, my ideal client never says "yes, but..." and doesn't go into an intellectual analysis of every word or phrase, but instead is aware of the bigger issues and patterns. My ideal client doesn't have to be right all the time. Who's your ideal client? Go for a list of at least 50 qualities!
   3. What industry, technology, service, association or corporate department makes your heart sing? Yes - really! Are you passionate about saving the environment, yet performing your services for a petroleum company? How long do you believe that will work for either of you? So, reflect on who you are and identify the industry, technology, service, association, or corporate department that is aligned with your internal compass. For example, my ideal clients are self-employed, or want to become self-employed, and primarily work serving the high-technology or communications and publishing industries. Be careful here, you don't want a long list.
   4. What conditions must be present in order to do your best work? For example, my ideal client must open to learning from me as a mentor and coach. And the client must have a compelling reason to change and a willingness to do the work necessary to implement the change. What are the conditions that will allow you to do your best work for those you identified in question 3?
   5. What services are n
      Know It Before You Are Handed The Pink Slip
      “When death cometh calling, it cometh not empty handed, it also brought the pink slip.”I think this is the remark of a person who did not even care to read the signals regarding his impending layoff. Even though I am not suggesting that he doesn’t deserve to continue in his job for some reason, we can’t forget the body blow that job loss delivers.Events Leading Up To LayoffsYou can’t expect the sequence of events to be long enough for you to notice that something is brewing. The timeframe could be very short or your name could
      ey know that the business of business is to make a profit — and that goes for my services too. Also, my ideal client is an avid learner who is open to the possibility and magic of life. Who's your ideal client? Go for the challenge of a list of at least 100 qualities!
   6. What kinds of people would you really rather *not* have in your life? Be specific here. Look at your past and current relationships for what really did not work for either of you. For example, my ideal client never says "yes, but..." and doesn't go into an intellectual analysis of every word or phrase, but instead is aware of the bigger issues and patterns. My ideal client doesn't have to be right all the time. Who's your ideal client? Go for a list of at least 50 qualities!
   7. What industry, technology, service, association or corporate department makes your heart sing? Yes - really! Are you passionate about saving the environment, yet performing your services for a petroleum company? How long do you believe that will work for either of you? So, reflect on who you are and identify the industry, technology, service, association, or corporate department that is aligned with your internal compass. For example, my ideal clients are self-employed, or want to become self-employed, and primarily work serving the high-technology or communications and publishing industries. Be careful here, you don't want a long list.
   8. What conditions must be present in order to do your best work? For example, my ideal client must open to learning from me as a mentor and coach. And the client must have a compelling reason to change and a willingness to do the work necessary to implement the change. What are the conditions that will allow you to do your best work for those you identified in question 3?
   9. What services are n
      7 Ways To Improve Your Small Busines or Professional Practice With Kaizen
      Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of continual, small improvements. This philosophy is widely attributed as the core factor in almost all successful Japanese corporations.But, although Kaizen is usually thought of in the context of manufacturing, it can also be applied to every industry and even to small businesses and professional practices.But not only can Kaizen produce remarkable changes, the very practice of it involves everyone on your team (employees and vendors alike) to help you achieve your goals. As a team building exerci
      he bigger issues and patterns. My ideal client doesn't have to be right all the time. Who's your ideal client? Go for a list of at least 50 qualities!
   10. What industry, technology, service, association or corporate department makes your heart sing? Yes - really! Are you passionate about saving the environment, yet performing your services for a petroleum company? How long do you believe that will work for either of you? So, reflect on who you are and identify the industry, technology, service, association, or corporate department that is aligned with your internal compass. For example, my ideal clients are self-employed, or want to become self-employed, and primarily work serving the high-technology or communications and publishing industries. Be careful here, you don't want a long list.
   11. What conditions must be present in order to do your best work? For example, my ideal client must open to learning from me as a mentor and coach. And the client must have a compelling reason to change and a willingness to do the work necessary to implement the change. What are the conditions that will allow you to do your best work for those you identified in question 3?
   12. What services are n
       Twelve Places to Buy a Mailing List
       ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinThere are two types of lists, determined by their origin: compiled lists and response lists.Compiled lists are a common source of names and records that have been gathered, collected, and entered into a database. The names may have been acquired through public records such as vehicle owner registrations or high school teachers. Directories, such as a directory of plant maintenance engineers, are usually compiled lists. Many lists are compiled from categories in phone books across the U.S. Examples w
       clients are self-employed, or want to become self-employed, and primarily work serving the high-technology or communications and publishing industries. Be careful here, you don't want a long list.
   13. What conditions must be present in order to do your best work? For example, my ideal client must open to learning from me as a mentor and coach. And the client must have a compelling reason to change and a willingness to do the work necessary to implement the change. What are the conditions that will allow you to do your best work for those you identified in question 3?
   14. What services are needed by your ideal clients? By now you have a clear enough picture of your clients that you can begin to do the traditional "market research." What you want to do here is to begin to match your skills, talents, and desires for creating services with the needs and resources of your ideal clients. Vehicles for obtaining this data might include a client survey, third-party customer surveys, the US Census data, small business administration data, and other traditional information-collection devices. Take your time and be thorough — don't guess! You're looking for external, third-party confirmation of your ideas — but stay open to the idea that what you want to create might not want to be purchased by your identified ideal clients.
   15. What will your clients pay for your services? You have two primary sources of information for this question — your prospective clients and your competitors. Ask your intended clients what they would pay. Then ask your perceived competitors what they are charging. The truth is usually somewhere between the two.
   16. Can you make a business on the fees you can charge for your intended services? If not, go back to question 3 and pick another industry, technology, service, association or corporate department. Don't let go of your dream as you adjust your selections!
   
   
   Copyright 2004, Rose Hill