Slow Down Your Strategic Planning So You Can Go Fast

Bias is defined as "prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair." In the business world, this definition also applies to concepts and ideas.

As business leaders we like to think we're impartial, open-minded and objective in regards to new ideas, but the human brain doesn't work that way. Our brain has a strong bias for information that supports our existing view of the world. It actively seeks out data that supports our viewpoint, and often ignores evidence that contradicts it.

In addition, we're trained from a very early age to think in rigid ways and seek THE right answer. Remember in 5th grade how good it felt to raise your hand in class and get praised by the teacher for getting THE right answer? And remember how bad it felt if you got it wrong? Your ‘wrong' answer may have been very creative and right in a different way. But if it wasn't the answer the teacher wanted, you didn't receive the public pat on the back, and you were less likely to raise your hand the next time.

Unfortunately, this training does not serve us well as leaders.  In the business world almost all problems or challenges have multiple solutions. Some are better, easier, cheaper, more feasible, etc. than others. But very rarely do we encounter situations where one option is the only right one. And when we constantly seek THE right answer, it becomes much easier for our biases to get in the way.

Not surprisingly, bias is a leading contributor to poor business decisions, especially during the strategic planning process. Which is why I constantly urge business leaders to make it a habit to identify their assumptions, biases, and beliefs, and test them against current reality before making any major decisions. Now there's further evidence supporting the value of this approach.

A survey by McKinsey Consulting asked executives to rate the outcome of a recent strategic decision at their companies as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, while focusing on the role that various biases may have played. The survey found that satisfactory outcomes are associated with less bias, thanks to "robust debate, an objective assessment of facts, and a realistic assessment of corporate capabilities."

According to the survey, companies that produced positive outcomes did a better job of forecasting consumer demand and assessing their own abilities to implement the decision. The best decisions included both strategic and financial targets, and ensured that individual incentives were aligned with the strategic objectives. In addition, possible competitor responses were analyzed and factored into the decision.

Companies that reported favorable outcomes were also more likely to engage in certain activities that minimize bad decision-making. These include:

• Actively seeking out contrary data to ensure that key decision makers had all the information they need to make the best decision
• Allowing people with conflicting points of view to openly express their opinions
• Thoroughly reviewing the business case for the decision, even when senior executives strongly supported the decision
• Establishing processes and lines of communication to ensure that truly innovative ideas reach the senior management level

These kinds of behaviors seem counterintuitive. Partly because they contradict the unspoken biases and assumptions that tell us we already know what we need to know. And partly because they lengthen the planning process.

It takes time to gather and analyze information, especially data that we don't want to see or hear. It takes time to listen to everyone's point of view, especially those that would seem to be nay-sayers. And when senior managers are chomping at the bit to make the decision and move on, it takes time (and courage) to stand up and say, "I think we need to look at this some more or in a new way."

The power of pause

In today's world, we're all running so fast that pausing to engage in these kinds of processes feels like we're falling behind. But if we don't take the time to evaluate how we gather information and how we reach conclusions based on that information, we end up making decisions that can have disastrous consequences. And this is the process I call "slowing down in order to go fast."

Slowing down to go fast starts with actively seeking out information from a variety of sources. Pay attention to trends and events outside your industry. Then look for ways to apply that information to improve internal systems and processes or to add value to customers in new and better ways.

In meetings, don't just tolerate opposing points of view, actively encourage them! Tell people, "This is the way I see it. Now I want to hear from those who see it differently." Make it safe for people to express their opinions, even when they contradict the prevailing point of view.

The stronger you feel about an issue, the more likely it is that unspoken assumptions are driving your position. Expose your thinking on the issue and have people push back.

How did you reach that conclusion? What about the data leads you to believe that? Have you looked at it from this angle? Even when everyone seems to be in agreement, pause and ask, "Are we missing something here? Is there another answer to this problem? Is there a better answer or set of answers we should consider?"

The next time you undertake the strategic planning process, slow down in order to go fast. And remember to check your biases at the door, or at least expose them to everyone!

 

 

About the Author

Holly G. Green is author of "More Than A Minute," and the CEO and Managing Director of The Human Factor, Inc. She has more than 20 years of executive level and operations experience in FORTUNE 100, entrepreneurial, and management consulting organizations. She was previously President of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global consulting and training organization as well as LumMed, Inc. a biotech start up. For more information, visit her at http://www.thehumanfactor.biz and http://www.morethanaminute.com

Copy. Paste. Promote. Repeat. You've got to be kidding right?

This blog is meant to be direct and maybe make you a little irritated so you will REACT. A reaction is better than nothing. Hopefully that irritation leads to a reaction which leads to an action.

Forgive me if the tone of this blog sounds a bit tongue in cheek. My purpose is to try and get you to simplify tasks so you can get the results you want. I'd like you to think about things from a different perspective.

Every day I talk to people all over the world who are trying to build their online business. Some are having no success, some are having mixed success, some are just getting started, some have been working an online business for years. The ones who are hugely successful, I never hear from  - hmmm strange.

What's the difference between the successful and the non-successful?  Well it depends on who you ask and your definition of success. Here's my take on it.

People who are successful are DOERS!
They don't over think, they plod in and get busy.
They make mistakes, they learn, they try again.
They fall down, they get up again as often as it takes to get the job done. They simplify; they don't overcomplicate.
They have a unique way of looking at things, and attacking a task.
They FOCUS on what needs to be done, eliminate distraction.
They understand that small tasks can lead to big results.
They find what works and stick to it.
They have a patience many of us just can't fathom.
Failure is not an option.

I had the honour of playing a round of golf with a Professional Golfer last week. This guy was good and had won numerous tournaments.  I asked him how he got to be such a good golfer and this is what he told me. He said, "I've played golf since I was 4. I'm 24 now. I've played golf pretty much every day my entire life." I then said to him, "so you did the same thing everyday and got really good at it?"  He looked at me for a moment to make sure that I was being serious about something so obvious then he said. "Yes, I got some lessons and instructions then practised every day and here I am."  

So if I can draw from that, if you want to be good at something - successful at something - do it everyday - over and over and over again!

Could it be that simple?

Building your online business is as simple as   Copy. Paste. Promote. Repeat.  Everyday?

What do you think? Post your comments below. I'd like to see your thoughts.

About the Author

About the Author Sandi Hunter is the Director of Website Development at Worldprofit Inc. Worldprofit provides a number of services for the small and home-based business community including hosting, design, webconferencing, traffic, advertising, SEO, training and resources. This year Worldprofit marks their 17th year in business. Republished with author's permission by Ruthsella Corasol http://WorkingAtHome101.com.

Reasons Why Indian SEO Company Is Preferred

Internet marketing has been on a rise with the rise in the number of online businesses. Search engine optimization is the strategy used to implement online marketing. To get the required outcome, it should be executed in a proper way. A company that specializes in this should therefore be approached.

There are a lot of SEO companies all over the world. Having said that, SEO company India is found to be ideal by most of the organizations worldwide. This is due to a lot of reasons. Cost is one among those reasons. Organizations that are not very big are specially benefitted by this. Most of the small businesses can get the optimization of their site done in a cost effective manner.

Dependability is also one among the most important factors why Indian SEO companies are most preferred. Majority of the Indian SEO companies have earned a good reputation for themselves, over the years through their work. The optimization is usually performed by these companies using ethical methods. There is thus no threat associated with it.

There are however some of the factors that needs to be looked at, before choosing a particular company. The planning of the optimization would be the first thing that needs to be considered. The company policies may restrict them from giving in all the details but the overall plan can be surely discussed.

Optimization is a process which can take about a few months to start showing the results. There is no sure way by which one can get a top ranking in the result pages of the search engines. As a result one should never go for a company which provides such a guarantee. The companies that study the ways in which search engine algorithms work, prior to implementing the various techniques should be usually preffered.

Having a look at the website of the company being chosen is also required. It is important for the site to have a good page rank. Additionally the ranking that the site has, for the specified keywords in the various search engines should also be checked. If the company is not able to get its own website at the top of the search results, then there are high chances that it may not get the desired results for you as well. There would also be the reviews and testimonials of the previous clients on the website. It would surely give you a fair idea about the company. One can also investigate if it already has clients from your domain.

Selecting a proper company is essential as you are going to put in a substantial amount of money to get the optimization of your site done. If you invest into an appropriate company you would surely be profitable. The increase in the number of visitors to the site is the reason behind this. This would in turn increase the conversion ratio.

About the Author

For additional info you could check-out: <a href="http://www.onketing.com/seo-company-india.html">seo company india</a>

Importance of Private Equity Software in the Business

Definition of Software Solution
Software solution refers to the stored data and instructions in a memory where data are read and interpreted by a microprocessor to transform data and instructions in an intended way. It consists of assemblies, files and applications (such as a database) that help managing a business. Companies who make use of different software solutions have opened up their business to the market.

Discussion on Private Equity Software Solution
There are a lot of Private Equity software solutions that will meet and cater the needs of the company. Using a software solution in Private Equity will speed the different business processes such as fund administration, fund accounting, reporting and investor relations.

Private Equity software solution is a software application that is designed for investor management and administration tasks. The different tolls will help the company in gathering, computing, maintaining data and information; meeting your company's needs. It is a form of risk management application through providing transparent strategies and efficient operations.

On the other hand, Private Equity software solutions have reached online to ensure that businessmen have access on different financial solutions.  The different applications can be customized, upholding the needs of every company. Private Equity software solutions cover each part of business' marketing and accounting strategies.

Benefits of using Private Equity Software Solutions
The following are some advantages of Private Equity software solution.

 Quick Access. The software solution stores all the company data in an accessible database.
 Ready Reports. It has active and arranged form of letters (such as meetings and reports) that are ready to print. It also handles different reporting requirements of investors.
 Fund Raising Campaign. It provides different fund structure models and management.
 Deal Management. It gives you graphical monitoring of equity deal flow.
 Increase Profit. It offers different strategies in selling off assets and properties at peak value.
 Manages Investor Relationship.

Companies who use software solutions are in the right system in opening up their business to the competitive market. There is a broad spectrum of software solutions available for small-sized business as well as for medium and large-sized companies.

Private Equity software solution is solving your business-related problems specifically reports, funding and investment through the use of software. It optimizes business process by maximizing different software tools. Common Private Equity software solutions that deal with business operations include BI and CRM/ERP. BI which is also called DSS (Decision Support System) focuses on business' decision making. It identifies, consolidates, assimilates and interprets information to provide the company better solutions to business.

About the Author

Why merchant cash advance becomes the best alternative?

At some point in time, business owners are forced to obtain funds to develop potential business ideas, and to develop their business on the whole. Applying for a bank loan seems to be the best option for a business owner who wants to obtain funds to take his business to the next level. But with the current economical climate, and with the banks creating hurdles in many ways, it has become difficult for some of the business owners to get a positive result from the loan approval process. In such cases, merchant cash advance is held as an ideal alternative to acquire the required funds that can lead to a good business growth.

A merchant cash advance is considered as a type of cash advance that is provided as a form of financial relief for many business owners who find it difficult to obtain bank loans owing to bad credit scores. Most importantly, there is no need for collateral to obtain merchant cash advance loan, which happens to be the prime requisite to obtain secured business loans. The working capital needed for a business is provided with great speed, where a business owner can receive the merchant cash advance within a week's time, which gets deposited in business checking account. There are other business-related benefits as when a business owner plans to revive his business capital by way of merchant cash advance.

First and foremost, merchant cash advance cannot be called as a loan, as it is the purchase made on the future credit card sales. While the business owner plans to prop up his business capital by obtaining merchant cash advance, there is no complicated procedure involved in this process, which is the case with other type of loans. The straight-forward and prompt application process is a crisp and clear process that provides the merchant cash advance within a week's time. Reputed companies that offer this type of cash advance don't charge application fees, which works to the advantage of a business owner.

The merchant cash advance is also an ideal option for a business owner, as the risks involved to obtain the advance is lesser in this case. The need for collateral, where one has to provide back up for a loan through personal properties, real estate properties, jewelries and other properties gets eliminated in this case, which in turn allows the borrower to enjoy his peace of mind. Moreover, the contract to obtain merchant cash advance is very broad, as it comes with a short retrieval time and a high retrieval rate. The repayment process concerning the merchant cash advance depends primarily on the monthly revenue generated by a business owner's credit card sales.

Most importantly, a business owner who is looking for the ideal source to obtain funds for his business is sure to get the merchant cash advance, where the approval rate concerning this cash advance is relatively high. The need for documents to augment one's case to obtain a secured loan is done with in this type of cash advance. With more flexibility, and with less paperwork and documents, merchant cash advance tends to be an ideal alternate for the business owner who needs to prop up his business capital.

About the Author

merchant money

The Importance Of Chef Clothing

The hotel industry has seen a tremendous growth over the years. It has been subjected to a lot of changes. Chefs are the main entity of the restaurant business. In addition to the industry they also have been through a lot of transformation. The apparels are the one that have been through the most change.

 

The chef clothing holds a lot of significance and thus needs to be paid attention to. The conventional clothing used to be made up of a single layer of cotton. There were not many sizes available and it also came only in white color. However with time a lot of innovations have been made to the same.

 

A jacket, pants and a hat or a torque from the basic part of a chefs clothing. They are available in both simple as well as sophisticated type. It is thus convenient to purchase the ones that come within budget. The ambience and type of hotel also play an important role in this selection. A simple hotel does not lay much focus on the style or the design of the chefs clothing. Big hotels however gives a lot of importance to such things.

 

In cases when the customers can see the chefs cooking, being presentable is of a lot of importance. Much importance is usually not given to the presentation of the chefs in hotels where the chefs cannot be seen cooking. Along with being presentable, the most important function that the chefs' clothing is supposed to perform is protection. Protection from the intense heat in the kitchen should also be provided by them.

 

The chefs jacket is probably one among the most important clothing required by the chef. Ten to twelve knit buttons are generally present on the jacket. This is due to the fact that the plastic buttons easily degrade as they cannot sustain the high temperatures in the kitchen. They also cannot survive the frequent washing that is normally essential. A large numbers of hotels normally get their logo embossed on the coat.

 

Apart from the jacket, waistcoats or aprons are also used by chefs. Protection against stains is the basic thing done by these kind of clothing. As a result they become easy to wash and last for a long time. A lot of chefs also use scarf's and neckerchiefs. They are basically used to absorb sweat. These clothing actually are termed as accessories used by the chefs.

 

The most important clothing of the chef is the hat or the torque. It basically came into existence to prevent hair from falling into the food while it is being prepared. In many cases, it represents the status of the chef. A chef with the huge hat is considered to be a senior. Many things are also indicated by the pleats present on the hat. A bandana is usually preferred over the traditional hats by the present day chefs.

 

Budget is the most essential thing no matter the kind of hotel for which the clothes are being purchased. It is required to prepare an appropriate budget before actually going and buying the clothing. It is required to strictly follow the budget while buying the essential clothing.

 

About the Author

RedStone is definitely the leading web based supplier of chefs knives. In only a short period of time, a substantial distribution base has been developed and several thousand satisfied customers trust us to supply in the UK.

Understanding Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution

To understand what Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution is, let us segment the terms in their definitions.

What is Private Equity?
Private Equity is the money produced by investors to purchase a company. Members of Private Equity are those individuals with much more money to invest businesses. In Private Equity, investors will purchase a company from the stock market and turn it to a new private company according to their predilection. After a certain period of time, the investors may bring back the company for a public offering. Through this way, the sum of money that was originally invested may double or even triple. Another activity of Private Equity is the fund management. Here, each of the members will contribute funds and pooled together. The funds will be used in purchasing large companies.
S
What is Deal Flow?
Deal Flow is simply described as the rate of investment opportunities to investors. It is a good index whether the company is performing well in closing deals and getting high returns on investments. Deal Flow can be good or bad. A good deal flow is when the company has steady returns and is engaging to new deals. Otherwise, deal flow is poor.

What is Private Equity Software?
Software is a collection of programs and data necessary for data system operations. Private equity uses software to individualized tasks such as deal flow management (Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution), fund raising and portfolio management. Each of the softwares is tailored according to the company's needs, addressed through different programs and strategies. Besides, private equity softwares have programs for risk management associated in making deals and investments.

What is Software Solution?
A software solution is a collection of data and instructions in a memory. It is composed of database, files and other applications for managing a business. Those who have software solution tools have executed their company's operations well in the market.


What is Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution?
From the above term descriptions, Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution is a management-tracking tool for private equity investment and deal processes. Private Equity Deal Flow Software Solution improves business through organizing a system such as a method of communication to entrepreneurs and other investors. In finding the best software solution, tailored it with the company's target industry such as real estate. Companies who have found the best Private Equity Software Solution have set their edge on various investment opportunities in the competitive market.

About the Author

Starting a Property Maintenance Business

Starting a property maintenance business is an excellent opportunity for people who want to start their own business. These services can be offered to small companies that cannot afford to hire a full-time staff to keep their offices clean and professional looking.

To start a property maintenance company, the individual will need to decide the types of services that they feel they will be comfortable in delivering. After making this determination, the owner should stay within those established limits. As the business grows, the owner can solicit the assistance of other contractors to help with serving their clients. For example, the owner can offer painting services, plumbing work, electrical work, repair work, and cleaning services.

Also, once the owner has acquired skilled employees, they can strive to provide competitive prices, which can also increase the business within their local and surrounding areas. It is recommended that the owner starts small, while they focus on delivering quality services to their clients. By starting small and focusing on quality instead of quantity, the clients that have been serviced can serve to provide good references for the new business.

It is also important that the company obtains the property business licenses and insurance coverage. Also, when involved in servicing maintenance contracts, the new business owner should always consult with an attorney to make sure they can avoid any legal problems. When dealing with the clients, the owner should sit down with them to gather and list all of the services that they need or require.

During these meetings, the owner should also negotiate the hours and weekly fees or charges. The services can be provided at a flat rate or based on hours worked. If the client request services outside of the realm of the owner's expertise, they may want hire a subcontractor to perform the duties required.

To manage the assignments for each client, the owner can appoint specific employees to work in those time slots to ensure the customer's expectations are met and exceeded. All professional licenses that are required for each profession must be kept up to date, prior to sending the employee or contractor on a project assignment.

Based on the laws of specific states, some jobs cannot be legally performed without the proper licensing. Also, after sending an employee to a site, the owner should always follow-up to ensure the client's expectations have been met. Following up with the clients will display professionalism and commitment to providing excellent services.

About the Author

Daniel Blinman is writing on behalf of Pro Act 2 it, who offer property maintenance Swindon and Bath property maintenance

Out Sell Your Competitors – The Easy Way!

Last week I was onsite with one of my favorite clients, a manufacturer in South Carolina. During a dinner meeting with the CEO and CFO, I heard a great sales story.  My client had been looking  for a new insurance provider.

Seems that the company they had worked with for years sold out to a larger organization, and their account was now being handled out of Texas. My client really wanted a firm with an office in their state, and a representative they could meet with in person. Sounded reasonable, so they started taking bids and interviewing providers.

This is where the story gets good. After two-months they narrowed it down to three candidates, and were close to a decision when out of now where they simultaneously landed two big contracts. All of a sudden Human Resources, the department overseeing this decision, was swamped having to recruit, hire and train new staff to handle all of the work created by these contracts. Needless to say the urgency to find a new insurance provider fell to the back of the line. So did two of the insurance providers desire to stay in touch, follow-up and keep in contact with my client.

Six months later, when the dust had settled and the new staff was in place and working, Human Resources was once again focused on finding a new provider. This time the decision was easy. Originally they had narrowed it down to three candidates, but by the end of this whirlwind of activity it was clear to them there was just one choice.There was only one provider who bothered to stay in touch, provide value, and routinely follow-up.

Besides keeping her name in front of her potential prospect, she built a relationship and ensured that when they were ready to make a decision she was top of mind.

If you want to outsell your competitor then you need to follow-up. I know it is not sexy, not exciting, but it is one of the most powerful ways to outsell your competitors. Research tells us that less than 81% of sales people make more than three follow-up contacts with a prospect. Research also show us that most prospects buy after the seventh contact. (I believe that is even higher now, given the shift in our economy.)

Most sales people "give up" because they have decided the prospect is not interested, or they simply don't want to be annoying. Two very bad assumptions.

The point is, we really have no idea why a hot prospect suddenly goes cold, but more often than not it has nothing to do with us. Perhaps a bigger priority came up at work, they have a family issue, or they simply got behind due to a vacation or holiday. Who knows? You see people are busy, and rarely is what we are selling at the top of their priority list. The sales person who is proactive, makes things easy, and continues to follow-up is the sales person that will win the business.

And this whole idea of being annoying, well you are only annoying if you are making the follow-up contact about you and not about them. Too often, our follow-up systems consist of sending an email or calling every 30-days to ask if they are ready to make a decision. To follow-up effectively you need to keep the focus on the prospect, and follow these three simple steps:

Design A System – you need a process in place that reminds you when to follow-up, who to follow-up with, and one that can record important notes and ideas that you learn from each contact.

Make It Personal – follow-up needs to be customized and individualized to the prospect. Too often I see follow-up systems that are just that a one-size fits all.  Follow-up is about building relationship and establishing trust, so you need to take a very personal approach.

Add Value – however you choose to follow-up with your prospect, you need to add value. Articles providing information about challenges, opportunities they have. Tickets to events they are interested in. Introductions to people they would benefit from knowing. Adding value ensures your client enjoys and benefits from the follow-up process.

My client's insurance new provider did not win the business because she is smarter, had a better product or quoted a rock bottom price. She outsold her competitors simply by following up!

About the Author

"High energy, high impact and highly motivating," that is Meridith Elliott Powell, founder and owner of MotionFirst. A certified coach, speaker and business development expert, Meridith is known in the industry as a catalyst and woman who makes things happen! Work with Meridith to build your network and change your life!

How to Write a Medical Practice Marketing Plan

 

 

"Nobody plans to fail. They just fail to plan." This slogan from a commercial on investments is an apt representation of what happens with marketing programs in most medical practices. Busy days slip by with little to no attention paid to marketing, until one day the days just aren't so busy anymore. Unfortunately, writing and implementing a marketing plan at that point will offer reduced or zero results because your practice will be playing catch-up to others at a time when revenues are lacking. The right time to write a medical practice marketing plan is now – here's how.

Begin at the end. Many practice managers have trouble getting started on a marketing plan because they don't know what the first step should be. But the truth is that you don't need to know the first step – you need to know where you want to end up. What demographic (gender, age, geographic area) do you want to attract, and what do you want them to do? Determine your goals before writing your marketing plan, and the rest will fall into place.

 

• Decide on a budget. Even if your budget is zero dollars, you need to know this ahead of time, because the truth is that there are lots of things you can do to get a marketing plan going on a zero budget. Just keep in mind that if your budget is zero, you'll be investing a lot of time. If you can set some actual dollars aside for marketing, so much the better. But knowing your budget will enable you to avoid spending time on marketing options that exceed it.

 

• Do your research. A surprising number of practice managers select advertising and marketing options that their competitors aren't using. Unfortunately, if your competitors are avoiding certain media and/or messages, it's probably for good reason. Stick with the tried-and-true, especially if you have a small budget; this isn't the time to reinvent the wheel.

 

• Write it down. Most people know that writing goals and objectives down increases their chances of achieving them, and that's true of marketing plans as well. Writing an outline for your marketing plan will also help you focus on areas where you can delegate to others. Perhaps someone in your office can proof advertising copy, has a connection in the printing business, or can write blogs. Distilled facts from the previous three bullet points should go on your written marketing plan so everyone involved understands why you're doing what you're doing.

 

• Get approval. Your written marketing plan needs buy-in from the physician(s) in your medical practice. The last thing you want to do is implement it only to have it curtailed by someone in power who doesn't like what you're doing. Your research and a well-formulated written plan will make all the difference in convincing others of the need for a marketing plan.

 

• Stick with it. You probably won't need to review your written marketing plan daily or even weekly, but be sure to pull it out once in a while, check off the items you've achieved, and review the areas that need attention. You'll also need to update your marketing plan as your business evolves.

To comment please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com/Blog/Auditing-Your-Practice/How-to-Write-a-Medical-Practice-Marketing-Plan.html

 

About the Author

Practice Manager Network is an online community of healthcare practice managers who have come together for purposes of sharing ideas, learning how to balance home and work life, and getting advice from experts on managing their personal and professional lives more effectively.To find out more please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com

 

Breaking Out of Your Internet Filter Bubble

In today's business world, leaders need to get ideas, opinions, and perspectives from diverse sources. In particular, there are times when we need to tune in to people and sources of information that contradict our prevailing view of the world.

Unfortunately, many of the online sources we turn to for information are surreptitiously moving us in the opposite direction.

According to political activist and former executive director of moveon.org, Eli Pariser, Internet giants like Google, Yahoo and Facebook have begun using algorithms to determine what we see and hear online. He discovered this when he realized that Facebook had removed all the links to conservative people from his Facebook page - without his permission or knowledge.

Is some evil conspiracy afoot?

Probably not. What these companies want to do is maximize advertising revenue while making it easier for all of us to access the content we want. Only now they have taken it upon themselves to decide what we want to see, and that's not a good thing.

As Pariser explains it, when Google uses complicated algorithms to determine the results of online searches, it creates a "filter bubble" that screens out everything the search engine thinks we don't want to see. Or at least buries it so deep in the search results that we don't bother clicking on it.

Put together all the algorithms (which deliver information to your Internet doorstep based on what you click on most often) from all the prominent online information sources and you end up with your own unique online universe of information. The information that populates your universe depends on your filter bubble, which, in turn, depends on who you are and what you do online.

The problem is that we don't get to decide what gets through our filter. Yahoo, Google, and Facebook are now doing that for us. More important, we don't see what gets edited out, so we don't even know what we're missing. This moves us all to a world where the Internet shows us what it thinks we want to see, and not necessarily what we need to see.

The solution, suggests Pariser, does not require eliminating the filters. After all, we need some tools for sorting through everything on the Internet. The answer is for Google, Yahoo, and others to give us a healthy degree of control over the filters, so that we determine what gets screened in and what gets screened out.

Why do we need many diverse sources of information?

From a practical standpoint, it just might keep us from going out of business. These days the new product or service that turns our industry upside down often comes from way out in left field. We need to continually scan the world beyond the walls of our business to detect these kinds of threats.

At a deeper level, it has to do with the way our brain works.

The human brain is an amazing organ, especially the newer areas with their higher-level reasoning abilities. Yet we're still stuck with the "old" brain that helped us survive back when we had to quickly recognize and respond to predators and other threats.

The old brain is a superb pattern-recognizer. Consequently, it tends to look for information that supports what we already know to be true about the world. In doing so, it actively rejects information that contradicts our view of the world. So we get caught in a double-whammy of seeing things the same old way while actively avoiding new information that doesn't align with what we already believe to be true.

That's how we can get caught totally off guard when our best customer defects to a competitor. And that's how we never see the outsider who sweeps into our market and steals our market share with a new product or service we never even imagined.

These old brain tendencies wouldn't pose such a problem if the world didn't move so quickly. But it does, and we need to move just as quickly in order to keep up with it.  Consider the following:

Facebook, the leading social networking service, has yet to reach its 8th birthday. As of July 2011, it had more than 750 million active users.

YouTube, founded in 2005, now uploads 24 hours of video every minute of every day. Its company blog claims that the site receives more than three billion views per day.

The baby of the group, Twitter started out as an R&D experiment in 2006.  A recent count had them at 200 million users and 1.6 billion search queries per day. I suspect the number of users has grown significantly since the last count.

Ten years ago, who could have conceived that we would be able to post promotional videos of ourselves, at no cost (other than to produce the video) for the whole world to see? And five years ago, nobody in their right mind would have dreamed that we would be communicating our products and services through short, concise "tweets" with a maximum 140 character count. At that point, we were still trying to figure out how to build effective web sites!

That's how quickly our world changes. And that's why we can't afford to let anyone else decide for us what we see, hear and read on the Internet. If we don't stay current with emerging ideas, trends and technologies – especially those that contradict our prevailing view of the world -- we put our businesses at risk.

As business leaders, we need to make a habit of exposing ourselves to divergent points of view. We need to set up systems and processes that expose our employees to new and different ways of thinking. And we especially need to make sure that we don't let others dictate or control our sources of information. To do so limits our ability to make informed decisions and puts us at risk of letting others control our destinies rather than making our own.

Google, Yahoo, Facebook – are you listening?

P.S. - To hear Pariso's 9-minute talk on this subject click on http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

Ted.com is one of my favorite sources for hearing thoughtful, informed and divergent points of view!

About the Author

Holly G. Green is author of "More Than A Minute," and the CEO and Managing Director of The Human Factor, Inc. She has more than 20 years of executive level and operations experience in FORTUNE 100, entrepreneurial, and management consulting organizations. She was previously President of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global consulting and training organization as well as LumMed, Inc. a biotech start up. For more information, visit her at http://www.thehumanfactor.biz and http://www.morethanaminute.com

Ease Your Business Load: Join a Service-Based Franchise!

Working professionals may want to start their own business but fear their chances of success amidst all the economic uncertainty. While understandable, this fear can be assuaged. Diving into the business world is made a little easier by taking the service-based franchise  route.

Not everyone starts out knowing how to make an independent business thrive, whereas purchasing a pre-established franchise tends to be far less challenging. There is a certain amount of risk in all business endeavors. However, service-based franchises in particular require less overhead and initial investment, while offering the support of tried-and-true systems. Since the majority of these sorts of franchises don't require physical locations, the pressure of finding a perfect location, retail space or facility is lessened. This can also eliminate lease contracts and property expenses.

Service-based franchises are able to weather economic downturns and market uncertainty much better than a startup business. If business is slow, employees aren't getting paid for standing around. For example, under 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s franchise model, the mobile nature of the business encourages and supports sales and marketing activities alongside customer appointments.

A pioneer of the professional junk removal industry, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has set the standard for many service-based franchises with its tight operational systems and strong brand image. "More than 20 years ago, we set out to create a globally-admired brand and we've achieved that in three countries by building, testing, and delivering systems for our franchise partners that make the ordinary business of junk removal exceptional," says 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Founder and CEO Brian Scudamore. Those systems include a top-notch customer service focus, in-field training, and a commitment to sustainable environmental practices.

1-800-GOT-JUNK? is a full-service junk removal company that takes away household and commercial junk that city garbage haulers don't typically remove. Items include:  old computers, furniture, clothing, and other miscellaneous household, office, or outdoor junk. Plus, customers don't even have to haul their items to the curb. The crews do all of that, and sweep up the space afterward.

Another key component of their business model is their commitment to sustainable recycling and disposal. This green company carefully measures amounts of collected junk and monitors where it goes. Their methods have prevented billions of pounds of trash from ending up in a landfill.

If you're seriously considering starting a franchise or exploring the business market, start with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. They offer a unique franchise opportunity and demonstrate the overall benefits and appeals of the service-oriented industry. Check out 1800gotjunk.com to find a supreme example of franchise potential with low investments and high growth expectations.

About the Author

NewsUSA has created and placed over 15,000 editorially sound newspaper, radio and online features that educate and inform consumers about finance, health, safety and travel as well as home and holiday topics.

Best Resource for Marketing a Business

If you are looking to marketing a business, remember that you'll find many factors which want to grow to be searched into. All points regarded as, make specific you analysis the entire topic when you make a conscious decision as you'd anticipate. The actual truth of the matter is constantly that when it comes to marketing a business, it is possible to opt to do it yourself so that you can acquire a consultant who is trained inside subject. Although each and every technique certainly own it pros and cons you will must make certain that you have a decent and long term program.

All points regarded as, when you have decided you're marketing a business, picture the several businesses present on the web who'll have the ability to allow you to along. What this means is that when selecting a consultant firm, you will want to assess their history together with discover out if these are trained in what they do. This really is why you need to entertain all the several alternatives you have got when you make a conclusion as you'd anticipate. Believe challenging and quickly prior to you make a conclusion due to the fact could be rather essential.

In relation to marketing a business, you will want to enlist several alternatives and ascertain and see which one much more straightforward for you. Inside this time social sites is seriously on the rise along with web sites like LinkedIn you comprehend for a truth that you could get a listing of fantastic contacts. To make sure, this might provide you with an exceptional portal to assemble all the correct resources that may allow you to go forward with marketing a business. Examine as much informative factors which you could on the internet and then picture ideas on the best way to start off marketing a business.

One of the extremely fascinating aspects about marketing a business on this time may be the truth that you will need a plethora of understanding on the web. The primary issue is really sifting by means of this vast plethora of data as you'd anticipate. Contemplate obtaining as much data which you can and even believe of ideas on the best way to genuinely acquire individuals who've prevailed with marketing a business. This really is really something you must contemplate if you're seriously pondering marketing a business.

With a final note, make sure that when you have done all your analysis you comprehend for a truth that route you adopt could be the ideal choice. This might be less difficult in theory however it's something certainly need to be searched into from the several perspectives as you'd anticipate.

About the Author

The Author is a literary master and have written tons of books on love and romance. He is involved in all sorts of websites and niches. He loves to write so he writes everything on his websites. Check out his latest article about Good Stock To Invest In Today on his website. Yes, his website is all about Good Stock To Invest. See you there!

How to Navigate the Waters of Small Business Lending

The small business loan industry is teetering toward inaction with little to offer lenders or owners. According to the Federal Reserve, large U.S. banks are softening loan terms for small companies 10 percent more than mid-sized and large businesses. The Wall Street Journal also reported banks and lenders' difficulties in stirring the market for small-business lending.

Entrepreneurs across the board are in need of useful tips and trustworthy advice. Much of the process hinges on thorough preparation and a clear understanding of lender expectations. For businesses that don't meet prerequisites for traditional commercial loans, low-interest loans can be negotiated through some nonprofits and local and state development agencies. This avenue can be even more worthwhile than navigating the hoops of typical lenders.

No small business should be afraid to utilize the U.S. Small Business Administration. It's a valuable and informative resource with details about the loan process, contracting, government relations and more. The SBA is a reliable tool to obtain basic answers. By becoming well acquainted with the administration, small-business owners can research what lenders are going to ask. Some questions may vary, but the gist will be the same. This includes inquiries like what assets must be bought? Who are your suppliers? Do you have other business debt? Who are your creditors? Who are the members of your management team? What can you offer as collateral?

Create a checklist of all necessary documentation. Loan applications require a host of documents—personal/criminal background checks, resumes, business plans, business and personal credit reports, financial and bank statements, income tax returns and business licenses. Having all the proper paperwork in order speeds up the procedure and smoothes any logistical wrinkles.

Finally, it's imperative that small businesses keep immaculate records of all accounts payable, client billings and collections, loan details and year-end reporting for tax preparation. Firms, like On Call Accountants, provide accounting services, financial reporting and business consulting, so pertinent information is organized and readily accessible. They also collaborate with banks for loan packages. More information is available atwww.oncallaccountants.com.

For similar stories please visit www.newsusa.com or www.copyrightfreecontent.com

About the Author

NewsUSA has created and placed over 15,000 editorially sound newspaper, radio and online features that educate and inform consumers about finance, health, safety and travel as well as home and holiday topics.

Speaking Just About Business and Marketing

In nearly 100% from the cases, business can't survive with out proper marketing. So if you're searching for to the achievements of your venture you'll want to look and business and marketing in a really cohesive and comprehensive manner. Marketing could possibly be the collective of activities that tell the world about your business by which advertising plays a crucial role. Nonetheless the way you bring business and marketing together will to huge extent depend on the nature of your venture or enterprise. For example if you're seeking in a item or service that interest the masses you are seeking at an incredibly huge audience. The avenues readily offered for reaching this audience are each several and varied. Conventional advertising will finish up being high-priced until you might have established yourself nicely. Nonetheless by means of mobile and internet advertising you might get towards the far corners from the world for substantially low costs and make a following. When the item or service you propose on delivering is of the much more specialized nature, getting a smaller and merely identifiable nature, you might be better or tying your business and marketing up in a really far much more concerned campaign which is personalized and direct. Private selling would be a very good example here as is going to be direct marketing campaigns and targeted executions of advertising.

Branding will be the one other primary factor in relation to business and marketing. Individuals associate strongly with things they can recognize or correspond with also to do so you'll want to strongly have confidence in the power of branding and continue. In the color codes, on the speech, imagery on the psychology, every single item has a chafe effect on how individuals view your brand name and ultimately the merchandise or service you deliver under that brand name. Therefore branding is truly a critical aspect which should be looked at with detail in relation to business and marketing. This element is going to be further established and communicated from the respective promotional initiatives. The weather that want to be regarded as when seeking at business and marketing together therefore remains varied and complex. Along with the way you visualize it is dependent upon the context and also the resources accessible. Certain elements won't operate in certain markets and some could possibly have restrictions. In such instances it's achievable to take a take a look at precisely what the competitors are performing and precisely how they're faring whilst using models they're following with their business and marketing techniques. This can help you recognize what your game program ought to be and precisely how you need to react or act inside markets you operate. And due to the volatile and ever changing nature of business and marketing it'll usually be preferable to seek professional assistance as losing your way or creating mistakes might be to be expensive, not merely in monies lost but also with time lost.

About the Author

The Author is a literary master and have written tons of books on love and romance. He is involved in all sorts of websites and niches. He loves to write so he writes everything on his websites. Check out his latest article about Good Stock To Invest on his website. Yes, his website is all about Good Stock To Invest In Today. See you there!

Innovative Formula Equates to Business Success

When people see closed storefronts in the neighborhoods where they live and work, they're reminded that the toll this economy has taken on businesses affects their own lives. And yet some companies – faced with the same adverse headwinds – seem to rise to the challenge and go on to prosper as never before.

Why is that? And could there even be a lesson to be learned here if you're thinking of starting your own business as a result of either being unemployed or just plain fed up with your current job?

The "i-word" keeps popping up among experts as the answer to that question. "The whole engine that drives any economy is innovation," says Stephen Gnass, executive director of the National Congress of Inventor Organizations, a non-profit for inventors and inventor groups.

Take IBM, for example. It practically reinvented itself years ago – going from a stodgy seller of large, pricey computers to a global software and consulting giant – and just recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. And then there's the more under-the-radar case of New Jersey-based GAF.

North America's largest roofing and ventilation manufacturer is celebrating its own anniversary this year – 25 years longer in business than IBM, but who's counting? – and one way it got there was by coming up with unique answers to consumers' and businesses' desires to go green. In fact, it made quite a splash last summer when it teamed up with New York City's Department of Buildings to paint 1 million square feet of roofs white – GAF supplied the reflective paint for one of the many projects of the initiative, as well as materials and labor – as a way of cutting the city's energy costs.

To GAF's CEO, Bob Tafaro, that kind of nimbleness is key. "When you put customers first by ensuring that they get quality products and service, and when you keep your employees focused on innovation, you've got the formula for surviving long term and throughout even the toughest economic times."

The company's commitment to service and innovation has actually produced a number of "firsts," including: the first ready-to-lay asphalt roofing, the first to use color granules in roofing materials, and the first to offer a lifetime shingle warranty. And, oh yes, for those concerned about the outsourcing of American jobs, everything's made in America. For more information, visit www.GAF.com.

<iframe src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/button.js?url=http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/innovative-formula-equates-to-business-success/&&source=newsusaupdates&style=compact&b=2" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="90" height="20"></iframe>About the Author

NewsUSA has created and placed over 15,000 editorially sound newspaper, radio and online features that educate and inform consumers about finance, health, safety and travel as well as home and holiday topics.

What You Need To Know About Search Engine Optimization(SEO)

SEO is a process by which the visibility of a website or web page gets better through unpaid (organic or algorithmic) search results. This process is employed for the advertising of online business.

There are a several methods that an online marketer can employ to help lift the chances of appearing high up the returned results using such methods. One of the best ways to do this is with content rich, keyword specific, but relevant articles that viewers are engaged by. A form of creative writing in essence, it is important not to heavily populate these with the same keyword, but focus on different variations on a theme.

In SEO, keyword research is an important aspect because ultimately it is a form of marketing and the audience needs to be targeted well by having the right keywords on your website, those being the ones that match up with user's queries. There are many tools that help in carrying out keyword research. In this regard, linking important web pages with each other also tends to be effective.

SEO can in fact demonstrate amazing results to elevate your business. The entire process also provides a platform for individuals, corporate people and entrepreneurs to promote their products and services all over the web. In spite of the economic crisis to ensure that money making results are attained is the real essence of capitalization.

Selecting the right company to work with is important. There are a host of companies out there, many with excellent results. However, choosing one that specializes in your field is always a good idea, whilst heading down the consultancy route, to keep things in house a little is also another great positive.

SEO is the major factor to the success of small business owners in discovering the customers for their products and services. You require becoming prominent straight forwardly and quickly for visitors to turn them into prospects and then turn into clients. Without it you cannot be found easily by people who want open information.

The traffic driven to your site will also likely be far more relevant, reducing wasted leads and unfulfilled orders. This relevancy will in turn drive down your competitors again too. Provide a good service, get good results on review pages, and this process will repeat itself through no work of your own too!

An SEO campaign is not a one-off, far from it, it needs constant encouragement, support, refresh, and so forth. Other companies will use it too, so you need to monitor their results as much as your own, and respond accordingly. As with most things in the capital world, it takes a lot of hard work, effort and dedication. The results it achieves however will prove themselves more than valuable.

Though it is possible to create good results and leads without a professional in the field, far more elegant and effective solutions are available from experts. Again, it is like any other area of business, you go to who you know can get the job done. Doing the work yourself may seem cheaper, but all things considered, it certainly isn't going to be the cost effective route and, could well end up costing more with the leads that are lost.

About the Author

To get more information and facts one may take a look at: online marketing

Tips For Women In Business

Working in high places has become as common for women as for men in today's society. There are more women than ever in the high places of business and they are getting high pay and equal opportunities in many fields. However, there is still room for much improvement as women make their way through the business world with strides and colors and there are a number of tips on how to make success a guarantee for you as a woman in business.

For one thing, you can start with your fashion. What you wear in the work place makes a statement about your position and though it isn't the best thing in the world, can sometimes affect how other people see and judge you. So, if you wear dresses or things with low cut necks, men might consider you feminine and not treat you the same as they would their male partners. Thus, it is good to wear shirts and suit blazers with either pants that match or pencil skirts. These outfits are professional and can create the sensation of power for those who meet you. This statement will exude an outward confidence that will be essential for you in the business world, to making a personal statement even in the face of opposition from males that might not take you seriously.

Also, you want to be assertive and aggressive. No matter the situation, never stand back from what you believe in and make sure to take an assertive position on your perspectives. You can be sure that no matter what, you get heard and that your opinions are acted upon. This means being willing to compromise and hear out other people, but at the same time, don't allow anyone to cast your ideas out the window and never let them see the light of fruition.

It's important to try and approach the world of business from your position with a keen mind and the notion that there is an inherent level of unfairness present in the dynamics of the business world, but that you can rise above these differences with your brilliance and leadership skills to overtake the old fashioned compartments of an older age as you revamp it with your own power and influence. In fact, changes can start with you as you storm through the business world, a strong, confident woman who has the leadership abilities to command a business without any troubles or complications or feelings of being on an unequal footing.

With these tactics, you will be sure to make a wonderful impact upon the business world and you will able to do this by benefiting yourself and your career. You can make a stamp on the industry of your choice and do so with a belief that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. Women in business has become a wonderfully common and wide spread thing and the successes that are achieved by women today are reassurances that the changes have been for the best for all the people involved, making great impact upon the world.

About the Author

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br

List of BPO expectations

The nature of business process outsourcing or BPO is mostly evolving in lieu with customer relationships. It can be compared to having a virtual customer assistance desk, wherein all querries are dealt with at the soonest time possible. The tasks usually involve making client calls and receiving them as well. This is now referred to as inbound and outbound call transactions. This is a crucial aspect of any businesses that maintains that certain link between the clients and the business.

This need for speed customer assistance brought about the birth of the call center industry. This is composed of several agents that attend to customers' needs through voice technology. It can also involve answering querries through sending out emails. In both aspects, any call center agent is required to have a great typing accuracy.

There are two categories of querries, the domestic and international. Both of these categories can be answered through BPO technology. Though domestic agencies indeed have a greater demand, assigning the task offshore has been proven to work well. The noticeable increase in the employment rate in Asian coutries can prove that there is a great demand for this type of service.

Every year there are thousands of fresh graduates who are trying out to start their career path in this area. If truth be told, the benefits as well as other compensations provided within this industry is very appealing. But it should be noted that such advancements are not provided for the mere comfort of the agents. There are stressful working conditions and situations that should be anticipated.

Primarily, the working schedule is often irregular to the normal desk job. There are strict rules that should be followed to the dot to be able to pass the probationary stage. On the other hand, it seems easy enough since many people have been satisfied with their career flow. They even enjoy the improvement in their communication skills and knowledge.

It is important to know how to keep the customers satisfied. BPO agents are required to give their utmost performance during a client conversation. They should be able to tell if the other party is starting to feel annoyed with the lack of answers and impose initiative to keep them linked with the company.  

Customer service is full of expectations and demand. Each of us know this for a fact since we are all consumers and we would demand nothing less but the best of our purchases. It is important for the workforce in the BPO industry to work hard in imposing smart ideas and skills to complete a given issue.

About the Author

<a href="http://filipinosourcing.com/services">Filipino Sourcing</a> is an outsourcing solutions provider based in the Philippines dedicated to offer businesses and employers a variety of services, both full-time and part-time basis, from offshore staffing, project outsourcing to comprehensive and even large scale business operations.

The Passing of a Guide

Jim Rohn passed away last year. He was an inspiration to at least three generations of entrepreneurial minded people like you and me. My friend, Tom Hoobyar, gathered some of his statements of wisdom that are just too good to not pass on to you. Each one merits some significant thought and reflection.

 

-" Unless you change how you are, you'll always have what you've got.

 

- Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make

you a fortune.

 

- We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are.

 

- You must get good at one of two things; planting in the spring or

begging in the fall.

 

- When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you'll

find a way to get it.

 

- Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book.

 

- The great gift of the human imagination is that it has no limits or

ending.

 

- Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted to the person we

become.

 

- Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are.

 

- I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with

better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that's because escape is

easier than change.

 

- Never begin the day until it is finished on paper.

 

- We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or

desperation."

Thank you, Jim Rohn.

As this year winds down, make a point to consider these hard won understandings wrought from thousands of years of human endeavor.

It is time to consider and act on the future now so when it arrives, you'll like your present.

Best,

           Charley

 

Copyright 2010 Charles W Martin

Jim Rohn passed away last year. He was an inspiration to at least three generations of entrepreneurial minded people like you and me. My friend, Tom Hoobyar, gathered some of his statements of wisdom that are just too good to not pass on to you. Each one merits some significant thought and reflection.

 

-" Unless you change how you are, you'll always have what you've got.

 

- Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make

you a fortune.

 

- We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are.

 

- You must get good at one of two things; planting in the spring or

begging in the fall.

 

- When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you'll

find a way to get it.

 

- Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book.

 

- The great gift of the human imagination is that it has no limits or

ending.

 

- Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted to the person we

become.

 

- Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are.

 

- I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with

better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that's because escape is

easier than change.

 

- Never begin the day until it is finished on paper.

 

- We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or

desperation."

Thank you, Jim Rohn.

As this year winds down, make a point to consider these hard won understandings wrought from thousands of years of human endeavor.

It is time to consider and act on the future now so when it arrives, you'll like your present.

Best,

           Charley

 

Copyright 2010 Charles W Martin

 

Dr. Martin has been a coach and consultant to some of the best dentists in the U.S. and Canada.  He offers a variety of innovative solutions for the practicing dentist including private and group coaching.  To learn more about his unique solutions visit www.AffluentPracticeSystems.com or call 804-320-6800.  

About the Author

 

Dr. Martin has been a coach and consultant to some of the best dentists in the U.S. and Canada.  He offers a variety of innovative solutions for the practicing dentist including private and group coaching.  To learn more about his unique solutions visit www.AffluentPracticeSystems.com or call 804-320-6800.