Seeking NEW IDEAS –         A business has three main functions, innovation, marketing, and profit. Innovation is a gamble – but so is standing still.         Aim to go where you have never been before to collect new ideas to stimulate productivity or to solve problems.         Try workshop exercises to generate new ideas.        …

Set up Your Own Business –          Most big businesses started small. They met a need and gave a better service than others.          To set up your own  business you need a competitive advantage – you need a product or a service that is different, cheaper or better quality than your competitors.  “What’s in…

Improve Your BUSINESS – A strategic plan should start by asking “What is the real purpose of this organization. What are we trying to achieve?”         When you have a clear understanding of the situation and a good rapport with your staff, you will be ready to draft a workable plan. (These steps apply to…

Training great TEAMS –         To build strong teams every effort should be made to constantly improve all activities – all the time.         Sound training is the catalyst to a successful business.         Managers and people leaders must have a strong coaching role to develop stronger teams and to help people reach their full…

Getting a LOAN –         Many new businesses fail because they are under-capitalized. It’s usually easier to borrow money when you start up a new business than when things start going wrong.         Before you start to make your presentation to a bank, or a lending institution, think about the needs of the lender.        …

Increasing  PRODUCTION –         Managers must be concerned with tomorrow. They must not live in the past but must plan for the future – today!         All businesses should make an adequate profit and live within their budget.         Their success depends on the quality and the number of their products and services and their…

Beat the COMPETITION –         Hard-nosed competition is the best assurance of a healthy business. Appreciate them, they are your stimulus for change.         Aim to exceed your rivals in all facets of activity such as quality, price, speed, and servicing.         Competition is a good thing it will force you to do your best.…

Gain more CUSTOMERS – If you don’t take care of your customers someone else will.         It takes weeks to find a good customer – seconds to lose one.         Today businesses concentrate more on training employees to improve their performance,  rather than to train them to improve customer services.          It’s your customers who…

Your CAREER  – “What you  want to be is more important than what you are.”          There is nothing like a dream to help you plan your future.          Dream what you dare to dream. Go where you want to go. Be what you what to be.              New jobs go to those who…

INNOVATION – Innovation is the fuel for business survival.        Innovation thrives on encouragement and dies with routine, regulations, and bureaucracy.        New ideas rarely germinate with people who are scared of making mistakes.        With cooperative management, enthusiastic workers, and an environment for free-thinking and innovation, companies can survive and thrive. A Handful of…