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Articles from Young Kim | Selfgrowth.com
- Be Where Your Buyers Are - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2011 from Young KimOne of my clients, Anna, recently tried to sell her photographs at a concert that one of her friends held at a hotel. Anna's friend, Johnny has a small jazz band and was able to get his band booked for gig at the bar/lounge inside the hotel. Johnny also asked the hotel if they could have ...
Views: 1344(3 votes) - Confessions of a Snooze Addict - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2011 from Young KimI'll admit it. I am a recovering snooze addict. I was addicted to staying in bed, wrapped up in its warmth. But it was always temporary, and it was never enough. At first, I only hit the snooze button once. Next thing I knew, I was hitting that button at least ten times before getting out ...
Views: 1342(3 votes) - Half-Baked Ideas Are Better Than None - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Young KimI hate wasting food. Rather than allowing food to rot, I have to become an Iron Chef sometimes, and think of some way of salvaging the food. Sometimes I perform miracles, and sometimes my creations end up in the trash anyway. Regardless of how many times I've overcooked the fish, under baked ...
Views: 1336(3 votes) - Passion Fuels Success - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimWhen I was in college, I knew a guy - we'll call him Robert - who was obsessed with the Denver Broncos. That's all Robert ever talked about. Now, perhaps I think Robert was obsessed because I don't really follow sports, and perhaps he wasn't any more obsessed than any other Bronco ...
Views: 1335(4 votes) - 8 Ways to Support Your Local Creative Community - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimAlthough many communities support local businesses, supporting local art seems to be a different story. Our homes are filled with poster art of long dead artists, our furniture looks like it came out of a catalog, and our bookshelves are lined with celebrity authors. With our taste for art and ...
Views: 1328(3 votes) - The Restroom Test - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI walked into a big box office supply retailer the other day. It was possibly one of the dirtiest restrooms I’ve seen. It looked like a truck stop restroom. I decided to go to the restroom next door at a coffee shop. It was pristine. The cleanliness of a restroom tells me a lot about how a ...
Views: 1308(4 votes) - The Myth of Multitasking - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2011 from Young KimCan you honestly say you can text and drive well, or do you find yourself swerving off to the curb once and a while? How comfortable would you be if your dentist was tweeting while she was giving you a root canal? How do you think your kids feel when you're texting on your Crackberry during ...
Views: 1296(4 votes) - Don't Discount Your Value - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimTwyla runs a training business. One of her biggest pet peeves is when potential trainees ask for a discount. But one particular trainee sent her over the edge. The trainee asked if Twyla would be willing to train five people for free if the trainee gave Twyla a free training space. First of ...
Views: 1276(4 votes) - A Job Is a Gift - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2011 from Young KimOne day at my parents’ laundry mat/dry cleaners, my father saw a homeless man rummaging through our garbage dumpster looking for aluminum cans and glass bottles. For some inexplicable reason, my father asked the man to come into the dry cleaners, and to pick out some clothes from a box filled ...
Views: 1272(10 votes) - Some Customers Are Worth Losing - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIn "A Bronx Tale" (dir. Robert De Niro), the main character, Calogero, befriends a gangster, Sonny. Calogero and Sonny are driving around one day, and Calogero spots a guy who owes Calogero some money. Before young Calogero goes running off, the old and wise, Sonny, stops him. Turns out ...
Views: 1271(4 votes) - An Idea That Will Stick to the Roof of Your Mouth - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from Young KimIf you ever wanted to get into the food business, I think it’s important to check your knowledge of food history first: * Who invented the crop rotation method for farming? * Who invented of soy-based paints? * Who owns the patent on peanut butter? If you answered George ...
Views: 1265(8 votes) - An Argument for the 9 to 5 Lifestyle - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2011 from Young KimI think the “start-your-own-business” peddlers need to stop belittling the 9 to 5 lifestyle. Stop assuming that people aren’t living the life they were meant to have. Surely you guys can peddle your goods without making people feel like crap, right? Telling everyone they “must have their own ...
Views: 1255(6 votes) - Make Your Own Creative Class - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Young KimI have an associate who was a stand-up comedian for a little while. For right now, let’s call him Bill. Bill started out on open mic nights at a local comedy club, and then began touring as an opener for a headline comedian. Bill eventually stopped performing stand-up comedy for reasons I have ...
Views: 1255(3 votes) - By Any Means Necessary - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2011 from Young KimI come from a family that believes that if you can’t find a hammer, use a rock. If you can’t find a rock, use your shoe. Because my parents grew up poor, they believe in the idea of making do with what you have instead of complaining about what you don’t have. My entire family lives by this ...
Views: 1252(13 votes) - Creativity and Productivity Are Not Mutually Exclusive - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2011 from Young KimMany creative people struggle with time management and organization because many of them believe that constraints hinder the freedom to create. The opposite is actually true. Constraints can actually lead to productive creativity. To be creative means one is in the habit of creating. Being ...
Views: 1245(5 votes) - Learn-On-Demand - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI love books, and I love learning in a classroom setting, but with time and money being finite, I’d rather learn-on-demand. If I need figure out how to add a feature to my website, I just look it up in user groups. If I need a bit of trivia, I search for it on the Internet. If I need some good ...
Views: 1244(3 votes) - Get-Rich-Quick Business Virus - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2011 from Young KimMy brother and I were fascinated with get-rich-quick schemes when we were in high school. We decided to buy one particular get-rich-quick scheme we saw in an infomercial. The guy in the infomercial touted he had made millions by starting a business in his one bedroom apartment with classified ...
Views: 1243(3 votes) - Just Write - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Young KimAlex came to me for some coaching on writing. I asked him how often he wrote, and Alex said maybe once a week for only a few minutes. He also said he was writing less and less. I asked him about his writing process. Alex said that he tries to imagine a story from beginning to end in his mind ...
Views: 1236(2 votes) - Breakfast of Champions - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimEver wonder why breakfast is called breakfast? It's called breakfast because you're breaking a fast. Think about it. Unless you actually eat a fourth meal at midnight, when you wake up each morning, you haven't eaten in almost 12 hours. You've been fasting. Your morning meal is literally ...
Views: 1217(4 votes) - Just Five Ingredients - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimOne of my tango instructors once told me that there are basically five simple step to tango: forward, side, backwards, cross, and ochos. If you can do these five steps well, you can dance with anyone. I am by no means the best tango dancer, not even close. But I do know that many women have ...
Views: 1215(3 votes) - Taking Care of Yourself Just As Important as Taking Care of Business - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThere have been numerous studies that state that not sleeping in, or brushing your teeth twice a day, or making your bed every morning can add years to your life. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that these things also lead to a successful life. The kind of person that does these things ...
Views: 1210(3 votes) - Just One Ingredient Can Make a Big Difference - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimA few years ago, I discovered that I was about twenty pounds overweight. Being who I am, I researched everything there is about nutrition and fitness. Then I made the decision of eliminating one artificial ingredient from my diet: high fructose corn syrup. I didn't realize just how many foods ...
Views: 1208(3 votes) - Start Your Day the Night Before - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIt took me nearly thirty minutes to get ready for the gym this morning. Normally, I have all my clothes and gear ready the night before so that I can just grab them and go. It's a habit I learned from my girlfriend, who always lays her clothes out the night before. I forgot to do that so I ...
Views: 1199(4 votes) - Building a Business Around Lazy Idiots - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2011 from Young KimAlthough I know how to change the own oil in my car, cook my own meals, and process my own photographs, I’d rather have someone else do it. That’s right, I’m a lazy idiot. The businesses that provide these services are making money off of me, but I’m also gaining valuable time by delegating ...
Views: 1157(9 votes) - Informational Billboards vs. Sales Portals - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Young KimI've been consulting Twyla about her training business for quite some time. One of the first things that we talked about was converting her website from an informational billboard to a sales portal with automated business processing. An informational billboard only provides general ...
Views: 1142 - Saving Money Can Lead to Business Opportunities - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimWhen he was a teenager, my brother was a huge tennis freak, and he would have to get his racket restrung all the time. It started to cost a considerable amount of money. One day, while getting his tennis racket restrung, my brother asked the guy at the sporting goods store all sorts of ...
Views: 1134(9 votes) - Planning For Your Failure Guarantees Your Failure - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2011 from Young KimMany of us, without realizing it, are manifesting our own failures. We have this intention of pursuing our dreams, but then we also instantly think of a back up plan in case it doesn’t work out. The instant you come up with a back up plan, the instant you fall back to your back up plan, you ...
Views: 1128(3 votes) - Planning Creativity - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimSomehow, the idea of randomness and freedom got mingled with creativity and artistry. Conversely, somehow, planning has become enemy of creativity. In truth, one has very little to do with the other. Large-scale art project, for example, take a lot of planning, and a lot of resources. Most of ...
Views: 1116(4 votes) - The Zen of Cleaning the Pagoda - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2011 from Young KimOranges, and lions, and bakwas! "Oh my!" as George Tikei would say. It's Chinese Lunar New Year! Yes, it's that time of year when every member of the Chinese family has to get up and clean house. What? You don't know about this tradition? Yes, along with the loud fireworks, red envelops ...
Views: 1116(3 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1112(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1112(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1112(11 votes) - Solve the Right Problems - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2011 from Young KimTired of having to carry around a bottle of ink just to sign legal documents, W. B. Purvis invented the fountain pen. He didn’t shop around for a solution; he invented the solution. The solution was in the problem itself: the body of the pen became the vessel in which to carry the ink. In almost ...
Views: 1100(6 votes) - Boundaries a Necessity to Sustain Family Businesses - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimLilly and her boyfriend work together. It's really his business, and she's his marketing manager. One of the ways they are able to maintain a healthy relationship and run a successful business is because they establish clear boundaries. They try not to talk about work after-hours, especially ...
Views: 1099(4 votes) - Share Your Vision, Your Values, and Your Story with Your Customers - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Young KimIn a recent post, I talked about my client, Dale, who is in the craft business. We were on the discussion about his artist bio, and Dale told shared with me his apprehension about talking about himself sound self-important. My suggestion was to him was to focus on marketing himself and less on ...
Views: 1078(2 votes) - When Life Tangles Up, Just Tango On - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2011 from Young KimI’ll admit it: I know how to tango. I started years ago. I never performed, or competed. I didn’t do it to pick up on women. I just did it for fun. The dance itself is unpredictable considering there is no set pattern, and I have to keep switching partners since I didn’t have a permanent ...
Views: 1078(4 votes) - The Hidden Cost of Free Email - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2011 from Young KimWhen I attend networking events, I am always surprised by freelancers, and entrepreneurs that use a free email account – like Hotmail, or Yahoo, or one provided by an Internet Service Provider – rather than a vanity email with their own domain name. They have emails like ABC235LLCCorp@Gmail.com ...
Views: 1076(3 votes) - Don't Let the Recession Drive Your Prices Down - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2011 from Young KimIn a time of recession, there is a reluctant tendency to lower prices. Rather than targeting people who can’t afford your services, target the ones who can. Think of creative pricing strategies to keep your existing customers and to get new ones. Offer discounts to only your loyal repeat ...
Views: 1068(4 votes) - Never Too Young to Learn About Entrepreneurship - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2011 from Young KimMy first lesson in business did not come in a classroom. I received my first lesson in business from my father when I was just a kid. Back in the 80′s, our family bought our first computer. It was a portable computer that was the size of a small sewing machine, and had a five-inch monochrome ...
Views: 949(9 votes) - Your Niche is Bigger Than You Think - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2011 from Young KimThe word “niche” evokes visions of some guy only collecting comic books that have monkeys in them, or a blogger who only writes about staplers, or an online store that only sells crackers made in Colorado. Artists and entrepreneurs seem to think the word “niche” is synonymous with small, or ...
Views: 944(3 votes) - The Solution is in the Problem - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2011 from Young KimOne of my clients came to me with the goal of trying to get into the craft business. For now, let’s call him Dale. Like many entrepreneurial artists, Dale had a day job, and he was trying to build his craft business during his spare time. One of the first questions I asked him was whether he ...
Views: 938(6 votes) - The Entrepreneurial Mindset - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Young KimI make it a habit to try to come up with new business ideas all the time. I would come up with ideas while watching TV shows, or reading the newspaper, or while talking to a complete stranger. Whenever I walk into a business, I try to see how they operate, and examine their marketing. I then ...
Views: 930(5 votes) - The End of Call Centers - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2011 from Young KimIf your customers have to contact your call center to ask for help in using your website, or to find information on your website, you have failed in providing good customer service. If your customers have to pick up the phone after visiting your website, that counts as an unnecessary transfer, ...
Views: 929(3 votes) - Why New Year's Resolutions Fail - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Young KimIt's that time of year again where we make a list of things to accomplish in the upcoming year. And 365 days from now, most of us will fail at achieving most of those things on that list. The reason isn't because I'm a cynic. The reason is that most New Year's resolutions aren't resolutions ...
Views: 875(3 votes) - Workshops Generate Repeat Customers for Small Businesses - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2011 from Young KimI have a friend who runs a doggy daycare business. Every once and a while, he’ll run a doggy obedience boot camp for his existing clients. He encourages his clients to bring friends. Those friends sometimes turn into new clients for his doggy daycare business. And the cycle repeats. This is ...
Views: 853(3 votes) - Customer Loyalty and the Art of War - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2011 from Young KimMy father can’t stop thinking about business. It’s as if he believes that his business would collapse if he stopped crunching the numbers. To my father, there is no such thing as a part time entrepreneur. To my father, a casual relationship to his business doesn’t make sense to him. My father is ...
Views: 713(7 votes)