Business Consulting Articles

by: Geoff Ficke Almost every living individual is being effected adversely in some way by the international economic meltdown we are experiencing today. The genesis of this severe financial downtu is attributed to the United States government encouraging the expansion of homeownership to people who would have historically been deemed unworthy of obtaining credit.

While jogging recently along my usual path I was touched deeply by some treetops. Part of my route involves traversing a bridge that elevates to treetop level. On this particular day, the changing leaves, combined with the unusual vantage point, pried open thoughts of good endings.

One would think this would be pretty open and shut discussion but surprisingly there are a large number of different types of whiteboard erasers on the market. If size is an issue in terms of either your hand size and therefore grip or the intricacy of what it is you are trying to erase, then there is a wide range of differing sizes and shapes available to reach the smallest areas. In fact you can even find a whiteboard eraser glove to conform to your hand size and help out w

Sometimes amazing things happen during our travels, but if you don’t take the time to notice and get excited about it, you might miss it. On a recent trip, something amazing happened. It was a long day. Up at 4:00am to leave for a long day of flying and connecting flights, no problems, until baggage, where there was a bunch of people still standing around when everybody else seemed to have picked up their bags and left.

Over the last few years, almost all of us have heard a slew of buzzwords that describe the state of the real estate market. It was a bubble that burst. It was a meltdown. There were foreclosure mills and “robo-signers.” For all that, we lack a definitive explanation for the housing bust. Mortgage fraud may not tell the whole story when trouble strikes the real estate market, but it is almost always in the picture. Like the poor, fraud is always with us. In good times and bad, there is always someone willing to test the limits of the law.

In order to move into the “Now Moment” we must understand two things. The first thing is that we are not our minds. We are a spirit being created by God with a soul and a body. The mind is a tool to solve the situations that come up in this world. We tend to identify ourselves with our past. When we are thinking about the past or the future we are not honoring the Now Moment. If we attach fear to these thoughts we are projecting fear into our future. The only place we have access to God is in the now. That is evident by his name “I am that I am”. When we pray, we are in the now.

The process to sell a business is not a quick and easy matter. At the moment it is taking about 8 months to sell a business, if it sells. This means the business sits on the market for about 6 months before finally getting an offer from a buyer. Once the negotiations finish, due diligence commences and closes and escrow opens and closes we arrive at the 8 month period. And this applies if the business sells. Depending on which statistics you read, approximately 75% of businesses never sell.

by: Geoff Ficke In early 20th century America the vast majority of people living in rural areas eked out a living in agriculture. Farms were small, often sharecropped. The planting and harvesting was labor intensive and horses provided the only source of energy for mechanized tilling. The vagaries of weather and drought have always made farming difficult. Crops were mainly grown for consumption by the farmer’s family, with any extra produce bartered for needed goods. We are all aware of the history of Henry Ford and his invention of the production line to mass-produce Model-T’s.

When I transitioned from and employee to an Entrepreneur, I felt very uncomfortable to set a financial goal, as I was afraid of not reaching the goal. When I was an employee, I was mentally programmed to get paid for the hours I worked. However, that is not the case for an entrepreneur. As entrepreneurs, we get paid for results, solving problems and our creativity. This fact reinforced my fear of not achieving the goal. Over a period of time, I discovered that it is OK to set a financial goal, but constantly keep these two things in mind while pursuing your financial goal:r

The purpose of any organization is to enhance the value to all stakeholders. The stakeholders can be customers, employees, suppliers, financial institutions, Government, and statutory regulation bodies, and so forth Even though the value expectations of each stakeholder are different, it can be met only when the business is creating SURPLUS in the form of PROFIT. The central challenge for business is to generate profit in a sustainable manner irrespective of outside factors like competition, macroeconomic condition, supply demand balance etc.r

Everyone loves a good quote because they come in handy when we are communicating, whether it be orally or written. But many of us always stick to the same quotes. And, there are times when the popular quotes are the best ones, but as a practice, whenever you read, look out for phrases that resonate with you, record them for later use, and in no time you will have a list of quotes that are different. I conduct many interviews and I am often looking for phrases that strike a chord with me.

I’ve been hearing rumors that telesummits are dying, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The model is changing, but there’s never been a better way to boost your list building than hosting a telesummit.

Patent numbers are issued sequentially, beginning with the number one. Patent number one was issued to Samuel Hopkins on July 31, 1790. It took 75 years for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to issue patent number 1,000,000. Patent number 7,000,000 was issued February 14, 2006. It took only seven years for the USPTO to move from issuance of patent number 6,000,000 to 7,000,000. What does this mean? Simply, there is more creativity now that at any time in history. The old saw that “there is nothing new” is completely wrong.

Here’s a Banana For Your Baby… (your business) One of the most difficult parts of serving entrepreneurial leaders is telling them a part or their entire baby (their business) is ugly. Some self proposed consulting experts say; “focus on the positives, build on successes” and not to risk their monthly retainers.

For any number of reasons, small business entrepreneurs look for an investment opportunity to make it in their own business venture as opposed to having one or more income streams from salaried positions in the workforce. Most likely have to borrow to finance not only start up and initial fees costs, but also to cover working capital requirements for some time. Those new to self employment know they need a proven business model. Friends may have suggested network marketing options, and yet the very public front of a successful franchise system is more attractive.

by: Geoff Ficke The Pioneer of Personal Success Literature Should Be Required Reading for Today’s Leaders

Those darn treetops are at it again! Anyone who has taken the time to read a recent piece entitled “On Treetops” knows what I am alluding to. At a point along my daily jogging path, regally stand a dozen or so trees as silent witnesses to my labor. But are they really silent? You will recall, if you read the previous work, that at this particular place on my chosen path only the tops of the trees are visible. Most of the trunks, lower branches, and roots are obscured by a bridge but, to return to the question, are the trees silent?

NBA 2K12 Chats platforms for several games. It comes with features that facilitate games with cheat codes. These games are the ones available on the Nintendo Wii game console. These cheats are a continuation of a basketball tradition. They bring players close to the gaming court. As such, players are able to feel hardwood beneath the shoes they have on while playing. They are also able to play with Michael Jordan and other stars. NBA legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bi

by: Geoff Ficke The Simple Mundane Product Invention that Changed a Sport and Created a Fortune When I was a young boy growing up in Kentucky almost every town of any size had a drug store, a dry goods store, a grocer, a gas station and a billiards parlor. At any time of the day local men and boys could be found whiling away the hours just hanging out, playing or watching games of pool played in the gray, poorly lit, smoky halls that held a few well-wo billiard tables.

Ever try to complete a jigsaw puzzle without a picture of the finished product? Then you’ve got a good idea how tough it is to create a strategic plan when you don’t know where your business is headed. To many business owners, strategic planning is an intimidating process. At first glance, it ...

Upfront consulting Orange county SEO specializes in the field of SEO (search engine optimization) and provides the best possible services for their clients. The company with its professional and highly motivated staff makes it possible for every client to improve their business using SEO Orange County services. Coming to the point where SEO and its technical aspects should be discussed in order to make the clients understand how it works and can improve the quantum of transa

I have always tried to teach my children the difference between needing and wanting a product. This is a value judgement that applies to every human, many times in surprisingly differing ways. People born to great wealth view need far differently than those of us born to the lower classes. I might need an efficient baby stroller for my grandchild, while a Beverly Hills grandpa needs a Bugaboo (the Danish stroller that can sell for well over $1000). Both do the same job, I need a stroller that safely holds and transports my grandchild for about $130.

Pasta Primavera is a combination of any type of pasta, spaghetti, tubetti, bow ties, penne (the list goes on and on), and vegetables. This recipe may be adapted to suit your tastes and you may alter it according to the produce in season. Variety is what makes this dish so popular. Check your refrigerator and see what vegetables you have on hand: carrots, red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, green onions, and even leftover cooked vegetables. Choose the vegetables that you think would go well together and create your own version of this classic dish.

If you have read it, it is worth reading again and making notes. If you have not read it, you will be well served by reading it. The book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill is readily available on line. It is priceless. I am writing formula “Six Ways To Turn Desires Into Gold” as a reminder for myself. I hope you benefit from this formula.

Orange county seo experts are one of the leading experts of the world in providing Google map seo services a service that is much more important now a day’s than ever before .Although there are lot of variation in opinion of experts about the reason for this but to most of the seo experts believe that the reason for this is the increasing trend of people towards the localized market in case they need any services. Upfront consults are one of those leading orange county seo ex

You are looking in that cognate crisis which culpability discharge you expositive capital. SEO keywords content is the main cardinal of unlocking the treasure of thus teeming secrets related to SEO Orange County aspiration. To wind up their zero they are taking help of SEO Orange realm services besides companies. A large insert of firm and SEO Orange suzerainty camper have large database of employers again employees besides according to the requirements, enjoyment is make-bel

by: Geoff Ficke What Is 3-F Funding and Why Do Entrepreneurs Need to Understand the Vetting Process for Securing Funding? Many years ago, when I was a young, ambitious, aspiring entrepreneur I was imbued with the conceit that venture capitalists, investment banks or angel investors would fall over themselves to invest in my first project. I was passionate about my product. I quickly discovered that investors were decidedly not.

The art of Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway), developed over 3,000 years ago in China, promotes harmony and positive energy flow. "Feng" and “shui” means "wind" and "water" respectively. The ancient Chinese associated the relationship of wind and water with good harvest and good living, this positive energy exchange is known as ‘chi.’nnCan ‘chi’ exist within our websites? Yes!nnWhile there is no way of covering a 3,000 year old theory within this article, I will t

Problem Solving 101 There are four steps in the creative problem solving process. Any professional can use the process outlined below to problem solve better and faster. - Preparation - Incubation - Illumination - Verification/Implementation Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process Stage I: Preparation (Research/Gather ideas) - Describe a challenge or problem that you’re having. Writing down the problem makes it more concrete for you.

Data capture, like any other process is a necessary evil that must be alone. The reason is necessary because it helps improve your company data, surveys, feedback forms, and many other documents to understand. The reason is that it is bad when done by hand; data capture is time-consuming and very annoying. So the next thought on the process of outsourcing. However, you have some doubts about that is completely natural, maybe after you all the information that is valuable and

by: Geoff Ficke Consumer Product Market Penetration is Much Easier If Exclusivity Is Key to the Lines Branding Strategy Recently I had the opportunity to visit and work several Trade Shows while on an extended business trip through Europe. One was a huge Beauty Product expo in Italy, another a jewelry fair in Switzerland, and a Gourmet Food Show in England completed the itinerary. Each of the venues would be considered apex convocations within their industry space. Each offered a range of products touching many price points.

You might be aware of the new trend in seo that is Google map seo we may not say it as new but over the period of time it’s significance has increased to much this is why upfront consultant orange county seo Experts equally rely on using this technique of Google maps seo because there is an increasing trend of using the service of Google map in customers, as they tend to rely more in using and finding local business because they feel it more secure to take the advantages of t

“an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer” – Webster’s Dictionary, definition of “marketing” “to give up property to another for money or other valuable consideration” Webster’s Dictionary, definition of “selling” Many new entrepreneurs do not understand the difference between selling and marketing. In mature businesses, sales and marketing departments often are competitive with each other. The marketing department creates advertising, sales promotion, sales collateral, display and branding strategies applicable to a product.

Are you an asset or a cost to your employer? How valuable and indispensable are you? And, are you recession-proof? Professionals who expect to progress within corporate environments today have to be able to stand apart from their peers. One of the ways to stand apart from the crowd is to develop your mind by learning continuously, investing in professional development. Knowledge is indeed currency, only if you use it to make yourself invaluable.

In order for a Christian seeking their assignment (purpose) in life, the “WHO” they are must be received before the “WHY” they exist or “HOW” they can achieve can ever be touched on. The Body of Christ for the most part has forgotten who they are. We have an “identity crisis” as a people. We really don’t believe what the word of God says about us because we are forming the opinions of ourselves based on what a Pastor, Priest, Elder, fellow Christian, parent or teacher has told us.

Even though it was two years ago, I can still remember the conversation like it was yesterday. My friend, Janet, called me in hysterics the night of her company holiday party. Earlier that evening she was mingling with many co-workers. As the night went on, she found herself deep in a conversation with one of her male co-workers. And before she knew it, she was being hit on harder than a hammer to a nail. And not only did this “prince charming” know she was married, he was married as well! Well, over the next year, the situation got so bad that she eventually left the company.

April 9, 2012 Falls Church, Va. — Employers are increasingly being held accountable for their discrimination against employees. A significant number of claims filed with EEOC include job discrimination. For example, 37% of claims include race discrimination and 30% include sex discrimination. "When it comes to employment law," says Business Management Daily's Senior Web Editor Elizabeth Hall, "it's always easier—and less expensive—to learn from other employers' mistakes rat

I have often written and referred to the difference between convergent and divergent products. Convergent products are simple design improvements on existing models already being marketed. The push button radio, the car radio or a clock radio are examples of convergent products. These examples simply add features to the divergent “alpha” invention of the radio. The invention of the radio was truly a monumental breakthrough divergent product. It was revolutionary and totally new. Most new product introductions are simple line extensions, or convergent products.

by: Geoff Ficke The Classic Toy “Mr. Potato Head” Would Neverr Become a Success in Today’s Overprotective Society In the late 1940’s a Brooklyn-based inventor named George Lerner began to attempt to license a toy concept he had developed. The idea was to take pieces of fruit and vegetables and dress them with human facial features made from tiny plastic parts. The goal was to enable kids to create funny faces on their veggies.

Mobile taxi companies have undergone a tremendous growth in the short span of time making it a profitable business opportunity for many. If you're an entrepreneur looking to cash in, deciding on starting a cab business is just the first step. The one thing any taxi business cannot do without are the drivers. Uber, the king of taxi companies, have made a mark with professional drivers who ensure safety. How Do You Woo In the Right Drivers? To expand your taxi business paramet

An expert negotiator once told me, "Great negotiation skills come from conscious preparation and practice." While this is a fairly well-known fact, that advice came to me at the tender age of twelve from my grandfather who successfully ran his retail store for three decades. For a long time I believed I knew everything I needed to know about negotiation. A year ago, however, in a business meeting with a graduate of a negotiation seminar in Denver , I realized that negotiation

The main requirement in picking supplies for your kitchen outdoors is the fact that it could stand the weather since the gear will absolutely be exposed to cold temperatures, water, and sunlight. You'll be able to opt for weatherproof materials like stucco, tile, stone, slate, stainless steel, and teak. The surrounding area of the grill must be produced from materials which can withstand sparks and high heat. The supplies should be strong enough to accommodate the complete se

Aramark illustrates some of the benefits of outsourcing, but not all organizations have experienced the same. When organizations outsource, they must deal with the uncertainty of costs involved and the availability of outsourcing providers. Then they must face a possible loss of control within their company and their employees’ concerns regarding job security. Finally, most organizations stress over the possible difficulty reversing their decision at a later date and th

Co-sourcing is an alternative or a resistance to outsourcing. It gives you the ability to take on existing teams and is based on a partnership approach. You will be able to retain the existing skills of your department and in addition have the ability to consolidate and optimally utilise them. When you use such an approach, you will keep your Finance Head happy as the reduction of your headcount will automatically reduce costs and your shareholder is also happy as there is in

“Why do I keep on making the same mistakes over and over again? You’d think I would have learned by now,” you say to yourself. And, when you read Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, you find yourself laughing, not because the poem is funny. You are laughing at yourself because you feel a connection to Portia Nelson's words. She is speaking your words. Autobiography in Five Short Chapters Chapter 1

These days there is a changing trend in the customers behavior that they are looking for some localized business which means that they prefer to do business or like to purchase things which are near to them or are located in there region so for this purpose Google maps seo is the most common place where one can find the type of product they are looking for. For this purpose Google maps seo is the best technique for capturing the business in this way as well because as I state

There are five critical areas an SBA lender considers in detail when deciding whether to underwrite an SBA loan. These five areas are Cash-flow, collateral, credit, management experience and liquidity. If you plan to apply for an SBA loan make sure you consider each of these areas. You don’t need to be perfect in all these areas but if you are weak in one area you will need to be so much stronger in another. Let’s have a look at each of these in a little more detail. 1. Cash-Flow This is one of the most important areas.

If you intend to write or make such reliable and effective software requirements specification, you need to educate yourselves with the latest trends on how to make it innovative and efficient. Addressing the needs of the users as well as the demands of technology shall never compromise quality of work and output. One great way to go is to learn what you should do and how to make it appear clear, concise and objective. There are many things that you have to consider in prepar

by: Geoff Ficke One Mans Junk Creates Another Mans Fortune - Similar Opportunities Exist Almost Everywhere for the Ambitious In 1989 a Canadian college dropout named Brian Scudamore stopped at a McDonalds to grab a cheeseburger. While waiting for his food order he noticed a dented, beat up old pick-up truck inching though the parking lot. The bed of the vehicle was loaded with assorted junk. The doors of the battered, rusting vehicle were ado ed with a hand painted sign that proclaimed that the owner hauled junk for a fee.

by: Geoff Ficke Weave a “Freemium” Business Model Element Into Yourr Consumer Product Marketing Strategy