How can business seminars benefit an enterprise?
There is a pressing need to engage in continuous learning to stay and succeed in business and business seminars are most useful to remain and thrive in a highly competitive and rapidly changing business world. The benefits an enterprise derives through business seminars are multifarious.
Business seminars can introduce you to the entire business planning processes and provide you skills to self-assess your personal, managerial, technical and financial skills to successfully run your business. You can learn about how to plan your work and work your plan. You can get to know from the panelists, the legal and statutory requirements and identify sources of obtaining business loans.
During business seminars, you could learn more about all the aspects of business from leading entrepreneurs and business gurus. The speakers are chosen for their expertise and these business experts are ready to share their business secrets with you. You can better understand the need for budgeting, financial operations, cash-flow, inventory holding, banking regulations, account receivables, costing, and material management. You can realize the importance of human resources, talent hunt, recruitment, retention of right employees, exit-interviews, labour and industrial disputes laws, employee insurance.
You can update your knowledge regarding latest technologies, innovative designs, vendor development, production schedules, plant and machinery. You can acquaint yourself with the marketing concepts, assess your market potential and evolve suitable strategies to ward off competition, project sales and expenses. You could learn from other participants how they started and established their own businesses successfully.
Seminars generally cover a variety of topics that are useful to existing businessmen as also to as well as those considering establishing a business of their own.
Profitability and growth are difficult to maintain for businesses of any size and business seminars can help you save many problems and get the desired results. The organizers of business seminars will aim to transfer to you the same skills, techniques and other winning ways adopted by the successful businessmen.
Successful men did not do different things, they only did things differently!
Existing customers are valuable
Many organizations always look for new customers to purchase their products. They neglect to maintain their existing customer base. Existing customers are of real value to an organization as they provide a sound customer base and when there is strong loyalty from existing customers, new customers simply walk in!
What is special about existing customers? Well, they are pretty much aware of your product or services and how you function. They know your policies. Take for example, a clothes store, existing customers go into the store and just pick up what they like because what they purchased earlier suited them and they were happy with their earlier purchase. You don’t need an ad to make them walk over to the store. This is very unlikely with new customers.
When you take steps to understand the profitability of your existing customer base, you can identify the behavioural and lifestyle aspects of potential new customers. This will help you to correctly focus your marketing strategies on which prospects can bring in the most business to you. For example if your business is catering to the upper class section and you want to cater to the next strata here, you can predict their behaviour and requirements from your existing customer base.
What all this concludes to is that your existing customers are a valuable source of information to you on how well your business is doing and how well it is catering to customers’ needs and requirements. One thing about existing customers is that they will not tolerate decline in quality. If your existing customer base starts declining, it is a direct reflection of your product or service quality having gone amiss.
Taking control of your team, time and money
One of the most important aspects of running a business successfully is managing the resources. Resources include the people who help you run the business, in other words your employees as well as the tools and mechanisms you us to manufacture your products or provide services to people. Many a time when a business is not performing well, the problem can be traced back to lack of proper control of people, inefficient time management and unnecessary expenses.
One of the best ways to understand how to gain control of your team, time and money is to take the services of a business coach. A business coach is someone who works with you on a personal and professional level to help you find out what is necessary to get your business to where it is supposed to go and make the profits you expect it to make.
If your team lacks the necessary skills to manage work efficiently, you will need to train them to do their tasks better, else you would have to employ people with better skill sets. Identifying what these skills sets are or putting down a training procedure so that you can train your existing employees to work better are issues that a business coach can help you with.
Time management skills are something that most people often learn by making mistakes. This is where a business coach can give sound advice. Your business coach will sit down with you to chart out those activities that you need to concentrate on, so that you won’t waste time on unnecessary issues that do not need your constant attention. You will find yourself doing things in a more organized way that will help you to keep to schedules and make yourself free to spend time with your family and friends.
Money management is required for a business to maintain the right level of cash flow to pay for the expenses and to run the business. If you manage your time and resources well, and use the right marketing strategies you will be able to run a profitable business. However, receiving money from profits alone is not enough as it needs to be managed correctly to avoid mismanagement of funds or improper balances. Your business coach can guide you on areas where you can cut unnecessary expenses and help you to gain better perspective on how your money should be spent.
The role of a business coach
In today's modern world, the owners of small to medium sized businesses find it hard enough to keep pace with all the changes and innovations going on, let alone to find the time to devote to sales, marketing, systems, planning and team management, and then to run their businesses as well!
As the world of business moves faster and becomes more competitive, having a Business Coach is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity. Business coaches are trained not only to show you how to increase your business revenues and profits but also how to develop your business so that you as the owner can work less and relax more.
The role of the Business Coach is to coach business owners to improve their business through guidance, support and encouragement. They help the owners of small and medium sized businesses with their sales, marketing, management, team building and so much more. Just like a sporting coach, your Business Coach will make you focus on the game.
3:01 AM | |
Robot Overlords - Don’t be afraid of the Robots 
Robot Overlords - Don't be afraid of the Robots was uploaded by: defwheezer
Duration: 132
Rating: 
Robots Will Rule the World soon, of course- so why not watch it happen in real time on Hack Virtual TV?In this clip we expose robots already running amoke in both military and civilian applications. A whole new meaning to the term “Extension of Power”… over the masses.
Electric Six provides the backing track with their soothing “don’t be afriad of the robots”- and of course D3fwh33z3r kickz it!
Here is a nice ‘artists impression’ of what the future of robotics will bring. Perhaps a tad raw. Personally, I like my future well done.
Beach Walk 725R - Deeply, Oddly, True
Revisit the power and spirit of Laird Hamilton. iPod | 4:17 | To Embed or Email: click above
Originally shared as Beach Walk 573.
We watched an episode of The Iconoclasts last night with surfer Laird Hamilton and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Both are celebrities of course, and they also are living their true natures, deeply and truly. What if permission isn't required to be yourself? What if the part of us we think is the broken or odd part is actually the truest part? Food for thought for Monday.
Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel
Buy Series 2 on iTunes
Laird's Book "Force of Nature"
Hawaiian Word:
Pau'aka: odd (Hawaiian as well as English has many negative connotations for the concept of odd.)
Beach Walk 728 - Winter Lumiere
An unscripted minute on the beach in winter; sweet, silver, serene. iPod | 1:06 | To Embed or Email: click above
Lumiere is a film tradition involving a fixed camera, no editing whatsoever, and typically even no sound. I left the sound in though as I love hearing the waves. Scroll down to the bottom of any page to see a list of all the categories. I love this style especially at the beach - somehow the magic of a minute can capture the serenity, the solitude, the vastness of the ocean, the playfulness of children - all without any words or planning at all.
I am practicing getting out of the way, and letting grace happen. Even Lexi stayed off camera for all but a few frames. 
Hawaiian words
Hoʻoilo: winter
Subscribe in iTunes so you won't miss a single episode! Try it - it's easy. Please leave a comment for us while you're there!
Call the Conch line via skype:roxannedarling or 1-949-544-1456.
Our wonderful theme music is from Kaimoku: The Ukulele Experiment.
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3:01 AM | |
Finding Time with Blog Talk Radio and Some Quick Computer Basics
I hope you’re finding time for a wonderful Cyber Monday! It was a beautiful, spring-like weekend here in New Hampshire, capped (for me) by an interview last night with Connie Ragen Green on her Blog Talk Radio show. You can listen to it here, if you like! We explored the topic of finding time to [...]
I hope you’re finding time for a wonderful Cyber Monday! It was a beautiful, spring-like weekend here in New Hampshire, capped (for me) by an interview last night with Connie Ragen Green on her Blog Talk Radio show. You can listen to it here, if you like! We explored the topic of finding time to create an on-line business while working full time.
The interview with Connie was a fascinating experience, and if you don’t know about it already, Blog Talk radio is both a powerful tool and a great source of information in lots of different areas. Here’s the Blog Talk Radio homepage - where you can sign up for a free account, create a radio show, and search for particular shows, subject areas, or experts that interest you. I recommend that you take some time to explore Blog Talk Radio! I am certainly looking forward to working more with this great online resource!
Stuck - This Can Happen to Me Too
Last week in a Success Circle coaching club call I shared the vision secrets I used to break through to 7-figures last year. On that call I taught my club members what I do if my vision seems to be stalled out. One member laughed and when I asked her why she said, “It’s nice to [...]
Last week in a Success Circle coaching club call I shared the vision secrets I used to break through to 7-figures last year.
On that call I taught my club members what I do if my vision seems to be stalled out. One member laughed and when I asked her why she said, “It’s nice to know that even YOU get stuck too!” I broke out in laughter right along with her.
Because the truth is, I’m no different than you are. I too, feel emotions that can momentarily take me off my path.
What Role does Public Speaking and Presentation Skills and Confidence in Front of an Audience Play in Someone Being a Confident Leader?
Best Selling author, Dr. Larina Kase tells us how to become confident leaders during her The Confident Leader: How the Most Successful People Go from Effective to Exceptional Book Tour. Here is an excerpt from her Confident Leader Interview. What Role does Public Speaking and Presentation Skills and Confidence in Front of an Audience Play in [...]
Best Selling author, Dr. Larina Kase tells us how to become confident leaders during her The Confident Leader: How the Most Successful People Go from Effective to Exceptional Book Tour. Here is an excerpt from her Confident Leader Interview.
What Role does Public Speaking and Presentation Skills and Confidence in Front of an Audience Play in Someone Beging a Confident Leader?
Communication skills are crucial for Confident Leadership. Formal presentation skills (speaking before an audience) are critical, as is the ability to think on your feet and spontaneously answer questions and make decisions, and the ability to have casual conversations where you connect to others.
Are You Dressing with Intention?
A good friend of mine, Evana Maggiore, author of Fashion Feng Shui, talks about women entrepreneurs dressing with intention. She suggests that you need to know your “essential energy” - your authentic natural style - and then identify what is your “intentional energy” - what is the intention you want to communicate, . This came to [...]
A good friend of mine, Evana Maggiore, author of Fashion Feng Shui, talks about women entrepreneurs dressing with intention. She suggests that you need to know your “essential energy” - your authentic natural style - and then identify what is your “intentional energy” - what is the intention you want to communicate, .
This came to mind recently when it snowed in Atlanta. Yes snowed - for ONE whole day we made snowmen! I was all snuggled inside reading my People magazine -oops! Yes, I confess I really enjoy my “who’s who” and “who’s wearing what!” I was reading the issue with Michelle Obama and it struck me that while most of the country was having a winter snow storm there she was on the cover in a beautiful pink summer-like dress. Isn’t it still winter in Washington, I thought? We’re talking “no-sleeves” tank style. (I know you men are like…what is the relevant point here? Bear with me…)
Are You Paving Cow Paths or Creating Super Highways?
I’ve noticed a trend with my clients: they’re either struggling to make low 6 figures (say up to $200,000) or they’re at the million dollar mark and beyond. Why the marked difference in revenue? In focusing on the struggling 6-figure entrepreneur, the answers are as simple as they are complex: Many are “stuck” in the $50,000 - $80,000 [...]
I’ve noticed a trend with my clients: they’re either struggling to make low 6 figures (say up to $200,000) or they’re at the million dollar mark and beyond.
Why the marked difference in revenue?
In focusing on the struggling 6-figure entrepreneur, the answers are as simple as they are complex:
- Many are “stuck” in the $50,000 - $80,000 revenue range – after all, this is what they previously thought was a “good” income from a, dare I say it, J O B and so is what they’re comfortable with
- Most haven’t yet learned how to leverage themselves and so are trying to do it all themselves without benefit of a strong infrastructure
Happy Christkwanzmakah! Holiday Celebration for Mixed Religion Families
Mixed religion marriages can face difficult questions during the holidays about how best to celebrate religious practices while respecting each other’s beliefs. So many religious holiday celebrations often overlap - this year Christmas and Hanukkah overlapped as did Kwanzaa and Muharram, the Islamic New Year. Negotiating plans for holiday celebrations is something each family needs to [...]
Hanukkah Christmas Ornament - Perfect Solution for Mixed Religion Marriages
Mixed religion marriages can face difficult questions during the holidays about how best to celebrate religious practices while respecting each other’s beliefs. So many religious holiday celebrations often overlap - this year Christmas and Hanukkah overlapped as did Kwanzaa and Muharram, the Islamic New Year.
Negotiating plans for holiday celebrations is something each family needs to work out for themselves, but for one of Kyle Design’s customers, the solution is “Christkwanzmakkah“, a name that encompasses all the holidays in which their family members participate.
Christians and Muslims Can Celebrate Holidays Together with this Islamic Star Christmas Ornament
What a wonderful approach! As our customer explained it, rather than referring only to one event during their religious holiday planning, implying it is the somehow the most important or real or true, this family came up with this special name “Christkwanzmakkah” that lets friends and extended family members know that, in their case, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all being actively celebrated with equal importance.
Truly, a beautiful solution that reflects the best sentiments of the season!
Gold and Red Stain Glass Kwanzaa Night Light Reflects the 7 Symbols
At Kyle Design, we create holiday decorations and gifts that reflect many faiths, and allow you to customize each with the colors that best reflect your holiday spirit. Each of our beaded ornaments can be engraved on the back with a season’s greeting, name, year or other message. They are a special way to mark events and milestones, births and deaths, anniversaries and important birthdays, during the holidays or throughout the year.
To see more of our unique solutions for mixed religion families, please visit Kyle Design where you’ll find unusual Night Lights, Holiday Ornaments, and so much more for families of all faiths.
Technorati: Christmas ornaments, unique gifts, religion, religious gifts, Christmas tree ornaments, holiday ornaments, mixed religion families, mixed faith families, engraved ornaments, ornaments, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, Chanukah, Muharram, Christian Gifts, Islamic Gifts, Jewish Gifts, Christmas Gifts, Christmas Presents, Design, Kyle Design, Kyle Designs, Muslims, Jews, Christians, night lights, nite lites, stain glass, stained glass, holidays, Islamic New Year, 2008, Christkwanzmakkah, Jewish Holidays, Gift Engraving, Engraved Gifts, The Holidays, Holiday Solutions,
2:48 AM | |
Axis Gelar Promo Miliaran Rupiah
Operator selular GSM Axis menggelar program Isi Ulang Pulsa dan Menang!. Program ini menawarkan total hadiah miliaran rupiah. Pelanggan harus melakukan isi ulang pulsa dan dapat memenangkan hadiahnya. ”Program Isi Ulang Pulsa dan Menang! Axis adalah program terbaru untuk pelanggan yang memberikan manfaat dan hadiah menarik, dari yang ditawarkan pasar saat ini,” ujar Chief Marketing Officer [...]
Operator selular GSM Axis menggelar program Isi Ulang Pulsa dan Menang!. Program ini menawarkan total hadiah miliaran rupiah. Pelanggan harus melakukan isi ulang pulsa dan dapat memenangkan hadiahnya.
”Program Isi Ulang Pulsa dan Menang! Axis adalah program terbaru untuk pelanggan yang memberikan manfaat dan hadiah menarik, dari yang ditawarkan pasar saat ini,” ujar Chief Marketing Officer Axis Johan Buse di Jakarta.
Semua pelanggan Axis akan langsung mendapat bonus isi ulang pulsa hingga 100%, tergantung dari nilai isi ulang. Di samping itu, pelanggan juga berkesempatan memenangkan total hadiah undian senilai miliaran rupiah.
Hadiah berupa handphone, modem AKSES Axis dan ribuan voucher isi ulang pulsa dapat diperoleh dengan isi ulang pulsa minimum Rp 1.000 selama masa promosi berlangsung.
Pelanggan Axis juga mendapat satu poin untuk setiap isi ulang pulsa senilai Rp 1.000 dan kelipatannya yang dapat diakumulasikan. Poin-poin yang sudah dikumpulkan akan diundi di setiap periode yang dibagi dalam beberapa tahap.
Untuk setiap periode, pelanggan berkesempatan memenangkan 500 ponsel Sony Ericsson J120i, 100 ponsel Sony Ericsson R300, 10 unit modem AKSES Axis dan 100 voucher pulsa isi ulang Axis senilai masing-masing Rp 100.000.
Dalam program Isi Ulang Pulsa dan Menang!, pelanggan juga berkesempatan menang hadiah utama berupa 100 ponsel Sony Ericsson G705, 60 unit modem AKSES Axis, 600 voucher pulsa isi ulang Axis senilai masing-masing Rp1 juta, 500 ponsel Sony Ericsson R300 dan 1.000 ponsel Sony Ericsson J120i. Hadiah utama akan diundi di akhir periode promo.
Tags: pulsa. pulsa elektrik, agen pulsa elektrik
Baca Juga
Browsing Pulsa.in dari HP
Pulsa.in selaku distributor pulsa elektrik murah kini dengan mudah diakses via hp, web site pulsa.in akan dengan otomatis mendetect browser dari mobile phone anda, Apapun type hp anda. Mengingat banyaknya kritik dan saran dari pengguna yang browsing menggunakan HP yang mengeluhkan loading web pulsa.in ini, dan besarnya antusias masyarakat yang mengakses pulsa.in via HP Semoga para member [...]
Pulsa.in selaku distributor pulsa elektrik murah kini dengan mudah diakses via hp, web site pulsa.in akan dengan otomatis mendetect browser dari mobile phone anda,
Apapun type hp anda. Mengingat banyaknya kritik dan saran dari pengguna yang browsing menggunakan HP yang mengeluhkan loading web pulsa.in ini, dan besarnya antusias masyarakat yang mengakses pulsa.in via HP
Semoga para member yang dengan percaya melakukan bisnis pulsa elektrik bersama pulsa.in dapat dengan mudah melakukan cek harga terupdate atau terbaru
Segenap direksi pulsa.in mengucapkan selamat mencoba browsing web pulsa.in dari HP kesayangan anda.
Tags: pulsa. pulsa elektrik, agen pulsa elektrik
Random Posts
Axis Luncurkan Program Internet Murah
Axis Operator 3G dan GSM yang terhitung baru, telah menyiapkan jaringannya untuk menyediakan layanan akses internet terjangkau bagi masyarakat Indonesia. Sebuah Program baru berupa, “Internet untuk Semua” telah diluncurkan dengan tujuan membawa manfaat internet bagi seluruh masyarakat serta mengakhiri kesenjangan dalam pemanfaatan alat digital di Indonesia. Bagian pertama dari program berkelanjutan ini diluncurkan dengan satu perangkat [...]
Axis Operator 3G dan GSM yang terhitung baru, telah menyiapkan jaringannya untuk menyediakan layanan akses internet terjangkau bagi masyarakat Indonesia. Sebuah Program baru berupa, “Internet untuk Semua” telah diluncurkan dengan tujuan membawa manfaat internet bagi seluruh masyarakat serta mengakhiri kesenjangan dalam pemanfaatan alat digital di Indonesia.
Bagian pertama dari program berkelanjutan ini diluncurkan dengan satu perangkat unik lengkap dengan layanan akses internet yang ditujukan bagi sekitar lima juta rumah tangga di Indonesia yang memiliki komputer, namun belum memiliki akses internet.
Program ini memberikan kepastian bagi para penggunanya untuk mengontrol biaya mereka dengan memberikan akses internet gratis selama satu tahun di jaringan 3G dan GSM Axis. Paket program ini sendiri disebut AKSES Axis.
Akses Axis adalah paket 3in1 dengan satu Modem 3G plug dan play Huawei E160G, MicroSD Slot, MicroSD Card berkapasitas 1GB, serta akses internet 6GB gratis selama setahun. Karena itu, saat konsumen membeli paket ini, mereka dapat menikmati 500MB akses internet per bulan selama satu tahun tanpa perlu memikirkan lagi biaya yang harus dikeluarkan.
Paket ini dirancang dengan semangat untuk mengembalikan kontrol kepada konsumen karena Axis percaya biaya akses internet menjadi kendala yang menghalangi masyarakat Indonesia untuk untuk mencoba dan menggunakan layanan internet.
“Axis telah menawarkan tarif terendah untuk akses internet di pasar, dan melalui AKSES Axis, kami yakin mampu menarik perhatian konsumen yang mempunyai komputer tetapi belum memiliki akses ke internet,” ungkap Johan Buse Chief Marketing Officer Axis, melalui keterangan resminya, Jumat (5/12/2008). “Program konsumen mendapatkan akses ke internet mulai dari para pelajar, orang tua, dan siapapun mereka yang membutuhkannya. Karena Axis membantu menjembatani kesenjangan digital,” Sambungnya. Dibandingkan dengan beberapa negara tetangga seperti Singapura, Filipina, Thailand atau Malaysia, penetrasi internet di Indonesia masih relatif rendah. Namun, Indonesia memiliki potensi besar sebagai online market. Meningkatkan akses internet diakui sebagai salah satu upaya yang dapat mempercepat perkembangan pendidikan, ekonomi dan pembangunan sosial di seluruh dunia. Karena itu sangat penting bagi usaha kecil dan para pelajar untuk mendapatkan akses internet terjangkau ini dan Axis akan membantu mewujudkannya untuk mereka. “AKSES Axis sendiri dipasarkan dengan harga Rp1,388,000 per paket. Para pelanggan AXIS dapat memperoleh paket ini di setiap AXIS Center,” pungkas Johan. (Sumber : okezone)
Tags: pulsa. pulsa elektrik, agen pulsa elektrik
Baca Juga
Nokia Siapkan Wujud Ponsel Masa Depan
Nokia sedang melakukan beberapa penelitian untuk memperkirakan wujud ponsel masa depan yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan konsumen. Belakangan ini Nokia kembali mendapat tekanan dari para pesaingnya, seperti Samsung dan Apple sehingga memaksa perusahaan untuk terus melakukan inovasi. Demikian yang dikutip Indocommit.com dari AFP. “Kami terus berusaha untuk mencari bentuk produk terbaru yang akan relevan untuk Nokia pada [...]
Nokia sedang melakukan beberapa penelitian untuk memperkirakan wujud ponsel masa depan yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan konsumen. Belakangan ini Nokia kembali mendapat tekanan dari para pesaingnya, seperti Samsung dan Apple sehingga memaksa perusahaan untuk terus melakukan inovasi. Demikian yang dikutip Indocommit.com dari AFP.
“Kami terus berusaha untuk mencari bentuk produk terbaru yang akan relevan untuk Nokia pada 2015 mendatang,” ujar kata Leo Kaerkkaeinen, Chief Visionary di Nokia Research Centre.
Terakhir kali Nokia melakukan pengembangan ponsel yang mutakhir dengan menggunakan sensor satelit untuk merekam segala aktivitas olah raga dan dapat di-share secara online.
Ponsel tersebut adalah Nokia Sport Tracker. Untuk masa depan, Nokia telah memunyai beberapa rencana, yaitu ponsel Morph yang dapat berubah bentuk secara fleksibel dan sebuah ponsel yang dapat mendiagnosa penyakit. (Sumber: detikinet.com)
Tags: pulsa. pulsa elektrik, agen pulsa elektrik
Tags: agen pulsa elektrik, pulsa. pulsa elektrik
Baca Juga
2:54 AM | |
Obama to send training force to Afghanistan
President Barack Obama, confronting an inherited and faltering war, plans to dispatch thousands more military and civilian trainers to Afghanistan by the autumn on top of the 17,000 combat troops he has already ordered, senior administration officials said.
2:54 AM | |
CN-F-390/OSL Inflatable Boat,Slatted Floor Boat Series - Inflatable Sport Boats
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WG-01-7P Inflatable Banana Boat Towables - Inflatable Water Games
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Offering Slatted floor Series, these boats are easy to assemble and transport. The most popular series and sizes for yacht tenders, and great for fishing and fun too.
Inflatable Dinghies, Dinghy - Inflatable Boats
Dinghies are very easy to transport because in most cases they are inflatable. This makes them easy to take for a day trip to the lake for a family looking for summer fun.
3:03 AM | |
Tips for better performance reviews
“Tips for better performance reviews” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com 
Why are US Execs balking on global warming?
“Why are US Execs balking on global warming?” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
“Why are US Execs balking on global warming?” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
Five actions that will alienate your co-workers:
“Five actions that will alienate your co-workers:” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
“Five actions that will alienate your co-workers:” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
Take two of these and videoconference me in the morning
“Take two of these and videoconference me in the morning” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
“Take two of these and videoconference me in the morning” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
This blog has recently moved
Please note that this blog now has a permanent home located at: Workplace-Excellence.com New features will be added shortly to provide you with the best commentary and resources for developing workplace excellence. Follow the link above to visit — and be sure to update your bookmarks and links. Thank you!
Please note that this blog now has a permanent home located at:
New features will be added shortly to provide you with the best commentary and resources for developing workplace excellence.
Follow the link above to visit — and be sure to update your bookmarks and links. Thank you!
What a concept: Examine facts, make better decisions!
“What a concept: Examine facts, make better decisions!” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
“What a concept: Examine facts, make better decisions!” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
Links to adjust for DST on your computer – if needed
“Links to adjust for DST on your computer – if needed” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
“Links to adjust for DST on your computer – if needed” is available on the new site, Workplace-Excellence.com
3:03 AM | |
How to Use Discounts the Smart Way
Could you actually increase your income as a copywriter by discounting your services? Maybe… Today’s issue will give you some ideas about how to make it happen for you. Plus, you’ll get another gem from the furniture retailing world that you can apply to your business starting today. Discounts Suck… or Do They? When I was getting [...]
Could you actually increase your income as a copywriter by discounting your services?
Maybe…
Today’s issue will give you some ideas about how to make it happen for you. Plus, you’ll get another gem from the furniture retailing world that you can apply to your business starting today.
Discounts Suck… or Do They?
When I was getting started as a copywriter, there were a few very vocal copywriters on the scene who went around pounding their chests telling people they NEVER discounted their services.
I made the mistake of listening to them and never offered a discount for my services.
I was “too good” for that.
And plus, should you really have to offer a discount if your marketing is good enough to attract high quality prospects?
That’s what all the marketing experts will tell you.
But in my experience, it’s not nearly so black and white.
I’ve found that using discounts in a smart way can produce a huge boost for your business. And it all has to do with a very important 8 letter word.
How to Get the Money Fast
That word is C-A-S-H-F-L-O-W…
In my experience, the only thing worse than not making a nice income as a copywriter is booking a ton of business but not actually having the money in your pocket.
That really stinks.
After all, you can’t buy food with money coming later…
You can’t make house payments either…
And that’s why it’s become my mantra that “every day you wait to get payment in full from your client increases the chances that it will never happen.”
And THAT’S the reason you offer a discount for your services.
Now those same chest pounding copywriters will probably tell you that you should ALWAYS get payment in full… upfront… before you begin any work.
Have you tried that recently?
Sometimes it works fine… sometimes it doesn’t.
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t really have the luxury of a big reputation and ego that brings clients to my door with eyes glazed over… willing to pay me whatever it takes to work with me.
I’m not a rock star and have no intention of becoming one. I DO have an intention of building a stable business that doesn’t fizzle out after people begin to see past the “rock-star” front.
So here’s how to increase your chances of getting full payment in advance:
Reward your client for doing it.
Which is more valuable to your business? A $13,500 project payable over three months… or a $13,500 project with a 10% discount for payment in advance?
I know which one I take each and every time.
The GOB Technique
I had a client once in the furniture business.
In that world, there are companies that do nothing more than travel from city to city staging “Going Out of Business” sales for furniture retailers.
They come in and create a BUNCH of hoopla (with cars driving around the city, signs everywhere, a lot of marketing noise, etc.) and announce the Big Going Out of Business Sale at Furniture Retailer X. They invite everyone over for unbelievable savings, yada, yada, yada…
Oh yeah, and they often inflate the prices of the merchandise so that the unbelievable “discount” they offer is little more than a marketing gimmick.
So how can you apply this technique to your copywriting business in a way that you can still sleep at night?
Well, I’m not suggesting you inflate your prices simply to offer a discount to your prospects and clients.
That’s pretty transparent and not a good long term strategy at all.
But I AM suggesting you inflate the value of the services you provide by actually delivering MORE value to your client and charging accordingly.
We’re selling intangible stuff here as a copywriter. Sure, there are words on a page. But the main thing we’re selling is ideas.
And just because your client ASKS for a salesletter doesn’t mean that’s what you have to sell them. After all, is the salesletter really all they want?
Of course not…
They want what they think the salesletter will create for them.
And that is sales, revenue and growth.
So how many other ways can you help them get to their real goal?
There are a TON of ways. And the only limit is your creativity.
That’s why you should be offering OPTIONS in the proposals you create for your prospects.
It’s a quick and powerful way to give yourself a raise AND help your clients.
New Year Profits
Dear Copywriter, If you’re an open minded person who is ready for a shift in your “inner game,” today’s issue will help make sure that 2009 is a whole lot more profitable than 2008. But if you’re not ready for a change… today’s issue might just sound like fluff. You’ve been warned So let’s get started. It’s [...]
Dear Copywriter,
If you’re an open minded person who is ready for a shift in your “inner game,” today’s issue will help make sure that 2009 is a whole lot more profitable than 2008.
But if you’re not ready for a change… today’s issue might just sound like fluff.
You’ve been warned 
So let’s get started.
It’s Not About the Copy (Again)
How many copywriting courses do you need to become a great copywriter?
1… 5… 15?
How many hours do you need to spend learning your craft?
What MAKES a great copywriter anyway?
Results? Royalties? Winners? Clients? An Ego?
If you’re going to make 2009 the year that YOU break out and hit six figures and well beyond, here’s something I’d recommend you consider:
STOP thinking about questions like these.
They’re not bad questions, they’re just not profitable ones.
Here’s the reason:
If you’re looking to do well in this business, then becoming a great copywriter really isn’t the goal.
Common sense would tell you that great copywriters get paid well. I really don’t think that’s true.
I know some great copywriters who aren’t making a lot writing copy.
Actually, that’s the whole reason I set up Business of Copy. And it’s the reason I write this newsletter. And it’s probably the reason you’re reading it.
I do all of this to create a resource I didn’t have when I was getting started. A resource that says stuff like:
Stop buying copywriting courses. (You probably know enough already.)
Stop listening to the EXPERTS. (They only know what worked for them.)
Start listening to yourself. (You’re the only one with the REAL answers anyway. And if you’re not listening you won’t hear them… ever.)
Figure out what YOU want to achieve then use your copywriting skills to make it happen.
So here’s my best advice to you for 2009:
Stop trying so hard to be a great copywriter and start trying to create a great income writing copy.
As you’ve heard from me before, those are two very different things. And they require different skills.
In my opinion, here’s the number one skill required to make a great income as a marketer and copywriter:
Stand Up, Be Counted and Send
Them the Bill
You’ve got to believe in your OWN value before you can bill for it.
At the risk of having this issue turn all soft and gooey, I just want to give you a gentle reminder that NO ONE out there is EVER going to pay you what you’re worth…
UNLESS YOU ASK THEM FOR IT.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well it’s a simple idea that’s taken me years to get into my head.
Even longer to get in my gut where it can do me some good.
The truth is, the world is full of talented underpaid people just scraping by.
But there aren’t as many folks out there who are talented and fully believe in the value of that talent.
And there are even FEWER folks who believe all that and have the skills to communicate the VALUE to someone else.
Those people are generally well paid.
The good news is, this is a learnable skill. You just have to want to learn it. And be willing to fail enough times before you get it right.
It’s the New Year. So take a moment to reflect on just HOW much value you bring to your clients. Value that probably even YOU take for granted.
Isn’t it time you were compensated for some of that value?
Real Buyers + Relationship = Profit
Let’s move on…
Are you keeping in touch with prospects, clients and past clients?
Are you delivering value over and above the project work you are doing?
Value in free reports….
Value in monthly newsletters…
Value in some other (creative) way?
Value in the form of your intellectual property and creative insights about how to solve the problems your readers are having?
If not, you’re probably missing out on a lot.
How much, you’ll never know.
Just last month, I started a long term project with a business owner who I worked with for a brief time in the past.
One day the proposal went out…
Two days later a wire in the vicinity of $20K was in my bank account.
There’s one reason and one reason ONLY that that wire showed up in my account:
That reason is RELATIONSHIP.
I had one project with this client a year ago. There WAS no project work after that first project. But all that time there WAS relationship building. There WAS value being transferred.
Here’s why I’m telling you this:
Projects come and go, but RELATIONSHIPS can be built all of the time. (Even when you are just starting out and you have no clients.) Remember that and it will pay off huge for you.
It really is simple, it’s just not “point-and-click” easy. You do actually have to work. You DO have to give it some thought. And, most importantly, you have to stick around long enough to harvest the fruits of your labor.
How are you building relationships with your prospects and clients?
Building a relationship does not translate into instant sales. But once you get the ball rolling and the momentum going… well, just watch out.
Life is What Happens When
You’re Making Other Plans
I always get excited around the new year. Mainly because I really feel like the slate is being wiped clean and I get another chance to create my life as I want it to be.
I was excited about this New Year’s in particular.
I was going to get up on New Year’s day and get all of my big ideas for my life down on paper.
But as it turns out… something better happened.
His name is Rune. He is my new son as of 9AM on January 1, 2009.
He was born at home in a pool of water. He’s only 4 days old and has already taught me far more about life than I can ever teach him.
I tell you this for one reason.
This business we’ve chosen (or that has chosen us) can be hard. And it can be lonely. And the path is rarely smooth.
But this is what I do. It’s what you do.
And it’s times like these that remind me WHY I do it.
I know YOU have a why for being in this business. Make sure it’s the right “why” for you. Then never forget it.
It will make your challenges seem smaller and your victories well worth the effort.
Happy New Year to you all.
How many more bailouts?
Communist Manifesto
Chasing Customers - To Get Them To Pay
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When the customer knocks you need decision management not operational BI
A friend passed on an article titled "When the customer knocks" in which Scott Arnett of Pitney Bowes discussed the power of data to improve customer interactions. Nothing there to cause me to blog you would think. Except that Scott,...
Decision management and automated recommendations
This post caught my eye last week - ecommerceinsights.com Blog » Automated recommendations: ubiquitous in 2009?Predictive merchandising becomes ubiquitous, and the crowd begins to separate. "Predictive merchandising" is also referred to as "automated merchandising" or "personalized product recommendations". Whatever term...
Using Decision Management and software development - Model-Driven Engineering
Continuing this weeks posts on using decision management to improve development, I thought I would post on how decision management should be part of model-driven development (model-driven engineering, a model-driven architecture or whatever). The recent, and premature, discussion of the...
Business Rules to Programmers: Methink thou doest protest too much I
Well last week was exciting on the blog - thousands of new visitors after a link from a popular programming blog. This article - Programming Sucks! Or At Least, It Ought To - referred to an old article of mine...
AMD changed chief
The world’s second largest microprocessor maker, AMD, has announced their earnings this morning. The company reported a revenue of $1.35 billion, and a net loss of $1.19 billion, in the quarter that ended June 28. A substantial chunk of the loss is the result of a goodwill impairment charge the company took on its now-defunct [...]
The world’s second largest microprocessor maker, AMD, has announced their earnings this morning. The company reported a revenue of $1.35 billion, and a net loss of $1.19 billion, in the quarter that ended June 28. A substantial chunk of the loss is the result of a goodwill impairment charge the company took on its now-defunct handheld and DTV products. AMD has classified these business segments as discontinued operations.The company’s financial reporting pales largely against its archrival Intel which reported a record second-quarter revenues of $9.5 billion and profits of 28 cents per share (Ref).
This morning, AMD also announced that Dirk Meyer will succeed Hector Ruiz as the company’s chief executive officer with immediate effect. Ruiz will become executive chairman of AMD and chair of the board of directors. His future role is on driving the company’s asset smart strategy to completion, and assisting with high-level government and strategic partner relations. The new CEO of AMD, Dirk Meyer, 46, joined AMD in 1995 and made his mark as part of the design team responsible for highly successful Athlon processors. In 2006, Meyer was appointed president and COO, and in 2007, he was elected to AMD’s board of directors. Prior to AMD, Meyer spent nearly a decade at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he was co-architect of the Alpha 21064 and 21264 microprocessors. Meyer graduated from the University of Illinois, where he received a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. He also received a master’s degree in business administration from Boston University (Ref). He is the third CEO of AMD, after Hector Ruiz and Jerry Sander.
SEMICON WEST: Double Patterning for 32nm and 22nm
The biggest semiconductor trade show in North America, SEMICON WEST 2008 has concluded couple of days ago (15-17 July). One of impending issues facing the semiconductor industry is the lithography solutions for 32nm and 22nm. It is pretty obvious now that EUV lithography will not be deployed for 32nm, and most likely will not be [...]
The biggest semiconductor trade show in North America, SEMICON WEST 2008 has concluded couple of days ago (15-17 July). One of impending issues facing the semiconductor industry is the lithography solutions for 32nm and 22nm. It is pretty obvious now that EUV lithography will not be deployed for 32nm, and most likely will not be ready for 22nm as well. On the other hand, the immersion lithography technology which has served the semiconductor industry pretty well for 45-40nm will face its own limitations for 32nm and beyond. To bridge the gap for 32nm and 22nm before EUV lithography comes on board, the semiconductor industry is now betting on double patterning lithographic technology coupled with 193nm immersion lithography. However, as AMD Fellow Harry Levinson aptly summarized the current challenges of DP technology as “double patterning doubles the troubles” (Ref).
There are a number of variants for double patterning technology, such as double-exposure; trench double-patterning; line double-patterning; litho-etch-litho-etch, spacer and others. Whatever the variants, the biggest concerns with double-patterning technology are cost and overlay, particularly the overlay between the two exposures. To mitigate the overlay constraints, AMAT has introduced the Self-Aligned Double Patterning (SADP) Scheme. Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor Corp have announced they would use SADP for their 3x generation NAND flash. The IM Flash also reported that it would employ something similar to SADP for the 34nm memory devices (Ref).
During the SEMICON WEST 2008, IMEC announced a new variant of the double patterning technology which significantly reduces the cost. The new process first exposes the resist with the first pattern, apply a chemical enhancement to freeze that pattern into the material, expose the second pattern, and then develop and etch the resist normally. The big advantage of this approach is that the wafer stays on the litho track for both exposures. It doesn’t have to go off to a separate etch track and then back onto the litho track. (Ref)
On the other note, ASML has rolled out a new generation of 193-nm immersion scanner for double-patterning applications, Twinscan XT:1950i during the SEMICON WEST. It has an overlay below 4-nm and throughput of 175 wafers an hour. The system uses a lens with the same 1.35 numerical aperture (NA) as its predecessor, however the resolution has improved from 40 nm to 38 nm, which effectively provides a 10% gain in wafer area available for chips (Ref). You can watch a videos ads from ASML of this system below.
19th Century Decision Management
John Reynolds over on the Thoughtful Programmer had a great post a little while back - 19th Century BPMS. In it he saidI sometime find it useful to describe a BPMS in terms of things and people that you probably...
Decision Management and software development - Agile
Last week I posted Focusing on decisions to improve the software end product and I decided that this week's posts would be a series of follow-ups on how decision management can and should impact software development. Today on how it...
Decision Management focuses on Microdecisions for Macro Impact
Tom Davenport had a post today on Microdecisions for Macro Impact that pointed out on the key benefits of decision management, with its focus on operational decisions:If you can identify a few key microdecisions that can be addressed and improved,...
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How do I know when its time to sell my company?
What should I look out for when turning in a leased vehicle?
2:59 AM | |
Emerging markets buoyant on deals with developing countries
Economic crisis’s don’t only spell gloom and doom for countries, they also reshuffle the economy, alter places on the global economic chessboard and change the way people do business. One of the most significant changes that this economic crisis has brought to light is that now there are almost as many emerging market to developed [...]
Economic crisis’s don’t only spell gloom and doom for countries, they also reshuffle the economy, alter places on the global economic chessboard and change the way people do business. One of the most significant changes that this economic crisis has brought to light is that now there are almost as many emerging market to developed world deals taking place as there are developed world to emerging market deals.
A recent KPMG survey entitled - ‘Emerging Markets International Acquisition Tracker’ points out that emerging-to-developed deals now represent 47 per cent of the developed-to-emerging total, compared with 23 per cent in the second half of 2006. This signals a significant shift in global fund flows, demonstrating that capital doesn’t just flow from richer more developed nations investing in more developing nations as is traditionally thought. However large Asian infrastructure and technology companies are more aggressively bidding for western companies that are currently drowning in debt, but have a large stable framework.
The Web and Beyond - Adam Greenfield
Adam Greenfield - The city is here for you to use (Live blogged notes. My notes in parentheses.) North American cities are broken. Web development user experience is algorithmic. Wants to have better experiences for ubiquitous computing. Influences: ? Christopher Alexander Bernard Rudofsky The city arises from the bottom up. Worried about the city disappearing in large scale urban development. The repeating [...]
Adam Greenfield - The city is here for you to use
(Live blogged notes. My notes in parentheses.)
North American cities are broken. Web development user experience is algorithmic. Wants to have better experiences for ubiquitous computing.
Influences:
?
Christopher Alexander
Bernard Rudofsky
The city arises from the bottom up. Worried about the city disappearing in large scale urban development. The repeating module of doom. Franchise cookie cutter city organization.
Junk space, privatized commons and non place. No order, no logic. Privatized commons.
Public spaces get wrapped up in commerciality and private law applies. No freedom of speech and assembly.
Public space is deliberately being made unpleasant. Stealthy, slippery, crusty, prickly, and jittery. Surveillance, hard to get there, hard to stay there.
People withdraw from the city into their mobile devices. Technology gets blamed for it but they afordit but the environemnt itself sends us into the warm embrace of personal devices.
We’ve lost something and everybody feels it. Nostalgia is for suckers. Do not lamment about how things used to be better.
Rediscover the city in all its fun, organic ways relevant to the current age.
Ubiquitous: embedded, wireless, imperceeptible, multiple, postGUIU, depolyed in everyday life, vastly expanded user base
These technologies are going to engage literally everybody. Massive effects for interfaces and for scalabality. Everywary is already affecting the way that the city works.
Networked processors show up at every scale. At the scale of the body, at the scale of the room, street, city. biotelemetry transported from your body is captured and it becomes a social object. It has a lot to do with representation, and how we are in the world, a lot to do with culture and fashion.
(Body media)
Networked processors in the street. Traffic light countdown. Next tram coming up. Simple additions which improve the quality of life in the city for many many people.
Information about the city can e visualized differently. Sociality, poltiics and class can be visualized from transportation and other map represetations. Th einformation can be made available on demand. Why doesn’t TomTom do more of this?
Information processing dissolves in behaviour. The octopus in Hong Kong people found out that you do not need to touch your RFID card. You can put your bag over it in any way you want. Discovered interaction collectively by the people. THe complete transaction happens in a third of a second. A stations throughput can be increased tremendously and by extension the city.
Outputs at the building envelope in response to data. Architecture that is impossible without computation. Circulation and public trasnportation can be regulated based on real time demands. Mobility is a utiltiy. Cities which understand this are cities which are going to gain immensely.
(How to sell this? Dependent on computational sensing.)
Quaryable objects and objects in the city having open APIs. Build mashups from the information.
A city that responds to the bhaviour of its residents and other users in something like real time.
(Build Arduino sensers and actuators on an XMPP server.)
Constantly evolving and opens up the social space again.
Metropolitan life.
What is mapped is what can be sensed and sensed cheaply. (Important if you want to play with it yourself.) Sense of time and place which are different much longer and wider than would be possible without mobile communication.
The Big Now, to see what is happening everywhere right now.
The Long Here, objcets have a history, antecedents and a provenance
Differntial permissioning without effective recourse in real time. What do you do when access is denied? Code is law.
Rights of use and enjoyment. THese rights are an artefact of when it was impractical to track this use accurately. Under the new circumstances you can be billed for your actual use.
Technology is tailored to each city with its history and geography. Thre aren’t one sie fits all solutions. Congestion charge works well.
(Congestion charge is not in effect yet in NL because of widespread stupidity.)
How do you cope with exploits and attacks of the system. emergent behaviour which is unpredictable.
a HOWTO for the real-time city:
need a practicle, livable, humane and possible city
1. build beautiful seams with apis in hardware and software
2. underspecify as designers, cannot predict everything, otherwise they will be brittle and won’t be an utility
3. You should go from flâneur to consumer to user, somebody who engages and makes his own personal experience of the city.
Ambient informatics will help us make better choices but awareness cuts both ways. Entirely new behaviours will emerge. (Little Brother style subversion.) Are we going to get passive consumerism, or genuine read write urbanism?
The answer is up to us as designers, consumers and citizens.
India, China face auction catch 22
India and China have simultaneously been making headlines for more than their optimistic outlook on the economy. Recently, both Asian behemoths have been pulling all the stops to retrieve national treasures that are up for auction. Nationalist sentiments are reigning at an all time high as Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York plans to put under the [...]
India and China have simultaneously been making headlines for more than their optimistic outlook on the economy. Recently, both Asian behemoths have been pulling all the stops to retrieve national treasures that are up for auction.
Nationalist sentiments are reigning at an all time high as Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York plans to put under the hammer the watch, sandals, bowl, plate and characteristic rimmed glasses of Mahatma Gandhi - the father of the Indian nation. Gandhi’s trust, the Gujarat based Navajivan Trust, has already filed a stay order in the Delhi High court hoping to stop the auction of prized national treasures.
A similar case was filed against the auction of two bronze fountainheads believed to be stolen from Beijing’s summer palace around the second opium war in 1860. Patriotic sentiments were roused when a Chinese art collector Cai Mingchao, who won the bid of the rabbit and rat heads for US$36 million, decided not to pay for them. Hailed as a collector and a patriot in China, Cai has been served with a formal notice to pay up within a month or forgo ownership of the statues by the current owner Pierre Berge, the partner of late designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Asia optimistic of continued growth this year
Even as Warren Buffett and President Obama predict a gloomy economy this year, Asian economies backed by the strength of their financial systems and international reserves are looking forward to a brighter economy with more optimism. In a recent World bank emerging markets dialogue, officials from India, China and Brazil agreed that although GDP growth rates [...]
Even as Warren Buffett and President Obama predict a gloomy economy this year, Asian economies backed by the strength of their financial systems and international reserves are looking forward to a brighter economy with more optimism.
In a recent World bank emerging markets dialogue, officials from India, China and Brazil agreed that although GDP growth rates were low and exports were down, emerging markets post the 1997 crisis, had adequate fiscal and monetary measures in place to bounce back faster than the more developed nations. They also said that due to higher foreign reserves than before and space for interest rates to fall further, emerging markets were more confident to return to higher GDP growth rates soon.
Globalisation in retreat - The new protectionism?
As money markets tighten, production plummets and unemployment soars, Asian governments like their counterparts in the west are slowly and silently making policy changes. Jargon such as tighter environmental laws, ‘place of origin’ rules and anti-dumping are being added to inter-regional trade documents to raise import barriers. Even as ASEAN and APEC leaders recently pledged [...]
As money markets tighten, production plummets and unemployment soars, Asian governments like their counterparts in the west are slowly and silently making policy changes. Jargon such as tighter environmental laws, ‘place of origin’ rules and anti-dumping are being added to inter-regional trade documents to raise import barriers. Even as ASEAN and APEC leaders recently pledged to reduce trade protectionism and promote FTAs, governments are fiercely promoting domestic sales.
While India has imposed restrictions on Chinese toys and the import of some types of steel, Vietnam has increased import tariffs on dairy and paper products. Similarly, the Indonesian and Malaysian governments are publicly prompting their people and ministers in specific to buy locally produced food, drinks, shoes, clothes, music and films or face penalties. In China, farmers in certain provinces are being given a 13 percent subsidy if they buy locally made refrigerators, televisions, mobile phones and washing machines. While construction companies producing publicly funded infrastructure projects in other parts of China are being encouraged to use locally produced steel, concrete, doors and windows, glass, wiring and electrical equipment. Local car manufacturers are also having inspection fees for new vehicles waived so as to become more competitive.
Migrant workers affected as crisis worsens
As the global financial turmoil deepens governments are becoming more protective of their industries and citizen employment rates. Job rates are not only being propped up by stimulus packages but also by stricter immigration laws. Burmese workers are being turned away from Thailand, Bangladeshi’s from Malaysia and Sri lankan’s from Korea. Both legal and illegal [...]
As the global financial turmoil deepens governments are becoming more protective of their industries and citizen employment rates. Job rates are not only being propped up by stimulus packages but also by stricter immigration laws. Burmese workers are being turned away from Thailand, Bangladeshi’s from Malaysia and Sri lankan’s from Korea. Both legal and illegal migrant workers from poorer Asian countries that seek employment in more developed Asian nations are now being frowned against.
Earlier this week, Malaysian human Resources Minister Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam called on employers who had received approval to bring in foreign workers but had not done so to drop their plans. The move was in response to his governments announcement that all entry-visas for Bangladeshi workers approved in 2007 and not used were to be canceled immediately. This resulted in visa cancellations of some 55,000 Bangladeshi’s who would have worked in the plantation, agriculture and construction sectors.
China confirms two more nuclear reactors for Pakistan
As we reported last October, China has now begun work on designing two nuclear reactors for Pakistan to be housed in the countries Chasma Nuclear Power complex in Punjab. The Chinese State run Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute has just announced it has begun designing the third and fourth generators for the Pakistan [...]
As we reported last October, China has now begun work on designing two nuclear reactors for Pakistan to be housed in the countries Chasma Nuclear Power complex in Punjab. The Chinese State run Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute has just announced it has begun designing the third and fourth generators for the Pakistan complex.
Of the first two, one is currently being installed and will be operational by next year, while the first has been online and linked into Pakistan’s energy grid since 2000. The new reactors will have a capacity of 325 mgw each, while improvements and upgrading of the first reactor will also be taking place. China’s Shanxi Diesel Engine Heavy Industry Company has already provided the emergency diesel generation system for Chasma, while a third company, China Zhongyuan Engineering, is the general contractor.
Reports from Pakistan have stated that Beijing is to finance 85 percent of the project, estimated at US$1.61 billion, however China has to date remained silent on the matter.
Office Workshops
Next Friday we’re holding an unconference style workshop afternoon in our office (Dutch event description). We’d thought this a nice idea to share knowledge between ourselves, but thought, why not make it open to our friends and acquaintances as well. There’s a video promoting the event: Workshop 13 juni from Eelke D. on Vimeo. Interactive sessions of 20-30 [...]
Next Friday we’re holding an unconference style workshop afternoon in our office (Dutch event description). We’d thought this a nice idea to share knowledge between ourselves, but thought, why not make it open to our friends and acquaintances as well.
There’s a video promoting the event:
Workshop 13 juni from Eelke D. on Vimeo.
Interactive sessions of 20-30 minutes from 1:30 till end of day concluded with a barbecue. We think this could be fun and if you think the same, come join us.
GFCI Index: Shanghai 35th, Mumbai 49th
The Global Financial Centres Index, which measures the performances of the worlds financial centers, has just released its latest six monthly report. At a time of serious global turmoil, London (1st) and New York (2nd) have emerged resilient compared with many Asian centers such as Singapore and Hong Kong. The report, which is complied from analysis by [...]
The Global Financial Centres Index, which measures the performances of the worlds financial centers, has just released its latest six monthly report.
At a time of serious global turmoil, London (1st) and New York (2nd) have emerged resilient compared with many Asian centers such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
The report, which is complied from analysis by the independent ZYen Group from surveys of financial professionals worldwide, concentrates on external competitiveness indicators. It takes into consideration - Asset management, banking, Government and regulation, insurgence and professional services.
There are significant changes in the positions in this survey compared to the previous one. Respondents rated the quality of the business environment, and regulation and tax, as the current most important factors. (more…)
Malaysia’s US$16 bn stimulus package
Malaysia pumped in 60 billion ringgit (US$16.26 billion) into the economy as part of their second stimulus package on Wednesday. Dampened by lackluster commodity prices, and declining demand of electrical appliances, the major palm oil and rubber producer said it expects to see the economy either contract or grow by 1 percent in 2009. The massive [...]
Malaysia pumped in 60 billion ringgit (US$16.26 billion) into the economy as part of their second stimulus package on Wednesday. Dampened by lackluster commodity prices, and declining demand of electrical appliances, the major palm oil and rubber producer said it expects to see the economy either contract or grow by 1 percent in 2009.
The massive stimulus package will mean that the US$181 billion nation will have to dig deeper into their pockets. The US$16 billion package, the biggest economic stimulus initiative Malaysia has ever taken is equivalent to 9 percent of the nations GDP and will balloon Malaysia’s fiscal deficit to 7.6 percent of GDP this year.
The plan which follows Malaysia’s first stimulus plan of seven billion ringgit in November will include 15 billion ringgit in fiscal spending and 25 billion ringgit in guaranteed funds. The government will also make 10 billion ringgit in equity investments, and plans 10 billion ringgit of other measures including tax breaks, according to the Wall Street Journal. Through these measures, the government aims to increase employment, boost consumer confidence, improve infrastructure and help the private sector. The textile, electrical, and automotive industries will be granted additional benefits as these sectors have been most affected.
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Confessions of A Junk Food Junkie
As I sat gobbling down another sweet treat, I was disturbed in my Spirit. Junk. Junk. Junk. I had developed a habit of avoiding sweets, candy, and fat-filled foods, but the season for celebration rolled in and I indulged. What’s wrong with that? Plenty. I’m not trying to pass off my personal beliefs on you. However, I [...]
What Can You Dare To Believe For?
For I believe everything spoken by God is possible. Luke 1:37 (myBible: Standing on the Promises, page 60) Dare to believe. Possessing a relentless belief in God’s integrity is a vital element in seeing His power manifested in your life. You must believe if He said He would do something He will deliver. He is not a created [...]
Prayer in School
Now, my disclaimer prior to unleashing this poem on you: It’s loud and extreme, but makes the point. It’s not to offend (maybe some holy stirring would be good). As we near the start of another school year, whether student or parent, we need to lift our peers and children up in prayer. Prayer to strengthen [...]
Bible Proves the BIG BANG
Greetings! The big bang theory has Biblical validity. Here’s the reply I made to a post somewhere out in cyberspace. I’m posting it here because I don’t know how to link it back to my page. “I was thrilled to be passing by when I caught your post. I’d love to try to answer some of your [...]
Dawning on the Deaf Ear
A sinner doesn’t need to hear that sin is wrong. They need to hear their sins have been forgiven by a compassionate and loving God, by the bloody sacrifice and dynamic resurrection of a Savior. We need to approach people with the answer, not the problem. Ultimately, the problem is not that sin abounds in their [...]
Flying the Friendly Skies
“But God, being rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved me, even when I was dead through my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ (by grace I have been saved) and raised me up with Him, and made me to sit with Him in the heavenly places [...]
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Roman Abramovich This Russian has dared the richest of the world to be amongst them. Roman Abramovich, is the well known owner of Chelsea Football Club. Despite being known all over the world he has maintained a low profile.
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Quelles sont vos sources d’(in)formation?
Ca fait longtemps que je ne poste plus. Ma tasse de thé, un blog délaissé? C’est vrai que j’ai été pas (pré)occupé, notamment par l’acquisition d’une maison (!) et la préparation de la naissance de notre deuxième enfant (!!) Et si j’espère revenir sur ces points plus tard, ce n’est cependant pas à ce [...]
Ca fait longtemps que je ne poste plus. Ma tasse de thé, un blog délaissé?
C’est vrai que j’ai été pas (pré)occupé, notamment par l’acquisition d’une maison (!) et la préparation de la naissance de notre deuxième enfant (!!) Et si j’espère revenir sur ces points plus tard, ce n’est cependant pas à ce sujet que je voulais écrire aujourd’hui.
Une question qui me préoccupe ces derniers temps est: Comment se tenir informé?
Vous me direz: lis le journal, ou encore, parcours les flux RSS. Je ne lis pas (ou peu) le journal. J’utilise cependant Google reader au mieux, mais si l’outil est là, je me rends compte que le tout est l’utilisation qu’on en fait.
Quels flux choisir? Pierre nous parlait de l’importance de garder son reader “vivant”, en ajoutant de nouveaux feeds et en retirant ceux que l’on ne lit plus, et je suis d’accord avec lui. Mais cela demande d’être proactif. Il m’arrive parfois de scroller d’un post a l’autre au travers de flux, sans retenir grand chose de ma “lecture” (ça exerce la roulette de scroll de ma souris, voilà au moins un bon point). Il faut donc jeter ce qui ne sert pas. Exemple: lors de la “D conference”, j’ai trouvé sympa de m’abonner au flux RSS de “All Things Digital”, mais en dehors de la conférence, je suis parfois attristé par la banalité des sujets. –> Hop au bac!
Et puis surtout: comment trouver de nouveaux fils info? Ca demanderait de surfer “en dehors des sentiers battus”, ce que je fais trop peu.
Mes sources préférées en Software Engineering sont InfoQ et SE-Radio. J’aime downloader les épisodes de SE-Radio et les écouter en allant au boulot. Une bonne façon de se former (plus que de s’informer, car les sujets ne sont pas vraiment des “news”).
Cela rejoint d’ailleurs ce dont Pierre parlait dans son post “Qu’apprennent-ils a l’école?” (waow, deuxième référence à Pierre, il va devenir mon maitre a penser!) D’où l’importance de se former, si ce qu’on apprend à l’école est insuffisant…
Sinon, j’aime les blogs d’entrepreneurs, puis dans le domaine médico-informatique, comme ceux-ci.
Et vous, quelles sont vos sources d’information ou de formation?
Vous mangez quoi aujourd’hui?
En passant sur Seesmic, je suis tombé sur une conversation lancée par mon cher ami Ledretch (Nutritionist 2.0) et je me suis pris au jeu… de déballer mon plat préféré: il s’agit du nattô (納豆), un amalgame infâme de grains de soja fermentés. Si cela ne vous dit rien, jetez un oeil à cette [...]
En passant sur Seesmic, je suis tombé sur une conversation lancée par mon cher ami Ledretch (Nutritionist 2.0) et je me suis pris au jeu… de déballer mon plat préféré: il s’agit du nattô (納豆), un amalgame infâme de grains de soja fermentés. Si cela ne vous dit rien, jetez un oeil à cette petite vidéo, vous allez tout de suite comprendre de quoi je parle 
Acheter une maison au Japon? #3
Maison japonaise Loupé de peu… Dimanche passé, nous avons vu une maison qui nous plaisait vraiment: située un peu loin de la gare certes, mais avec un terrain de plus de 70 tsubo (soit 233 m2), le bâtiment faisant (sur deux étages) environ 165 m2. Bref, des proportions gigantesques pour une maison japonaise. Jardin ombragé, [...]
Loupé de peu…
Dimanche passé, nous avons vu une maison qui nous plaisait vraiment: située un peu loin de la gare certes, mais avec un terrain de plus de 70 tsubo (soit 233 m2), le bâtiment faisant (sur deux étages) environ 165 m2. Bref, des proportions gigantesques pour une maison japonaise. Jardin ombragé, garage sous-terrain, grande terrasse, quartier résidentiel calme, parc à deux pas, école pas loin. Et en plus, un style intérieur vraiment particulier pour une maison japonaise: outre la salle-à-manger et les chambres en plancher, le living est en marbre! Les portes, fenêtres etc. sont de style plutôt européen, en tout cas pas japonais pour un sou. Une washitsu, quand même, mais curieusement pas très japonaise. Inutile de vous dire que nous avons flashé. Mais…
L’agent immobilier nous a prévenu qu’un autre acheteur était déjà sur le coup, et… qu’il devait signer l’acte mardi, soit 2 jours plus tard. Pas grand chose à faire, nous dit-il, si ce n’est poser une option, en proposant le prix plein, et en espérant que le premier acheteur offre moins (car vu le nombre d’intermédiaires, il est difficile de savoir ce que chaque acheteur propose). C’est donc ce que nous avons fait, sans trop espérer. Mais voilà que…
Mardi, notre agent immobilier nous téléphone pour nous dire que l’acte n’a pas été signé, et pour nous demander nos disponibilités les jours prochains. Autant vous dire, nous y avons cru. L’espace de deux jours. Malheureusement, jeudi, l’on nous annonce que l’acte est signé, la maison est vendue… Que s’est-il passé? Nous ne le saurons probablement pas, mais il est possible que la loi de l’offre et de la demande ait joué, et que notre offre aura permis au vendeur d’exiger le prix plein du premier acheteur. Ce que celui-ci aura accepté, car la maison lui plaisait vraiment.
Voilà. Je suis presque sûr que nous ne trouverons pas une autre maison comme celle-ci, car elle était vraiment particulière. Mais je pense que nous trouverons “chaussure à notre pied”, en temps voulu. Une chose est sûre: nous avons eu devant les yeux une affaire qui nous fera porter un regard différent sur les maisons que nous verrons dans le futur.
Société Japonaise de Gestion des Soins de Santé: 9ème conférence de la branche de Tokyo
J’ai participé aujourd’hui à la 9ème conférence du JHM –branche de Tôkyô (Japanese Society for Health Care Management, qui émane de la Faculté de Médecine de la Toho University), dont le thème était: “Construire une structure pour permettre de dispenser des soins de santé sûrs et de bonne qualité”. Tout un programme! Voici un petit [...]
J’ai participé aujourd’hui à la 9ème conférence du JHM –branche de Tôkyô (Japanese Society for Health Care Management, qui émane de la Faculté de Médecine de la Toho University), dont le thème était: “Construire une structure pour permettre de dispenser des soins de santé sûrs et de bonne qualité”. Tout un programme!
Voici un petit compte rendu des sessions auxquelles j’ai assisté.
9:30-10:00: A1 Introduction, par le professeur Tomonori HASEGAWA (Toho University)
Mots-clés: TA (technology assessment), RCT (randomized clinical trial), EBM (evidence-based medicine), Guidelines (*). Mais il y a un changement de paradigme: les maladies sont plus complexes et l’EBM n’est pas aussi facile a mettre en oeuvre. L’évidence est dynamique (concept de Learning Healthcare System).
Les thèmes clés de cette conférence: gestion d’hôpital (balance scorecards), sécurité, qualité et informatisation.
(*) Il existe au Japon deux bases de données de “guidelines”:
10:00-10:45 T1 “Imaginer l’hôpital d’une société de personnes agées” par le professeur Toshihiko HASEGAWA
Partant de l’histoire des hôpitaux, au Japon et dans le monde, le professeur indique un changement: l’hôpital s’est progressivement étendu, évoluant d’une maison familiale à un complexe d’hôpitaux, et il prédit même que cette évolution va continuer pour couvrir une ville entière (cf. le Global Age-Friendly Cities Project de l’OMS).
12:15-13:00 L1 (Luncheon seminar): “Ce que doit être l’éducation et l’entrainement à la sûreté dans les soins de santé”
Présentation de vidéo d’éducation et de séances d’entrainement de personnel dans les services d’urgence, pour apprendre à acquérir les bons réflexes devant un patient en crise. A propos, savez-vous comment utiliser un AED?
13:00-13:45 K2 “Théorie et pratique des Balanced Scorecards (BSC)” par le professeur Tetsuo TAKEKAWA
Présentation de l’utilisation de Balanced Scorecards (BSC) pour juger et améliorer différents aspects de l’hôpital. L’idée est qu’un “hôpital de haute qualité” n’est pas seulement un hôpital qui dispense des soins très pointus (comme un hôpital universitaire par exemple), mais que le jugement global est en fait une “balance” entre différents axes (qui sont liés). 5 axes sont proposés pour évaluer la qualité globale d’un hôpital: (1) finances, (2) qualité des soins, (3) satisfaction des patients, (4) gestion de l’organisation, (5) resources humaines. L’idée est ensuite de définir des métriques et des “poids relatifs” pour chacun de ces axes, et de calculer les “scores”. Le professeur va même jusqu’à calculer le bonus des employés de l’hôpital sur base de ces scores, afin de leur en signifier l’importance.
14:00-15:00 B81-B86 Utilisation pratique des Systèmes Informatiques
- B81 “Conception et mise en oeuvre d’un système d’aide à la guidance relative aux médicaments, visant l’utilisation de médicaments en toute sécurité” par le prof. IWASE
Présentation d’un système informatique assez sophistiqué pour la gestion des médicaments, permettant notamment la définition de limites de doses, et utilisable dans un système de trajet de soin informatisé.
- B82 “Recherche sur l’utilisation d’un nouveau système de code-barre pour les médicaments afin d’améliorer la sécurité des traitements” par Fujiko HASEGAWA
Un nouveau système de code barre permettant l’identification plus précise de médicament, ainsi que la vérification de la date de péremption, est présenté. Cependant, il semble que les bénéfices d’un tel système n’ont pu être observés à cause d’un manque d’information du personnel soignant.
- B83 “Effets de l’introduction d’un dossier patient informatisé sur les problèmes rapportés par le pharmacien concernant les perfusions” par le prof. Hiroshi FUJITA
Baisse significative des problèmes liés à l’administration d’un médicament à un mauvais patient, ainsi que des problèmes dus à des problèmes de lecture (prescriptions manuscrites vs. informatiques).
Cependant, augmentation significative des problèmes liés aux allergies, probablement dû à une mauvaise conception du dossier patient informatisé (l’information sur les allergies n’apparaissait pas dans l’écran principal, et trop de “fausses alertes” conduisant le docteur à ignorer les véritables alertes).
- B84 “Sur l’utilisation inconditionnelle du PDA dans le service d’urgences” par le prof. TOMII
Le PDA est utilisé dans cet hôpital pour la confirmation des perfusions (par lecture de code-barre). Cette pratique n’est cependant pas bien adoptée dans le service des urgences. Certains problèmes liés à l’utilisation du PDA sont: nombre insuffisant pour le nombre de soignants, démarrage et login lents, batteries plates, pannes, etc. Cependant, hormi ces problèmes, le faible usage des PDA semblait être dû essentiellement à une mauvaise conscientisation et information du personnel soignant.
- B85 “Utilisation d’un logiciel d’analyse de DPC [données comptables de l'hôpital] pour l’analyse de données et la visualisation du contenu des soins” par Keiko KOYANO
Le logiciel “Medi-Target” (de Nissei Information Technology Inc.) a été sélectionné entre autres pour les raisons suivantes: flexibilité et configuration possible de l’outil, rapport exportable en Excel.
Différents types d’analyses ont pu être réalisés, comme: (1) l’analyse du la durée d’hospitalisation pour une pathologie particulière (qui a permis de mettre en évidence et de corriger certains problèmes liés à l’itinéraire clinique de l’hôpital, ou à la prescription de certains médicaments causant souvant des effets secondaires); et (2) l’analyse des traitements comparés entre différents départements de l’hôpital (qui a permis de valider le contenu des soins en fonctions de d’autres facteurs).
- B86 “Itinéraires cliniques conformes au standard international de systèmes informatiques médicaux” par le prof. Hideshige HASEGAWA
Exhortation du présentateur à suivre le standard international qui est en train d’être mis en place (ISO-13606) relatif à la communication entre dossiers médicaux électroniques (EHR). Au Japon, les dossiers médicaux électroniques étant très répandus, diverses initiatives se mettent en place pour les faire communiquer (notamment dans le cadre d’itinéraires cliniques de collaboration inter-hospitaux), mais ne suivent aucun standard. Par ailleurs, le standard ISO-13606 est encore très léger et ne permet pas de communiquer un grand nombre de données, ce qui en rend l’adoption difficile.
Discussion de la différence d’approches entre le Japon et l’Europe: au Japon, beaucoup d’EMR existent, mais ne sont pas standardisés. En Europe, la discussion d’un standard avance alors que peu d’hôpitaux soient correctement équipés. Un élément clé du standard est l’approche par “workflow”.
15:00-16:00 B91-B96 Trajets de Soin (Itinéraires cliniques)
- B91 “Utilisation d’une checklist et unification de la formation à l’utilisation d’itinéraires cliniques informatisés” par Eriko WATANABE
Cet hôpital utilise 114 itinéraires cliniques différents dans diverses disciplines (2831 cas en 2008; environ 30% des soins suivent un itinéraire clinique). La maitrise du logiciel d’itinéraires cliniques est très bonne (98% du personnel), mais difficile pour les nouveaux venus. Cette présentation concerne la formation des nouveaux suivant une checklist, ayant permis la maitrise du logiciel par 100% des soignants.
- B92 “Itinéraires cliniques informatisés: Situation actuelle et problèmes” par Tomoko HIRATA
Cette présentation concerne la vérification de la complétion des données introduites dans le système d’itinéraires cliniques informatisés. Certains types d’information (telle la variance) sont relativement peu complets dans certains départements de l’hôpital. La modification de certains itinéraires cliniques (en rendant les causes de variance plus facilement compréhensibles et évaluables) a permis d’augmenter la complétion de l’information collectée.
- B93 “Amélioration des itinéraires cliniques pour la chimiothérapie” par Kumi NAKAMURA
L’Hôpital de Aizawa utilise les itinéraires cliniques pour la chimiothérapie. Ces itinéraires sont disponibles online (en Japonais), ici. Différents IC sont liés à différentes substances.
Cette présentation concerne l’amélioration des itinéraires cliniques, par l’analyse des soins prodigués, et par des interviews collectés auprès des patients et du personnel soignant. Les améliorations concernent notamment: amélioration de la détection d’effets secondaires, le remplacement de certaines substances par d’autres plus appropriées, une meilleure guidance pour le patient.
- B94 “Idées pour la mise en pratique d’itinéraires cliniques avec un dossier médical informatisé” par le prof. Satoshi INOUE
Conseils pratiques pour l’informatisation d’IC: mettre les IC sur papier avant de les introduire dans le système, unification des causes de variance, impression des différents documents en 1 seul click, automatisation de l’archivage du résultat d’un IC accompli, … <– pas transcendant
- B95 “Itinéraire clinique pour la supervision de la chimiothérapie pour le cancer du colomb” par le prof. Hiroshi MIYAMOTO
Etude concernant les incidents liés aux substances FOLFOX4 et FOLFIRI après l’informatisation des itinéraires cliniques.
- B96 “Adoption d’un itinéraire de coopération inter-hôpitaux pour le cathéter cardiaque” par le prof. Akio OSHIMA
Présentation d’itinéraires cliniques de coopération inter-hôpitaux, pour assurer le suivi de patient ayant subi une intervention chirurgicale par cathéter cardiaque. Ce type d’IC contient une série de check-ups et d’examens que le patient doit subir dans différents endroits (hôpital, clinique, médecin généraliste). L’IC remis au patient donne une vue complète de ces étapes, et lui permet de garder trace des résultats.
Note: Pour ceux que cela intéresse, les abstracts sont disponibles ici. Ils sont en Japonais, mais la traduction automatique en Anglais via Google translate devrait donner un aperçu valable du contenu.
L’éducation selon Steiner
Je viens de terminer la lecture d’un livre intitulé “An introduction to Steiner Education: the Waldorf School” de Francis Edmunds. La raison qui m’a poussé à le lire est que l’école maternelle que nous avons choisi pour notre fille est une école Steiner, et que je souhaitais donc approfondir le sujet. Je ne vais pas [...]
Je viens de terminer la lecture d’un livre intitulé “An introduction to Steiner Education: the Waldorf School” de Francis Edmunds. La raison qui m’a poussé à le lire est que l’école maternelle que nous avons choisi pour notre fille est une école Steiner, et que je souhaitais donc approfondir le sujet.
Je ne vais pas essayer de vous résumer l’éducation selon Steiner (je vous renvoie au livre, qui est, me semble-t-il, un bon résumé), mais je voulais vous partager un passage qui m’interpelle particulièrement:
[...] Waldorf education is based on man as a threefold being. That he thinks, feels and wills, that he is head, heart and limb, is taken to be obvious. Event that he consists of body, mind [...] and spirit [...] is widely accepted. Yet it can hardly be said that these distinctions have entered deeply into educational practice. There the intellectual approach has grown more dominant at all levels. [...]
The headwise approach, as we have called it, has serious consequences. Is the child brainy, will he be able to pass exams, are questions that weight greatly on parents. The non-exam child, the child in whom heart and limb do not keep pace with the head, comes to be looked on as inferior. Art and the crafts play second fiddle. Thus all the three phases, infant, child and adolescent, are pressed forward intellectually and this has consequence for the whole life. The clever ones are extolled, but where are the artists and the craftsmen who embellish life and give it greater quality? They are rare to find.
But the effects of overemphasis on head and brain learning go further than this. We see how children in the kindergarten lose their spontaneous genius for play. They grow restless, are bored or get uncontrolled, and then they need adults with their thought-out games and learning devices to engage and entertain them. What belongs properly to the first years of schooling is pushed down prematurely into the pre-school years. That means drawing the children into their nervous system, making them ‘heady’ too soon; but that in turn also means robbing them of their early powers of imagination, the source, if allowed to play itself out naturally, of greater creativity in later life. Then, as is seen so clearly in public life, we arrive at adults who fall short of demand, who cannot enter with imagination into the problems, mainly human problems, that confront them, and therefore cannot arrive at the needed solutions.
Personnellement, je trouve cette analyse très juste, mais je reconnais qu’elle est assez extrême et probablement source de controverse. Je serais intéressé de savoir ce que vous en pensez. Sont nos écoles trop “intellectualisantes” trop tôt, ou est-ce au contraire une évolution “normale” du 21ème siècle dans lequel nous vivons?
Acheter une maison au Japon! #4
Nous l’avons fait, nous avons acheté une maison au Japon! Quelques semaines se sont d’ailleurs déjà écoulées depuis la signature de l’acte. C’est en fait peu après être passés à côté de ce que nous pensions être la maison de nos rêves, que nous avons trouvé cette magnifique maison: Notre nouvelle maison Et maintenant, nous sommes contents [...]
Nous l’avons fait, nous avons acheté une maison au Japon!
Quelques semaines se sont d’ailleurs déjà écoulées depuis la signature de l’acte. C’est en fait peu après être passés à côté de ce que nous pensions être la maison de nos rêves, que nous avons trouvé cette magnifique maison:
Et maintenant, nous sommes contents d’avoir “loupé” la précédente, car celle-ci est mieux encore. C’est une grande maison (140m2 habitables) sur un beau terrain (240 m2), avec un jardin au Sud. La maison a déjà vingt ans, mais elle est en béton avec armature en acier léger, et a été construite par une compagnie renommée (Sekisui House, 積水ハウス). Construite au moment de la “bulle économique”, son premier propriétaire n’a pas lésiné sur les moyens, et tous les matériaux sont choisis avec soin. Bref, génial.
Le quartier aussi est rêvé: dans une ancienne “bunjôchi” (分譲地, c’est-à-dire un quartier résidentiel qui a été divisé en parcelles semblables, relativement spacieuses, à une certaine époque). C’est très calme, avec un bois à proximité. Que demander de mieux?
En y repensant, je me dis que c’est en prenant le temps de voir des maisons et de comparer, que petit à petit, nous avons découvert ce que nous voulions. Une maison, c’est très personnel: ce qui me plait ne te plaira pas forcément. Dans notre cas, nous avons réalisé ce qui était important pour nous: une maison spacieuse, dans un quartier résidentiel (les alentours de la maison sont presque aussi importants que la maison elle-même!) et calme, une construction solide, une maison ayant du caractère, sortant de l’ordinaire. Et aussi, nous avons compris ce qui n’était pas important pour nous: la proximité de la gare (nous sommes à 15min en bus de la gare), la nouveauté (nous ne voulions pas d’une maison neuve), les services (ex: concierge) que l’on peut obtenir dans un grand immeuble, ni même la proximité du centre de Tôkyô (quoi qu’en express, il faut a peine 45 min pour arriver au centre).
Une fois que nous avons trouvé, il a fallu aller très vite: faire une offre, et lancer les demandes de prêt auprès des organismes financiers. Il est relativement difficile pour un étranger d’obtenir un prêt au Japon sans avoir le statut de résident permanent (eijuuken, 永住権) mais cela n’est pas impossible. Les grandes banques demandent les conditions suivantes: travailler (CDI) dans une entreprise de taille moyenne, avoir une somme de départ équivalente à min 20% du montant total de l’achat, et avoir fait la demande de résident permanent (chose amusante: il suffit d’avoir fait la demande et n’est pas nécessaire qu’elle soit acceptée, ce qui est heureux étant donné la longue période nécessaire pour obtenir une réponse).
Ensuite, il fallu moins de deux mois avant que nous soyons dans la maison. Tout cela s’est vraiment bien goupillé, car avec la naissance de ma deuxième fille, nous commencions vraiment à nous sentir à l’étroit dans l’appartement que nous habitions.
La leçon que j’en retire est une leçon de patience et de persévérence.
Ma fille a grandi en un an!
Le week-end passé, nous avons participé à un petit festival organisé tous les ans par la (future) école maternelle de ma fille. Ce qui est intéressant est que nous avons participé à ce festival il y a un an (pratiquement jour pour jour), et que les activités étaient les mêmes que l’année passées. “Pourquoi est-ce [...]
Le week-end passé, nous avons participé à un petit festival organisé tous les ans par la (future) école maternelle de ma fille. Ce qui est intéressant est que nous avons participé à ce festival il y a un an (pratiquement jour pour jour), et que les activités étaient les mêmes que l’année passées.
“Pourquoi est-ce intéressant?” me direz-vous. Eh bien car j’ai pu retrouver ma fille dans une situation pratiquement identique à celle d’il y a un an, et voir son évolution. Epoustouflant! L’année passée, Manon avait 19 mois (cette année, 2 ans et 7 mois) et on voit vraiment le changement: elle est passée du stade bébé passif, au stade de l’enfant actif, qui prend sa place dans les activités.
Jugez par vous-même (les photos de gauche sont de 2007, celles de droite sont de 2008).
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Google Streetview: waow!
Avez-vous essayé Google Streetview? C’est vraiment terrible. Ca existe apparemment depuis 2-3 jours sur Google Maps, et ça permet de voir le détails des maisons bordant les rues. Il faut évidemment qu’elles soient couvertes, càd que la voiture Google soit passée avec sa caméra à 360 degrés pour les photographier, mais il [...]
Avez-vous essayé Google Streetview? C’est vraiment terrible. Ca existe apparemment depuis 2-3 jours sur Google Maps, et ça permet de voir le détails des maisons bordant les rues. Il faut évidemment qu’elles soient couvertes, càd que la voiture Google soit passée avec sa caméra à 360 degrés pour les photographier, mais il semble que la couverture soit excellente. Pour vous illustrer ça, j’ai retrouvé notre appartement. Pas mal, n’est-ce pas?
2:54 AM | |
Leadership Coaching for Risk-Taking Followers – Four Essential Qualities of Effective Followers
Risk-Taking Followers Are you working in a company or law firm where followers manage themselves well? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be a more effective leader? Does your company or law firm have collaborative...
Risk-Taking Followers
Are you working in a company or law firm where followers manage themselves well? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be a more effective leader? Does your company or law firm have collaborative leader-follower relationships?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Do followers in our company take risks by speaking openly and candidly to leaders?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent followers encourage creating work relationships with leaders based on mutual trust and respect.
Do followers in your organization feel empowered to manage speak truth to power?� Are you able to create a socially intelligent workplace where leaders and followers are energized by developing trusting leader-follower relationships?
Four Qualities of Effective Followers:
1.�They manage themselves well: The key to being effective as a follower is paradoxically the ability to think for oneself. Followers also see themselves as equals to the leader they follow.
2.�They are committed to a higher purpose: They work towards the purpose of the organization, and to certain principles and values outside of themselves. If they see a misalignment with personal values, they may withdraw their support either by changing jobs or by changing leaders.
3.�They build their strengths: They have high standards of performance and are continually learning and updating their skills and abilities. They seek out extra work and responsibilities gladly in order to stretch themselves.
4.�They take risks: They are credible, honest and have the courage to speak up. They give credit where due, but also admit mistakes. They are insightful and candid and they are willing to take risks. They can keep leaders and colleagues honest and informed.
In information-age organizations, hundreds of decentralized units process and rapidly act on varied input within the design and purpose of the organization. This requires an entirely different relationship between leaders and followers.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader and or a valuable follower. You can become a leader or follower who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
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Leadership Coaching for Giving Feedback to the Boss – The Job of Effective Followers
Follow The LeaderAre you working in a company or law firm where followers properly manage their power? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be a better leader? Does your company or law firm have leader-follower...
Follow The Leader
Are you working in a company or law firm where followers properly manage their power? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be a better leader? Does your company or law firm have leader-follower relationships that built on mutual trust and respect?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture encourage followers to give necessary feedback to leaders at the top?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent followers encourage creating collaborative work relationships with leaders where ongoing feedback is required.
Do followers in your organization feel empowered to manage their boss? Are you Are you able to create a socially intelligent workplace where leaders and followers are energized by developing trusting leader-follower relationships?
The Job of Effective Followers
The sooner we recognize and accept our powerful position as followers, the sooner we can fully develop responsible, synergistic relationships in our organizations.According to Ira Chaleff (The Courageous Follower, 2003), there are three things we need to understand in order to fully assume responsibility as followers.
1.�Understand our power and how to use it. As followers, we have far more power than we usually acknowledge. We must understand the sources of our power, whom we serve and the tools we have to achieve the group’s mission. We have a unique vantage point as follower or team member, but we have to know that and use it.
2.�Appreciate the value of the leader and the contributions he or she makes to forward the organization’s mission. We need to understand the pressures upon the leader that can wear down creativity, good humor and resolve. We can learn how to minimize these forces and contribute to bringing out the leader’s strengths for the good of the group and the common purpose.
3.�Work toward minimizing the pitfalls of power by helping the leader to remain on track for the long-term common good. We are all witness to how power can corrupt, and it takes courage and skill to speak up. We can learn how to counteract the dark tendency of power. Feedback to the leader is necessary for the new leadership styles to be effective.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader and or a valuable follower. You can become a leader or follower who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
�
Executive Coaching for Leaders Who Meditate: Enjoy the Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
Leaders Who Meditate Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders meditate? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm presence under pressure?One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our...
Leaders Who Meditate
Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders meditate? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm presence under pressure?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture support leaders meditating to better handle pressure?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders often meditate to manage stress.
Mindfulness Meditation Benefits
There are two basic approaches to cultivating leadership talents through mindfulness meditation. One is to engage the practice as a method that allows us to improve ourselves. From this perspective, we can develop abilities and benefits. For example, research shows that meditation produces the following positive results:
•�Enhanced physical health
•�Enhanced emotional health
•�Reduced anxiety and stress
•�Feelings of joy and compassion
•�Enhanced wisdom
But if you view meditation solely as a means to achieve positive outcomes, you may misinterpret what you’re really doing and misunderstand the reasons why it’s important.
The other perspective is to approach meditation from the standpoint of appreciating the experience for itself. Meditation is no longer a means of achieving anything at all. Rather, it becomes an expression of who we are as we meditate.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a leader who benefits from regular meditation. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
Leadership Coaching for Mindful Leaders: Self-Awareness is Key to Leadership
Mindful Leaders Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders are self-aware? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm and reassuring presence under pressure?One of the most powerful questions one can ask is...
Mindful Leaders
Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders are self-aware? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm and reassuring presence under pressure?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture support the importance of leaders'�self-reflection?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders know themselves and how they impact others.
Mindfulness
Most business books focus on how leaders can achieve more. How can you do more, better…and faster? This�post takes the opposite tack: how and why, as leaders, you should sit and be still. How do your leadership skills benefit when you take time to quiet your mind and simply sit and be still?
�
Psychologist Daniel Goleman, an authority on emotional intelligence in organizations, calls this the leadership paradox in Primal Leadership: “For leaders, the first task in management has nothing to do with leading others; step one poses the challenge of knowing and managing oneself.”
This includes:
•�Connecting with deep values that guide
•�Imbuing actions with meaning
•�Aligning emotions with goals
•�Keeping ourselves motivated
•�Keeping ourselves focused and on task
When we act in accord with these inner measures, we feel good about what we do. Our emotions become contagious. When we, as leaders, feel positive, energized and enthusiastic about our work, so do those we influence.
Honing the skills of awareness leads to mindfulness—becoming aware of what’s going on inside and around us on several levels. Mindfulness is living in a state of full, conscious awareness of one’s whole self, other people and the context in which we live and work.
Before you dismiss mindfulness as New Age rhetoric, pay attention to the research. Recent studies in management science, psychology and neuroscience point to the importance of developing mindfulness and experiencing meditation.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring and mindful leader. You can become a leader or follower who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
3:02 AM | |
Best shopping cart software
Are you looking for affordable and easy to use software to start your online business? Then let Ashop commerce do the job for you. Ashop Commerce is one of the most popular and trusted names in shopping cart software providers. The experts are always there to give you valuable guidance you may require to establish an online store or develop your existing business. This fantastic software can definitely improve your sales and can attract potential customers. The shopping cart provided by Ashop commerce is 100% search engine optimized and it makes sure that your products are listed in all the major search engines thereby promoting your business on a very large scale. This unique software can make your online transactions easier and generate a lot of revenue for your business. The best part is that you are given free 10 days trial to try this fabulous software. This ecommerce software is being preferred by most of the online merchants to promote their business. The award winning features help you to build an online store which can compete with some of the leading sites. So if you want to build a powerful online store with some of the best features you can rely on Ashopcommerce to get your job done.
Make your search simpler
JustDial, this interactive search engine has made searching for any local information on the internet quite easy. You don’t have to refer to yellow pages anymore for finding any information. This service caters to nearly 5 million users a month and covers around 46 cities in India. It has also been estimated that more than 24 million customers are using Just dial services and have found it to be very useful. Guess wat? This company was started with an investment of just $ 1000.Since its inception this company has experienced unprecedented growth and has now become the No. 1 local search engine. Around 80,000 SME advertisers use this superb service to promote their business. Its strong emphasis on customer satisfaction has lead to tremendous growth both in quality and reputation in a short span of time. You can download the Just Dial Toolbar and search for any local information in over 40 cities. Use this innovative service and make your search simpler.
Business Quiz 9 Answers
1.Naina Lal Kidwai-CEO of HSBC
2.Jesop & Co Ltd
3.Gooleplex
4.Afghanistan
5.SmithKline Beecham
6.Quality,Service and Cleanliness
7.Micheal Crichton
8.Castrol
9.IBM
10.Nokia
No more ADC says TRAI
It has been found that India is the fastest growing mobile market in the world. It has also been predicted that India is all set to become the second largest mobile market by 2010.Is it possible to reach this milestone much earlier? From April 1st next month its happy days for all the mobile consumers in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to completely phase out Access Deficit charge (ADC), thus paving the way for lower tariffs and cheaper calls. ADC is a levy paid by private players like Airtel, Vodafone etc to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for offering services in rural areas. It exists in two parts: domestic service providers pay 0.75 percent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR), while international long distance (ILD) service providers pay Re 1 per minute on international incoming calls. With the latest announcement, no ADC will be charged on domestic calls, while international incoming calls will be charged at 50 paise per call, which is 50 percent less. This is also expected to completely phased out after September 30.Private players which have been demanding the removal of ADC since last year have welcomed this TRAI directive. Meanwhile the private players Airtel, Vodafone, Tata etc are expected to announce new reduced tariffs within a few weeks time.
3:02 AM | |
Weekend round-up
Kyle Boreing has joined David Bruce Murray’s (mostly silent) group of blogging partners. Good luck, KB. This two-man quartet clip (via DBM) that’s been making the round is really just wonderfully delightful. Take a look. I’ve failed to mention this for a while but you may (or, more likely, may not) have noticed that the never quite [...]
- Kyle Boreing has joined David Bruce Murray’s (mostly silent) group of blogging partners. Good luck, KB.
- This two-man quartet clip (via DBM) that’s been making the round is really just wonderfully delightful. Take a look.
- I’ve failed to mention this for a while but you may (or, more likely, may not) have noticed that the never quite comprehensible sgblognews appears finally to have bit the dust.
- Gerald Wolfe still thinks piracy will be the end of the music as we know it (judging by the three blog posts he’s managed to crank out over the past five months or so, Wolfe has pretty much one setting as a blogger: Chicken Little). Over at musicscribe, DBM responds, and Mickey Gamble, from Crossroads Music, posts a comment that contextualizes the question more fully within the dynamics of the southern gospel industry. For all you inside baseball industry junkies, these are all worth your time, esp the latter two.
SGM Search
Potential infringement on the Google logo trademark notwithstanding, this is a pretty entertaining diversion, brought to you by my old friend from the pioneer days of sg blogging, the erstwhile sgmblogger: Enter most any word or phrase and the search returns pretty much whatever it can find that’s related to sg and that designated [...]
Potential infringement on the Google logo trademark notwithstanding, this is a pretty entertaining diversion, brought to you by my old friend from the pioneer days of sg blogging, the erstwhile sgmblogger: Enter most any word or phrase and the search returns pretty much whatever it can find that’s related to sg and that designated word or phrase. For such a simple concept, it has high diversionary power, esp at work and esp on a Friday.
Four chords and case of arson
Looks like we may be able to add arson to the list of “stupid choices” (to borrow a phrase from Christianshame.com) that gospel singers make (h/t, S and DY).
Looks like we may be able to add arson to the list of “stupid choices” (to borrow a phrase from Christianshame.com) that gospel singers make (h/t, S and DY).
Goodbye, Nick
Nick Trammell is leaving the Perrys (and yes, it did indeed say he “tenured” his resignation … though I see it’s since been fixed). Can’t say I’m shocked. Troy Peach will fill in for now. Is there any chance Katy Peach will make any appearances? Probably an arranger’s nightmare … but still … Update: DBM has [...]
Nick Trammell is leaving the Perrys (and yes, it did indeed say he “tenured” his resignation … though I see it’s since been fixed). Can’t say I’m shocked. Troy Peach will fill in for now. Is there any chance Katy Peach will make any appearances? Probably an arranger’s nightmare … but still …
Update: DBM has some thoughts on what might be next for Trammell.
Later Update: Well, that didn’t take long. Troy Peach is now the permanent baritone. Not the first person I would have thought of … his is a much less refined sound than the Perrys have been cultivating lately. But a sensible, safe choice all the same. He obviously knows the music already, so they don’t lose much down time bringing a new guy up to speed for the next project that is already in the works.
More on charting
Two views. One from the inside (Kyle) … It’s much ado about nothing. I’m not sure why everyone is getting all worked up over something that is essentially “manufactured news.” What Mr. Catoe claims to have done in falsifying his charts is nothing new to southern gospel or any other genre. The SN weeded out a [...]
Two views. One from the inside (Kyle) …
It’s much ado about nothing. I’m not sure why everyone is getting all worked up over something that is essentially “manufactured news.” What Mr. Catoe claims to have done in falsifying his charts is nothing new to southern gospel or any other genre. The SN weeded out a large number of charting stations not long ago for sending in false reports. Mr Catoe has just saved them some trouble for the next phase.
We’ve went round and round about the airplay charts before on averyfineline, and this trip down memory lane doesn’t add anything new to the discussion.
As has been discussed before, the only true way to get a true airplay chart is to have a listening service (there are a couple of them) that monitors station airplay and record spins. But, before those services pick up southern gospel, there needs to parties willing to subscribe to the data. So far, that hasn’t happened.
And, as has been discussed before, airplay charts only show what’s popular at a given station. The true test is the sales chart from the local bookstores.
… and one from the outside, sort of
Is sg radio truly this hokey? When I was a dj at a ccm station in the late 80s and early 90s, we reported to CCM Magazine charts. Our Music Director determined which songs to add as new each week, which songs to keep in heavy rotation, which songs to have as recurrents, etc. Then he entered them into a fairly simple computer program and printed out assigned playlists for every hour of the day. Djs could play requests occasionally, but not more than one an hour, and we had to record them on a “request” sheet (as well as which song on the playlist we skipped) and the MD would keep track of them. The computer compiled the list of songs that we submitted to CCM Magazine. This is basic to professional radio branding and formatting, and for providing consistency to listeners.
As far as sg radio goes, I only get Solid Gospel and there aren’t many sg stations here in central Indiana–so I admit general ignorance about the current state of sg radio. Is sg radio so hokey that each dj chooses what he/she wants to play, without any guidance from a Music Director? If so, then no wonder so many people complain about sg radio playing trash.
Contrary to what the overly-superspiritual joyful-noisers have been saying, there is a very good reason why having a RELIABLE chart is important. In order to run a successful business, retailers need to know what is popular and what is not so they know what and how much to order for their inventory. Concert promoters need to have a reasonable idea of who is currently popular so that they can make responsible decisions about who to book for concerts, and how many tickets they can expect to sell–i.e., whether a given artist will have enough draw to pay the flats. Artists need to have a reasonable idea of how their songs are doing and which ones are attracting attention.
The job of radio promoters is just as important, because record companies aren’t going to make any money if no one buys their CDs (in which case the record companies would go out of business and there would be no CDs to buy or sell). One way to sell CDs is to expose songs to people who might want to buy them–and the primary buying audience is people who listen to sg radio, so that’s the best place to advertise your product. Promoting a song to radio is a form of advertising. It does no good if the song hits only position #38 and then stays in the same spot for 18 months because hokey sg dj in City A is the only one playing it in January, then hokey sg dj in City B is the only one playing it in February, then hokey sg dj in City C is the only one playing it in March, and so on. The only way to get strong chart exposure is to try to encourage ALL sg radio stations to add it at the same time and hope that it makes its way up the charts. That’s the purpose of a good promoter.
YES, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY AND THE INDUSTRY. Without viable record companies and concert promoters and retailers, you have no industry, and without an industry you have no genre.
Suggesting that simply having charts equals “sin” (and especially when done in the holier-than-thou manner that several have done so far) is absurd, both theologically and practically. If there is any “sin” in the process, it is the sin that the guy confessed to in the original “press release.” The charts are not the problem. He is, and I’m glad he’s resolved to stop that particular sin. Hopefully he can work on his judgmental attitude next.
1:59 AM | |
Electrograph to show full range of digital signage options at DSE
X2O Media announces software plus services strategy
Sony announces sponsorship of DOOH Technology Summit at Screenmedia Expo 2009
iSign bringing Bluetooth, screen integration to DSE
JELCO, Inc. introduces mobile digital signage video wall solution
BF Group to show Westfield Centre digital signage at Screenmedia Expo
John Ryan releases European financial digital signage survey
Ingram Micro sees ‘pockets of opportunity’ for VARS of digital signage, IT
Accuweather digital signage content coming to DynaSign
1:59 AM | |
Belmont Kennedys Share Musical Legacy, Wisdom
On Wed., Feb. 25, the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business welcomed to the "Insider’s View" stage the talented Kennedy family. Led by father Jerry, an inaugural inductee in the Musician's Hall of Fame, the Kennedy men have all...
Risk Roulette
Dear Copywriter, Do you have what it takes to stand behind your RESULTS as a copywriter and get paid only when you create those RESULTS? For your sake, I hope not. You’re going to love this… Who’s Responsible for This? I was on the phone the other week with a potential client. The proposal was worth about $47,000 [...]
Dear Copywriter,
Do you have what it takes to stand behind your RESULTS as a copywriter and get paid only when you create those RESULTS?
For your sake, I hope not.
You’re going to love this…
Who’s Responsible for This?
I was on the phone the other week with a potential client.
The proposal was worth about $47,000 and we were getting near the part where the client “unveils” his decision.
“Everything looks great… in fact, this is the best proposal we’ve gotten… There’s only one problem…”
I asked him what the problem was…
“It’s the price… it’s a whole lot more than everyone else.”
“So what’s the problem with that exactly?” I asked.
“Well, everything you’ve laid out here sounds good. In fact, it’s pretty exciting. But there’s just one thing…”
“What if what you’re proposing doesn’t work? Then what? Where’s our guarantee?”
At that point, I knew I had made a major blunder. Not right then… but a phone call or two before.
I hadn’t made it clear that there ARE no guarantees in business. I expect that any intelligent business owner would realize that by day 2 of their business career. Clearly I overestimated.
Except this really wasn’t really about guarantees. It was about something I should have noticed long before.
The client wasn’t really operating on a level where VALUE was important. They were only operating on the plane of PRICE. PRICE was important.
Low Price = Good
High Price = Bad
If they had been interested in VALUE, they would have been salivating when I showed them how to add $92,000 per MONTH to their bottom line… with one SMALL tweak.
(Get this… the $92,000 was a SLIVER of what these folks were really sitting on. In fact, it was about 20% of what was really possible… I always like to be conservative
But they weren’t salivating… and that’s because they weren’t educated properly about VALUE (by me).
Instead, they turned to a guarantee to justify even considering such a high fee. Where’s the guarantee?
Your #1 Business Priority
Here’s the deal:
I’m in business to maximize my profit.
And I’m savvy enough to understand that truly the best way to do that is to maximize the VALUE I deliver to my clients.
But that DOESN’T mean I’m interested in accepting the business risk of my client as part of my compensation.
That, to me, is a STUPID business decision.
Now some folks would say that means I’m not cut out to be in this business. If I can’t “stand behind my results,” then what good am I?
I think that’s hogwash put out by folks who know that intimidating people is often a good way to sell them something. Perhaps a little coaching… or my copywriting course?
Standing behind results is completely different than basing your compensation solely on results.
The first is professional… You DO stand behind your results. Sometimes they are good. Sometimes they are not good.
But basing your compensation solely on your results (because some guru said you should) is plain dumb.
I’ve created promotions where everyone got all hot and bothered because it was going to be a slam dunk. The copy’s great… the marketing is great… the experts approve, the gurus love it… yada yada.
And then it flopped.
On the other hand, I’ve THROWN together sales letters, literally writing them in 2 hours (or less) and had things go nuts…
What’s the deal?
The deal is that this is how business works.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don’t. There ARE no guarantees.
So it’s best to figure out how to deliver value to your client and get compensated well REGARDLESS of the results that are generated.
After all, it’s rare that you actually control enough of the moving parts in the success equation.
And what kind of savvy business person would enter into an agreement like that?
“Okay… I get paid WELL if this actually works. Even though I can’t control whether the market actually WANTS what you’re selling… Even though I can’t control whether the people you’re talking to are the right people for this offer.”
It would be a little bit like entering a drag race… and showing up to the starting line with your “client issued” Yugo that was missing a left front wheel. That’s what the client has to work with… so you’ll have to make do.
You get paid if you win the race.
Sounds just a bit crazy doesn’t it?
It’s certainly not the type of foundation I want to build a business on.
Results based competition is fine when I’m a PARTNER in a business. In that case, I’ve signed on for a share of the risk commensurate with my share of the upside should things work out.
But that’s NOT generally the situation with CLIENTS.
You get paid a fee for delivering value. The extent to which your client perceives that you are delivering value, despite what actually happens in the market, will determine your income.
If your income depends solely on the results you generate with a client, you are in for a LONG and very uncertain road.
You’ll get a lot of clients… you just won’t get paid.
Results are Gravy
(You Don’t Live on Gravy)
Now I’m not suggesting you don’t stand behind your work.
But if a client ever asks you to “put your money where your mouth is” and get paid based on RESULTS….
Well, I’d run the other way. That’s simply not a level of responsibility that you need to accept.
You’re in business to profit. You are not in business to accept the risk your CLIENT is responsible for as the owner of a business.
That’s suicide.
Believe me… I’ve done it. And I only have 6 of my 9 lives left because of it.
So be creative. Structure your client engagements so you aren’t waiting for “the big one” in order to make some money.
But most of all, be CONFIDENT that you deliver value before and regardless of what actually happens in the market place.
You DO do that right? (Of course you do…)
“But what about all of the famous copywriters who say that results-based ROYALTIES are the only way to get wealthy in this business?”
That may be… but I guarantee you that the smart ones don’t depend on royalties to feed their families…
Of course, I don’t accept their premise that royalties are the only way to get wealthy in this business. It’s the only way if you’re not creative to think up another way.
You get paid for VALUE you deliver to your client. Does value mean that your salesletter/marketing system generated millions and millions of dollars?
Maybe, maybe not.
The market decides that. But it’s best to get paid no matter what they decide.
How to Use Discounts the Smart Way
Could you actually increase your income as a copywriter by discounting your services? Maybe… Today’s issue will give you some ideas about how to make it happen for you. Plus, you’ll get another gem from the furniture retailing world that you can apply to your business starting today. Discounts Suck… or Do They? When I was getting [...]
Could you actually increase your income as a copywriter by discounting your services?
Maybe…
Today’s issue will give you some ideas about how to make it happen for you. Plus, you’ll get another gem from the furniture retailing world that you can apply to your business starting today.
Discounts Suck… or Do They?
When I was getting started as a copywriter, there were a few very vocal copywriters on the scene who went around pounding their chests telling people they NEVER discounted their services.
I made the mistake of listening to them and never offered a discount for my services.
I was “too good” for that.
And plus, should you really have to offer a discount if your marketing is good enough to attract high quality prospects?
That’s what all the marketing experts will tell you.
But in my experience, it’s not nearly so black and white.
I’ve found that using discounts in a smart way can produce a huge boost for your business. And it all has to do with a very important 8 letter word.
How to Get the Money Fast
That word is C-A-S-H-F-L-O-W…
In my experience, the only thing worse than not making a nice income as a copywriter is booking a ton of business but not actually having the money in your pocket.
That really stinks.
After all, you can’t buy food with money coming later…
You can’t make house payments either…
And that’s why it’s become my mantra that “every day you wait to get payment in full from your client increases the chances that it will never happen.”
And THAT’S the reason you offer a discount for your services.
Now those same chest pounding copywriters will probably tell you that you should ALWAYS get payment in full… upfront… before you begin any work.
Have you tried that recently?
Sometimes it works fine… sometimes it doesn’t.
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t really have the luxury of a big reputation and ego that brings clients to my door with eyes glazed over… willing to pay me whatever it takes to work with me.
I’m not a rock star and have no intention of becoming one. I DO have an intention of building a stable business that doesn’t fizzle out after people begin to see past the “rock-star” front.
So here’s how to increase your chances of getting full payment in advance:
Reward your client for doing it.
Which is more valuable to your business? A $13,500 project payable over three months… or a $13,500 project with a 10% discount for payment in advance?
I know which one I take each and every time.
The GOB Technique
I had a client once in the furniture business.
In that world, there are companies that do nothing more than travel from city to city staging “Going Out of Business” sales for furniture retailers.
They come in and create a BUNCH of hoopla (with cars driving around the city, signs everywhere, a lot of marketing noise, etc.) and announce the Big Going Out of Business Sale at Furniture Retailer X. They invite everyone over for unbelievable savings, yada, yada, yada…
Oh yeah, and they often inflate the prices of the merchandise so that the unbelievable “discount” they offer is little more than a marketing gimmick.
So how can you apply this technique to your copywriting business in a way that you can still sleep at night?
Well, I’m not suggesting you inflate your prices simply to offer a discount to your prospects and clients.
That’s pretty transparent and not a good long term strategy at all.
But I AM suggesting you inflate the value of the services you provide by actually delivering MORE value to your client and charging accordingly.
We’re selling intangible stuff here as a copywriter. Sure, there are words on a page. But the main thing we’re selling is ideas.
And just because your client ASKS for a salesletter doesn’t mean that’s what you have to sell them. After all, is the salesletter really all they want?
Of course not…
They want what they think the salesletter will create for them.
And that is sales, revenue and growth.
So how many other ways can you help them get to their real goal?
There are a TON of ways. And the only limit is your creativity.
That’s why you should be offering OPTIONS in the proposals you create for your prospects.
It’s a quick and powerful way to give yourself a raise AND help your clients.
Decision Time
Dear Copywriter Today, the focus is on one of the most aggravating parts of being a freelance copywriter: Getting Your Prospect to Make a Decision I’m sure you’ve had it happen. You get the proposal together, you submit it… and then: NOTHING but silence. You call, you write, STILL nothing. No response. More times than not, the silence speaks [...]
Dear Copywriter
Today, the focus is on one of the most aggravating parts of being a freelance copywriter:
Getting Your Prospect to Make a Decision
I’m sure you’ve had it happen. You get the proposal together, you submit it… and then:
NOTHING but silence.
You call, you write, STILL nothing. No response.
More times than not, the silence speaks volumes. No deal. But can you really ever be sure?
Wouldn’t it be nice to just get a simple decision so you can move on?
Frankly, when this happens, it annoys the hell out of me. Mainly because I know I could have (should have) kept this situation from ever occurring.
So today’s issue is about how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
If You Just Give Them the Ball,They Might NOT Give It Back
So how do you know that just because you give a prospect a proposal that you’re going to get a decision in return?
You think that’s the deal right?
Have you asked your prospect about that?
Believe it or not, the problem with an unresponsive prospect usually has little to do with your proposal.
The problem actually occurs much, much earlier in the selling process.
Not getting a response to your proposal is simply a symptom of the larger problem.
Here’s the problem:
You never had a real prospect to begin with. Because you didn’t make it clear to that prospect exactly what was expected of them.
And that needs to happen before you ever actually write words on the page. The REAL proposal happens while you are talking with your prospect face-to-face or on the phone.
The real proposal happens…
…while you are uncovering his pain
…while you are hearing HIS definition of a successful project (in dollars and cents)
…while you are making it clear your fees are not low, but your services ARE valuable
…while you are making it clear that you expect a timely decision-that you can accept a yes, or a no, but what you will not accept is a “maybe”
…while you make it clear exactly what he needs to do and when
The actual proposal you submit is nothing more than a summary of what the prospect has already agreed to. Pretty much the only thing he won’t know until he reads the proposal is the fee information.
How Easily We Forget
If I told you just how many times I’ve repeated this same mistake over and over, you’d probably fall off your chair laughing.
But that doesn’t mean you need to suffer the same fate.
As a copywriter, giving your prospect a deadline for a response is pretty much direct marketing 101, right?
So why is it so hard to remember that when it’s YOUR prospect?
Because when it’s YOUR prospect, you’ve got a partner to deal with. Your “partner” is your emotions.
Emotions mess up a lot of things.
Emotions say you NEED the money.
Emotions tell you that you MUST get the business.
Over the past 2 years, my emotions have been responsible for botching more deals than just about anything else.
So it’s best to deal with them as quickly as possible.
It’s Not About the Business, It’s About the Decision
Once you get your emotions out of the way, you’ll realize that all you really need from a prospect is a decision in a timely manner.
Who cares if it’s yes or no? If your lead generation systems are working, there WILL be other prospects.
So next time you’re on the phone with a prospect, make sure you get clear on exactly what is going to happen once you submit that proposal.
You do that simply by asking for small commitments from your prospect as you go along.
You can say something like:
“Mr. Prospect, I’m happy to prepare a proposal for you and get it to you within 24 hours. There’s just one thing… I always put an expiration date on my proposals. Not so much because I won’t be available after that time, but mainly so that we can decide whether or not to move forward in a timely manner.”
“If this is not a good fit, I’m sure we’d both like to know as soon as possible. So once you receive the proposal, will 4 days be enough to go through the information, get your questions answered and make your decision? Do you see any reason why you would not be able to work within that schedule?”
Try this next time. It’ll keep you moving forward and help stop time wasters from driving you crazy.
Belmont Marks Start of Lent with Ash Wednesday Service
On Wednesday, Belmont marked the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent, a time of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, with an Ash Wednesday service in Neely Hall. Co-officiating at the service were Bishop David R. Choby of the...
The Fee Question: A Study in Bass Ackwards
Dear Copywriter, Today let’s talk about wasting time. YOUR time. This issue is short and to the point. ============================== Surprise… the Joke’s On You ============================== I always hate it when I go through all the work to attract a prospect, learn about their business, create a proposal (which takes some thinking if you’re doing it right), play the waiting game to get [...]
Dear Copywriter,
Today let’s talk about wasting time. YOUR time. This issue is
short and to the point.
==============================
Surprise… the Joke’s On You
==============================
I always hate it when I go through all the work to attract a
prospect, learn about their business, create a proposal (which
takes some thinking if you’re doing it right), play the waiting
game to get a decision… and only THEN have them say: “The only
objection I have is the fee.”
Every time that happens, I have this feeling like I’ve surprised
my prospect with my fees.
We go through all of this work and then there’s the big
aaaahhhhHAAAAAAA where I unveil the fee.
It’s funny that it feels like I’m surprising my prospect… it’s
really ME who gets the surprise when things go south.
Surprise… the joke’s on me.
I don’t like that.
It’s a lot of work to get a prospect to that point in the sales
process… and frankly, you end up kissing a lot of frogs before
you find your prince (or princess
So maybe there’s a better way.
========================================
The Anchors Get Set First
========================================
Now think about this with your RATIONAL mind. Do you have any
business talking to a prospect who can’t/won’t afford the fees
you charge?
Of course not.
So why do all of us spend so much time talking to prospects who
have no business being our clients?
I’ll tell you why I do it.
I do it because of that little flicker of HOPE that I have. The
HOPE that I can turn all prospects into clients.
I just have to show them VALUE and THEN there might be a chance.
HOGWASH
Here’s a better way to do it:
===================================
The Last Shall Be First: Why Not?
===================================
So why not try something different?
Why not move the discussion of fees UPFRONT?
Wouldn’t that help?
To be able to say to your prospect:
“Now Ms. Prospect, I have to warn you… sometimes I’m told that
my services are too expensive. And I really have to agree. They
are expensive… if you’re talking about price.”
“If you’re talking about VALUE, then it’s quite a different
matter. If you invest five or ten thousand dollars in my
services and receive 5 or 10 times that back on your investment,
wouldn’t you consider that a successful investment? I know I
would…”
“Of course there are no guarantees, but I just want to make sure
that you’re willing to invest that kind of money if you see the
potential of that return.”
“Are you willing to do that? If so, we can move forward. If
not, we probably are just wasting each other’s time.”
Try it….
Just change the words enough so they feel like your own. You’ll
save yourself a lot of wasted time, effort and frustration.
Peeling Onions for Dollars
Dear Copywriter, I’m waiting to hear about 2 proposals I have out totaling somewhere between $60K and $80K depending on which packages are selected. The first proposal is for a repeat client. The second is for a potential new client. The reason I’m telling you this is because NEITHER of these clients came to [...]
Dear Copywriter,
I’m waiting to hear about 2 proposals I have out totaling somewhere between $60K and $80K depending on which packages are selected.
The first proposal is for a repeat client. The second is for a potential new client.
The reason I’m telling you this is because NEITHER of these clients came to me for big projects.
In fact, when we first spoke, they BOTH wanted to hire a “copywriter.” One of them just needed some emails.
Peeling an Onion for Dollars
So how do you go from getting a call to write a salesletter or some emails all the way to projects worth tens of thousands of dollars?
The answer is you get there slowly. And carefully.
It’s kind of like peeling an onion.
But in this case, the onion is your client’s business. And the CORE of the onion is where all the money is.
When you get to the core of the onion, you know the REAL needs of your client and you know the REAL results that can be created by meeting those needs.
And THAT’S what your focus becomes: helping the client get from where she is to where she wants to go.
That has NOTHING to do with copywriting.
Of course, the client doesn’t always know what she needs. And chances are, she has no idea what her needs are truly costing her business.
That’s where you come in.
You point out the problems. You attach a number to those problems. You SOLVE those problems. You get rewarded.
Email Copywriting Worth $50,000?
So as your B.S. detector might tell you, there’s probably no client out there who will pay $50,000 for you to write some emails.
Maybe it happens. But it’s never happened to me. And I’m not holding my breath.
What clients WILL pay for are SALES. They WILL pay for improvements made in their business.
Copywriting can be used to do that… but it’s really just one piece of the puzzle.
And that’s why I’d recommend (from one copywriter to another), that you seriously consider getting out of the copywriting business altogether.
It’s Time to Change Your Mindset
If you’re JUST a copywriter, then you appear in the EXPENSE side of your client’s profit and loss statement.
I know that’s not what you hear. “Copywriters” MAKE businesses money. They pay for themselves… yada, yada, yada.
You usually hear that from the people that are selling copywriting courses.
And it’s true. IF the promotion works.
And if it doesn’t, then you’re just another liability.
Took me a while to realize that. But it’s KEY.
Start selling stuff your clients really want. They want more leads, more sales, more profits and a better business.
To create results like that, you need to learn how to do more than just write copy. You need to learn how to run and grow a business. You need to learn how to market products and services. How to setup a marketing/sales funnel that can be measured and improved over time.
All of those things can be learned quickly.
You walk into a potential client situation knowing how to generate leads, increase sales, and increase profits and you’ll make every other “copywriter” look like a pretty risky investment.
Try it. It works.
3:04 AM | |
Former Microsoft exec returning after Yahoo stint
Shared by wilson That’s why its not good to burn your bridges… Scott Moore, who left Microsoft four years ago for Yahoo, is re-embracing Redmond, according to AllThingsD. Go to Source
Shared by wilson
That’s why its not good to burn your bridges…
Scott Moore, who left Microsoft four years ago for Yahoo, is re-embracing Redmond, according to AllThingsD.
Go to Source
02/14/09 - V-Day in the Back Bay Baby Baby
Rain threatens again (I swear somebody has it in for the mountain bikers). Seems like every weekend is wet. Well today was pretty nice, a bit cold, a bit damp, but a good day for a ride. I headed out from my house on the Mountains to Sea trail. It goes through Peter’s Canyon Wilderness [...]
Rain threatens again (I swear somebody has it in for the mountain bikers). Seems like every weekend is wet. Well today was pretty nice, a bit cold, a bit damp, but a good day for a ride. I headed out from my house on the Mountains to Sea trail. It goes through Peter’s Canyon Wilderness Park, which I was surprised to see open. Lots of people out today, especially road riders. Lots of spandex, ugh. The trail takes you all the way to PCH, where it overlooks the ocean and the back bay. I just picked up a Flip camcorder and had to try it out.
It was a long ride considering I haven’t been on the bike much in the past 3 months.
Twitter Could 'Go for Years' Without Earning a Dime, Investor Says
Shared by wilson But its not like they can keep growing without a business model…. It seems to say that once you nail a business model, and knows how to monetize the traffic you will keep growing…. Otherwise… Twitter just received another $35 million in funding, and one investor claims the company is now well-positioned to [...]
Shared by wilson
But its not like they can keep growing without a business model…. It seems to say that once you nail a business model, and knows how to monetize the traffic you will keep growing…. Otherwise…
Twitter just received another $35 million in funding, and one investor claims the company is now well-positioned to grow without nailing down a business model for years to come.
Case Study: When a Promoted Worker Disappoints
Go to Source
Inspiration from Abraham Lincoln
This year is Abe Lincoln’s 200th birthday. Of course, he comes from Illinois, and he is also the inspiration of Barack obama.� It is fitting that both are from Illinois, and Lincoln was the one who freed the blacks from slavery, and on his 200th birthday, a black man became president. � He is also one of the most original thinkers [...]
This year is Abe Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
Of course, he comes from Illinois, and he is also the inspiration of Barack
obama.� It is fitting that both are from Illinois, and Lincoln was the one
who freed the blacks from slavery, and on his 200th birthday, a black man became
president.
�
He is also one of the most original thinkers for me, and
here are some quotes of him that you should remember: ( THE THIRD ONE IS
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THESE TIMES – at all times always seek to improve
your skills).
�
On attitude:
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any other one thing.”
�
On sales:
“We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be
called on to perform what we cannot.”
�
On planning and time management:
“If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would
spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe.”
�
3:04 AM | |
SPECIAL EVENTS: We’ll ALL have what you're having!!
Are you longing to feel more “heart” in what you do and how you do it? Do you mistakenly sometimes feel you are “broken” and need to be fixed to be able to LIVE your dreams? If your answer to...
SPECIAL OFFERS: Dynamic Divas
I am so excited. I've just finished delivering a segment for the most amazing program I've ever seen. It's the first of its kind ever done. The program includes me and seven other awesome entrepreneurs, all women. In it we're...
GOALS: Learning to Think Powerfully, Like the Masters
By Eva Gregory, CPCC Do you find yourself wondering why your life is what it is? How is it that some folks seem to get whatever they want, while you seem to be stuck in a rut? Have you been...
SPECIAL OFFERS: Ambition to Meaning
In his movie debut, Ambition to Meaning, Wayne Dyer explores the spiritual journey in the second half of life when we long to shift from ambition to meaning and find the purpose that is our unique contribution to the world....
SPECIAL EVENTS: Doors to The Masters Gathering Now Open
Hi folks, Do you feel teased by the promise of "The Secret" and The Law of Attraction? Are you itching to know EXACTLY what you have to do to produce specific results... Do you find yourself on that merry-go-round of...
HAPPINESS: Dare To Love You!
This February 13 join women all over the world as they step forward to take the Madly in Love with ME™ Challenge and say YES! to be, love and live your most real, wise self for the rest of your...
SUCCESS: One Bad Apple
By Eva Gregory, CPCC Have you ever heard the expression that one bad apple can spoil the barrel? Unfortunately not only do many people believe this, but they actually live their lives by it. What about all those good apples,...
2:48 AM | |
Sunsets, God & Fruit
Have you ever sat on the edge of a lake late in the afternoon and watched the shadows growing larger and longer across the water? What causes that phenomenon? Most of us immediately think of the setting sun. But is it the sun that is actually moving? When we think about it, we know better. [...]
Have you ever sat on the edge of a lake late in the afternoon and watched the shadows growing larger and longer across the water? What causes that phenomenon? Most of us immediately think of the setting sun. But is it the sun that is actually moving? When we think about it, we know better. We have moved. The sun has remained. The earth has slowly rotated. We, like the trees or buildings casting the shadows, have moved along with the earth; and the sun has remained constant. The sun is the same at midnight as it is at noon. But because we have slowly unnoticeably moved, our perspective is completely different. Depending on where we are, we claim that the sun has risen or set.
And so it is with God. He is constant. He is always good, always loving, always generous, always forgiving. Yet the deceiver works so subtly, gaining small incremental influence with every sin we choose to justify, excuse, or hide. Occasionally others may warn us, but rarely do we realize how far we’ve moved until the darkness overtakes us. Then we wonder “Where’s God? How could he leave us? Why can’t we sense his presence anymore?”
But our movement is not as inevitable as the rotation of the earth. Each day, we choose to move toward or away from the Father. As believers, we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit, who came as the Spirit of truth to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). As we intentionally lean into God and seek to obey and honor him with our lives, we become a kind of firstfruits of all he created. He wants to be seen by us. He wants to be seen through us. Don’t be deceived. Don’t be misled.
We get tripped up when we first think of firstfruits in terms of personal sacrifice. In the Old Testament, firstfruits were meant to demonstrate honor and obedience to God. If one first thinks of his own sacrifice when offering firstfruits, he misses the point. It’s an attitude of gratitude for the sacrifice Christ made for us which brings honor to God through obeying him in everyday life. Our lives are the greatest witnesses for or against him. We choose to be firstfruits or stumbling blocks. The world is watching. What will we show them?
God is constant. Where are you?
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18 (NIV)
Extraordinary Peace
Can you remember the last time you got rattled? I mean really frustrated. It’s not hard for most of us to remember. How did you react? What did you say? What did you do? Did those you’ve been entrusted to lead line up to follow or back out of the way? Many well- intentioned leaders [...]
Can you remember the last time you got rattled? I mean really frustrated. It’s not hard for most of us to remember. How did you react? What did you say? What did you do? Did those you’ve been entrusted to lead line up to follow or back out of the way? Many well- intentioned leaders are derailed in these moments. People know our true character is revealed in trying times. They don’t want to follow someone who is blown ‘to and fro’ by the winds of circumstances.
In his letter to the community of believers in Philippi, Paul gives us simple, but not always easy, steps for overcoming stress and fear with extraordinary peace. He’s not just suggesting the kind of calm, quiet, peacefulness that a yoga instructor or an eastern meditation guide might offer. He’s offering steps for gaining “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (and) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7, NIV). This “peace of God” will give us the confidence to know “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (4:13, NIV). I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of leader that I want to follow and the kind of leader that I want to be.
In Philippians 1, Paul encourages us to gain a clear, overarching, single-minded focus each day. The heart of this message is verse 1:27a “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (NIV). The word ‘gospel’ literally means ‘good news’, but when Paul uses this word in scripture, he always means very specific good news. He means the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He means the sacrificial act that gave each of us life. In other words, Paul is challenging us to live our lives in a manner worthy of the one who gave his life so that we may live. Paul is telling us to daily decide, before challenges arise, that we will intentionally honor Christ regardless of circumstances (”whatever happens”). The first step to finding extraordinary peace is a clear intention to honor Christ each day through every word and act.
Philippians 2 tells us that the second step toward finding extraordinary peace is embracing humility. The heart of this message is 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (NIV). Since the natural questions following such a statement are ‘But what does that look like?’ and ‘How far do I have to go?’ Paul continues in verses 2:5-11 to describe in dramatic fashion the depth of self-humbling Christ endured for us.
Have you ever considered how seldom the people you work with day in and day out are genuinely served? Few of us, if any, will be asked to physically die for others. But we can’t seriously consider ourselves Christ-following leaders if we view anyone as a resource, rather than a person to be served. Ordinary leaders expect to be served. Extraordinary leaders lay aside ego and serve those they have been entrusted to lead. They don’t have to keep reminding people that they’re the leader. Humility serves extraordinary leaders far better than intimidation and humiliation serves those who embrace those tactics. I have often heard leaders say that they sensed God working through them and gained extraordinary confidence when they let go of pride and control and genuinely sought to serve, encourage, and empower others.
In chapter 3, Paul reminds us that we, Christians, have our citizenship in heaven (verse 20). He tells us in 3:13b-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (NIV). Let me remind you that he wrote these words while chained to a Roman guard most likely awaiting his execution. He seems to be reminding us in chapter 3 that there is far more to life than what’s on this side of the grass. He’s telling us that we must start each day with the end in mind. Few things can rattle us when we’re excited about spending eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior, and confident that nothing can separate us from that incredible future. The third step toward finding the peace of God is keeping an eternal perspective throughout each day.
That focus takes all the sting and power from our pasts. We don’t have to wear those old labels. We stop justifying current behaviors with past mistakes. We don’t let what Momma or Daddy did or didn’t do continue to shape our identities. We are children of God. We are heirs to the King of Kings. Addictions, guilt, and destructive behavior patterns are left behind when we focus ahead on the promises of God. We realize just how little God is challenged by the obstacles in our lives. He is the God who healed the lame, gave sight to the blind, parted the sea, raised the dead, and spoke the world into existence. He’s our Daddy! Remember that the next time you’re rattled by circumstances. Better yet, remember it everyday.
Chapter 4 tells us that if we’ll do these three things, and if we’ll focus on offense, rather than defense, the God of peace will be with us. By defense, I mean focusing primarily on what is behind us, the things we’re trying to escape. By offense, I’m referring to 4:8-9 “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Paul draws this letter to it’s conclusion with 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” That’s where extraordinary leaders find peace in the midst of storms! One final observation, the actions of extraordinary leaders follow their beliefs. Do yours?
Pressing Forward,
John Crosby
Light
I found the following definitions regarding properties of objects interacting with light on my daughter’s fifth grade science homework: Opaque – No visible light passes through. No image can be seen. Translucent – Some light passes through, but the material distorts the image. Transparent – Most light passes through, allowing a clear image to be seen. “I am the [...]
I found the following definitions regarding properties of objects interacting with light on my daughter’s fifth grade science homework:
Opaque – No visible light passes through. No image can be seen.
Translucent – Some light passes through, but the material distorts the image.
Transparent – Most light passes through, allowing a clear image to be seen.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)
�
My mind immediately went to my willingness to allow Christ to be seen through me in my everyday interactions. When you consider Jesus as the light of the world, which of the three properties above best describes you today? What if we asked those you’ve been entrusted to lead? Your co-workers? Your family? Your friends?
John Crosby
2:48 AM | |