http://data-katalog.com/ ru software - Article directory| Submit article for free http://data-katalog.com/yandexlogo.gif http://data-katalog.com/ DataLife Engine http://data-katalog.com/50996-track-down-my-missing-mobile-by-mobile-spy.html Ushering into the era of 3G, it can not be denied the great advantage that mobile phone brings to us. The mobile phone has completely changed the way people communicate. software Sienna Johansson Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:31:01 -0500 Ushering into the era of 3G, it can not be denied the great advantage that mobile phone brings to us. The mobile phone has completely changed the way people communicate. Neither as the traditional telephone with long wire nor as the first generation black-and-white screen mobile, the newest 3G phone provides with powerful features, high-speed web browsing, video calling and thousand of applications. You can not only make phone calls anywhere and anytime, but also use it to send text messages, emails, and even surf the internet. Due to these characters, mobile phone has become the second most popular device that used for work except computer.I have a HTC Touch 3G mobile phone that used for work. Visiting customers and calling them back is my daily work. I also use my phone to send emails, take notes and record vital materials. So it plays a significant role in my work. At the end of every day, I need to transfer the information from my mobile phone to my computer. This had been a rigmarole and extra work until I was told that mobile spy software may help me out when I poured out my annoyance to friends. I tried the software with a suspicion. The mobile spy software has the abilities of recording the calls and text messages and then upload logs to the mobile spy service. I could get the information I need as long as I log into the online account from my computer. It save me so much from the huge taxing retype work, that I like this smart software very much. With hard working, I win recognition from both my boss and clients. One day, after I visited a very important client, I sorted out the data on the subway back to company when it was the rush hour. I had never thought that I would do such a soul-numbingly stupid thing- leave my phone on the subway. It was too late when I was aware of my careless. What was worse, what I lost was not only a mobile phone but crucial clients information. This means I might lose the big case. So remorse about my inattention that I was even to belt my head against the wall. However, any afterward realize did nothing help in that circumstance. I sat up and tried to keep peaceful. I asked my wife and friends to call my phone but no respond. The messages of requiring giving back my phone were ignored as well. After all attempts failed, I had to accept the fact that my phone would not be back again. Before I prepared to tell boss my accident, things took a turn for the better. Jim, my colleague reminded me about the mobile spy software. What a bird-head, how could I forget this crucial element in my phone. I logged onto the software online account, with calls and text messages listed clearly. I inferred the guy, named Tom,who picked up my phone was just a naughty boy from the information showed. At last I got back my phone when I sent him the information that I knew about him and the boy terrified to half death. I forgave this boy as he did not use my phone for nefarious purposes.Now I cherish my mobile phone which does a great help to my career. Meanwhile, the spy software , taking me out of the embarrassment and bringing me an impressive experience, is a smart tool that I want to highly recommend to all of you. http://data-katalog.com/50990-much-cheaper-pinkerton-for-your-partner-s.html Make use of key logger software to discover your spouse' s deception. Discover the truth lays behind your computer! software Real Crystal Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:11:33 -0600 "I found something new and strange of my wife. I can' t see her chat logs in my computer these days, you know, we share it as the home machine. It seems that she cleaned them up after she had finished use. That' s what she never did before. And, as I see, most of the time, she uses phone to chat by spending much more time and money on sending text message. Never talks on the phone before me anymore, never logs in AOL and MSN when I am at home anymore, never lets me know what she did online anymore...just like she has turned or twisted her habit in a short time. I asked her for why but no responses. I know there is something wrong, but I don't know what it is..."I was receiving grumbles and gossips from one of my friend, Randy. By his telling, I got to know that he is facing emotional crises with his wife. Exactly speaking, Randy doubted that his once-devoted wife was cheating on him, and certainly, he endeavored to get this right but had no idea where to begin. I could not sit back and do nothing about it. After somedays of inquires and extraction, I fixed a private detective. Just when I planned to inform him the contact information of the private detective, he came to me and shocked me with a piece of news: he had been told to install a software tool to monitor his computer!Upon further acquaintance, I finally make it clear that the software tool he installed is a kind of key logger software, which is usually used as parental control software. Keystroke logger(often called key logger) is a tool for tracking(or logging) the keys pressed on a keyboard, typically in a covert manner so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored. There are numerous key loggers, in which the software-based key loggers are most comprehensive used. They are software programs designed to work on the target computer' s operating system. The latest key logger software can even capture screen shots, send log emails or monitor computers with remote installation.It seems a way, but does it really work? However, when I am still questioning its practicability, Randy told me with a subdued heart that he had found some unpleasant evidence of his wife' s recent abnormality. "What a shame!", I murmured. But Randy replied:" It' s a shame that we are breaking, but not a shame I found what she had done to me. Even if I' d rather it would not be true, my senses tell me that it 's better to learn the truth!" On the one hand I, as Randy' s friend, feel sorry for his sufferings; on the other hand, I wonder at the high technology of information. With so creative development, we are provided such cheap Pinkerton for assisting in digging out the truth. http://data-katalog.com/41186-beating-the-small-business-cash-flow-blues.html Small business owners can relieve a lot of their own cash flow problems, according to Caroline Jordan, small business advisor and author. "Small business owners have more control over their cash flow than they realize." says Jordan.   To help you get a jumpstart on solving your own cash flow woes, Jordan offers a free, "Cash Flow Master checklist" that you can get by sending a blank email to TheJordanResult-110571@autocontactor.com. Jordan also suggests the following tips to help you understand why cash flow problems plague 66% of small businesses. software galaxer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:01:49 -0500 Small business owners can relieve a lot of their own cash flow problems, according to Caroline Jordan, small business advisor and author. "Small business owners have more control over their cash flow than they realize." says Jordan.   To help you get a jumpstart on solving your own cash flow woes, Jordan offers a free, "Cash Flow Master checklist" that you can get by sending a blank email to TheJordanResult-110571@autocontactor.com. Jordan also suggests the following tips to help you understand why cash flow problems plague 66% of small businesses. 1. Avoid the dreaded "Fly by the Seat of Your Pants" accounting method.--Businesses need to systematically track income, expenses, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. If you only know how your business is doing once a year at tax time, you're bound to end up deeply mired in the Cash Flow Swamp. 2. Developing "Strength in Numbers"-Once you have your accounting system in place you need to learn what the numbers are telling you and how to use those numbers to manage and grow your business. 3. Keep tight control of credit-Business owners can get themselves in credit trouble two different ways; poor credit granting practices and shortsighted use of credit from banks, credit cards, and vendors. 4. Be sure your Receivables and Payables "play nice" together-The money owed to you by your customers should arrive in time for you to pay your vendors and your employees. When your customers take 60 days to pay and your vendors want to be paid in 30 days, you can quickly end up with a Cash Flow Crunch. 5. Make decisions based on Cash Flow not Profit-Many businesses that fail are profitable when the doors close. What those businesses don't have is CASH. When you pursue that big, juicy contract or think about hiring another employee, always ask yourself "What will this do to my cash flow?" 6. Don't forget your debt to society- Some bills are easy to forget. Bills like sales tax, payroll taxes, and estimated taxes. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. Planning ahead makes the bite easier to take and keeps your from suffering Tax Day sticker shock. Scrambling to find money for taxes causes major cash flow problems. 7. Don't spend your company's future on a speed boat-Everybody loves toys. Don't make the mistake of thinking all the profits of your business are "fun money". You've heard it many times from personal financial planners that you should have enough cash put aside for six months of expenses. This is true for your business, too. Sales ebb and flow. Expenses rise. Customers leave. Vehicles break down. Computers fry. The number one rule of small business is "Stuff Happens". Having a reserve of cash keeps your cash flow from tanking every time a new challenge appears. Caroline Jordan, MBA is the small business Cash Flow Master. Get more free cash flow resources by visiting http://www.TheJordanResult.com/mastering.html                               http://data-katalog.com/40526-7-Cash-Flow-Secrets-Your-Accountant-Never-Told-You.html Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a small business consultant, I make these recommendations to my cash strapped small business clients software galaxer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:13:46 -0500 Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a small business consultant, I make these recommendations to my cash strapped small business clients:   1. Shoeboxes are for shoes, not business records. Pardon my candor but, you will never have a successful business if you don't systematically track your income and expenses, who owes you money, and who you owe money to. This is absolutely crucial. You don't have to have a big expensive computerized system, although a computer program like QuickBooks certainly does a beautiful job. You can keep track of everything with a pencil and paper if you like. But, you've got to track basic information in a systematic manner. Without this vital information your business cannot flourish and your cash flow will always keep you up at night. 2. Getting your customers to "show you the money". The best way to get your customers to pay what is owed is to remove every possible excuse for nonpayment. Don't extend credit unless it's absolutely necessary. Establish credit policies to help determine who will get credit. Get an invoice into the bill payer's hand as quickly as possible after the work is done or the product is delivered. Don't be afraid to send a letter or statement or make a phone call reminding your customer his bill is due. Never be rude. Always be firm. Focus on preserving the relationship. If a customer has a legitimate gripe about your business do whatever you can to fix the problem. 3. Budget is not a four letter word. Repeat after me, "Budgets are our friends." Seriously! A budget is a plan. It helps you stay focused on what you need to achieve. For example, you can use your budget to help you achieve sales goals, determine how much you need to spend on advertising, how much you'll need for materials, and if you can afford to pay overtime. Having a budget for your business is the difference between piloting a plane with instruments or flying blind in a fog. 4. A customer in the hand is worth two in the bush. My very first customer is still with me. Over the life time of our relationship, she will be worth at least tens of thousands of dollars. Actually, she's worth far more than that because she refers business to me regularly. It's easy to get caught up in the search for new customers. But, never forget the ones you already have. What other services or products can you offer to them? How can you get them to refer their friends and colleagues to you? You can build a successful business around a small number of customers by providing them with excellent customer care and a range of solutions. Loyal customers are money in the bank, they're easier to work with, and it's less expensive to keep them happy than it is to find new customers. 5. The most powerful number in your business. If you know only one number in your business it ought to be your Breakeven Point. Your breakeven point is the moment in time when your income equals your expenses. If your income is higher than your expenses, you have a profit. If your expenses are higher than your income you have a loss. Why is this such a critical number? First of all, to find your breakeven point you need to know what all of your expenses are. How much does it cost you to produce your product or deliver your service? That includes how much you need to pay yourself. If your business isn't able to support you, you're not breaking even. Once you have your total expenses, you have a place to start. What do you need to do to achieve a level of sales high enough to cover your expenses? How many customers do you need to serve? How many products do you need to sell? If you can't reach that income level, what can you do to cut your expenses? Your whole business plan can flow from that one number. You can use your break even point as a powerful business tool to make decisions about marketing, strategy, plans for expansion, hiring a new employee, etc. 6. How to make friends and influence check cutters. Once upon a time, I worked for a corporation-yes, me, the quintessential entrepreneur. One of my jobs was working in Accounts Payable. All day long I got calls from vendors. Not friendly social calls, mind you. Angry calls. Irritable calls. Annoying calls. Vicious calls. And then there were the friendly vendors. The ones who took a moment to treat me like a human being. Guess who I knocked myself out for? Guess whose checks made it through the labyrinth of bureaucracy and out the door? Uh huh. The vendors who treated me with respect. Is that fair? Not at all. But, it is human nature. Take the time to get to know the folks that cut the checks. Don't be afraid to build bridges and establish relationships. You meet lots of interesting people and your cash flow will improve. One of my friendly vendors hired me away from the Cubicle City. I spent the next three years improving his cash flow from the other side. You just never know. 7. Why paying taxes is a cause for rejoicing. The strategic approach of many small business owners is to have as little profit as possible at the end of the year. Otherwise, you'll have to pay taxes. So year after year, small business owners make decisions in their businesses based on intentional lack of profitability. Now, for the majority of small business owners, what the IRS considers to be profit is in actuality your paycheck. Are you working to lower your paycheck? Would you put up with that from an employer? By putting up with it from your own business, you condemn yourself to a life of poverty just to avoid having to pay taxes. I won't tell you that writing checks to the IRS is my favorite thing to do and I make sure I take every legal deduction I can, but if I'm paying taxes, it means I'm making money. I like making money. The bottom line is this: If you're paying taxes, it means your business is making money. Go out and make more! Don't let the thought of taxes hold you back. Think about it this way, even if you're paying fifty cents of every dollar to the government, that's fifty cents more in your own pocket. That's a good thing! A word of caution: don't boost your earnings and spend it all. Make sure you plan ahead for the tax bill! Caroline Jordan, MBA is a small business consultant and author of Mastering Cash Flow: A How-To Guide for Solving Small Business Cash Flow Problems. For more business success tips visit http://www.TheJordanResult.com. To get in touch, call Caroline at (207) 583-2630 or send an email to TheJordanResult@adelphia.net. C 2001-2005 Caroline Grimm Jordan & The Jordan Result LLC. All Rights Reserved. http://data-katalog.com/40855-Be-Prepared-When-Business-Investors-Look-Beyond-Your-Business-Plan.html You have spent considerable time pulling your business plan together, contacting potential business investors, making management presentations and pitching your business plan to prospective business investors. Now you finally have a serious investor who wants to conduct "due diligence" before investing real cash into your business. software galaxer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:50:02 -0500 You have spent considerable time pulling your business plan together, contacting potential business investors, making management presentations and pitching your business plan to prospective business investors. Now you finally have a serious investor who wants to conduct "due diligence" before investing real cash into your business.   Great! What's "due diligence? Due diligence is a thorough examination of available facts, references, books, records, etc. of your business and business plan. And, what exactly should you expect during due diligence? Skepticism... Business investors want to be sure there are no skeletons in the closet and that your venture is not the next Madison Priest "black box technology" -- a revolutionary technology that claimed to allow ordinary phone lines to transmit data into people's homes at rates faster than fiber optics. By staging impressive demonstrations, Priest convinced private business investors and seasoned companies, such as Blockbuster and Intel, to invest money in his venture. In the end, Priest's 'magic box' was nothing but a high-tech hoax. In addition to a detailed analysis of your financial statements, business investors will hone in on four key areas: finance, management, manufacturing, and marketing. Specific concerns in each area are as follows: Finance Cash. Cash is king. It's the lifeblood of all businesses - start-up or on-going businesses. Business investors know this. They will spend the time understanding your cash flow assumptions and, if you're an existing business, they'll analyze your cash management practices. Poor cash management or shaky cash flow projections are immediate red flags. Profitability. Expect investors to compare your actual or projected gross margins from year to year. This provides a quick indicator of your historical or projected manufacturing efficiencies and pricing environment. It can also highlight potential control issues, excessive overhead, or under pricing strategies to capture market share. Bank problems. Out of compliance financial ratios, scrutiny from banks, or suspect bank relations - personal or business - are all red flags to business investors about how you manage your financial affairs. Outdated financials. The lack of monthly financial statements or detailed cash flow projections or, for an on-going business, statements that are not prepared on time are all indications of a loosely run operation or a lack of planning. Management Continual crisis. Business investors watch closely for signs of weakness in you or your management team. Constant interruptions by emergency phone calls and demands for immediate decisions are signs of disorganization and lack of management. Substantial changes in key personal. Unusual turnover in key management positions can be viewed as a lack of leadership. No changes in senior management for many years. An established company with little or no changes in the management team can indicate a stagnant business, not current in new methods or processes, or a very autocratic management style. Lack of pride or enthusiasm. Seasoned business investors can just sense the true tempo and spirit of an operation and its management team. Ask them how they do it and they'll tell you it's a sixth sense or gut feel. Nonetheless, it is something they are looking for and expect to see and feel. Manufacturing Outdate methods and processes. Your manufacturing and service methods and processes provide a quick indication of your ability to compete in the markets you serve and shift gears if the business doesn't go as planned. Even if you're a start-up, business investors will want to know the methods and processes you plan to use to manufacture your product or provide the services you plan to offer. Rejects. If you are already in production, investors expect you to know your reject rates, the problems causing them, and the quality controls you have in place. How you handle rejects is an important issue to business investors. Remember, rejects are not limited to only production rejects. They also include missed service calls, late deliveries, and other process failures. Just in time (JIT). Inventory is often the first place business owners and entrepreneurs get into trouble. Too much of it and you can quickly run out of cash; too little and you'll quickly start missing deliveries and losing customers. How well you manage inventory and understand it is a key strength business investors are looking for in the management team. Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry? Marketing Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say. Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe the next trade show you attend. Be sure to take pictures, videos and conduct customer surveys to demonstrate and support the interest and activity surrounding your booth. New products. What is the percentage of new products or services that generate future sales? How often will new products or services need to be introduced to maintain your market position? What is your success rate with new products and services? Business investors are constantly trying to sniff out symptoms of trouble. It's important that you never mislead or deceive them. Most investors have extensive business experience and regularly see or have seen many different businesses and industries. The questions they ask often stem from their real world experiences. That's why it is important not to get defensive by their questioning. Be prepared when potential investors want to get behind your business plan. Use this list to conduct your own review of your business. Then, like many successful business owners and entrepreneurs, take the time to tap into the knowledge and questioning business investors have to offer to improve your business and prepare for future investor meetings. Mike Elia is a chief financial officer and an advisor to venture capitalists and leverage buyout specialists. His business plan ebook Business Plan Secrets Revealed shows how to make your business the most appealing investment choice to venture capitalist, bankers, and other business investors. For his free business plan guide click here. http://data-katalog.com/41001-Entrepreneurs-Ask-What-Can-a-Virtual-Assistant-Do-For-Me.html Great question! Freeing your time is an indisputably key element in growing your business! When you delegate tasks to the capable hands of a professional Virtual Assistant (VA), you can quickly and easily refocus your energies on other aspects of business directly linked to generating revenue. software galaxer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:21:05 -0500 Great question!   Freeing your time is an indisputably key element in growing your business! When you delegate tasks to the capable hands of a professional Virtual Assistant (VA), you can quickly and easily refocus your energies on other aspects of business directly linked to generating revenue. Partnering with a professional Virtual Assistant will: Increase your revenue. Delegating administrative tasks frees you to focus your energy where it needs to be-on generating revenue and growing your business! Increase your productivity. A Virtual Assistant manages the duties that devour your time and productivity, allowing you to focus on producing. You avoid spending precious time addressing the minutia of business. Save you money. Virtual Assistans are fully-equipped technologically with updated software and hardware, eliminating the need for you to purchase additional equipment or software. They also save you the expense of securing a full-time or even part-time employee (such as worker's comp insurance, Federal and State taxes, office space, equipment, supplies, and other costs). Every hour spent on VA services is 100% productive. You only pay for the time it takes to efficiently and thoroughly complete a job. Save you time. An hour of VA service performed is not the same as an hour you spend doing the job yourself. VA's are entrepreneurs just like you whose only business it is to support you! They don't have the pressure of many other tasks, all demanding their attention. They focus on supporting you by performing administrative duties and offering constructive input on the aspects of business where you require the most help; that is all they do! Save you frustration. It can be extremely frustrating to look at your to-do list and know that there is no way you will be able to get to every task, let alone finish them! What begins to happen is paralysis. Managing tasks becomes overwhelming, and it becomes easier to retreat than prioritize, delegate, and focus on the one task in front of you. When you delegate your tasks to a VA, you will quickly be able to start crossing items off your list! You also avoid the frustration of investing time and money learning a new skill-set to get the job done. Your professional VA already possesses the expertise and a proven history of getting the job done- most of the time before your deadline! They can save you hours of hassle and exasperation. VA's who possess expertise in a specific industry can provide even more benefit. Many offer consulting services and "insider" knowledge often based on many years of experience. Tapping into this resource is a smart way to save yourself many hours. When you can trust the advice of a professional, or confidently delegate a project, you have the peace-of-mind to focus on managing and growing your business, thereby generating more income! by Charlon Bobo, Muse works? © 2005 All rights reserved. Charlon Bobo is the Founder and Creative Director of Muse works?, a dynamic trend-setting Virtual Assistant enterprise in Southern California that caters to the niche needs of entrepreneurs in the handmade beauty industry. To learn more about Muse works?, please visit Muse works? and Muse works? Blog. You may contact Charlon at 805.405.4944 and via e-mail at charlon@museworks.org. You have permission to distribute this article provided all the text contained herein remains intact. http://data-katalog.com/40663-The-Key-to-Creating-Total-System-Empowerment.html In this paper, I will: 1. provide a framework for creating total system power at all levels and in all positions; 2. describe the regularly recurring pitfalls that limit total system power, and 3. demonstrate how these pitfalls can be avoided in order for systems to realize their full potential. software galaxer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:23:47 -0500 In this paper, I will:   1. provide a framework for creating total system power at all levels and in all positions; 2. describe the regularly recurring pitfalls that limit total system power, and 3. demonstrate how these pitfalls can be avoided in order for systems to realize their full potential. *** An Empowered System A system in which people at all levels and in all positions are able to make happen what they want to have happen and what the system needs to have happen I. What is the fundamental business of all systems? Whether we are dealing with the family, a sports team, a division within the organization, the organization itself, or a nation, the fundamental business of all systems is survival and development, continuing their existence and realizing their full potential. II. How do systems survive and develop? All systems interact with their environments. In these environments are dangers to be avoided and opportunities to be taken advantage of. Systems survive and develop by coping with dangers and prospecting among the opportunities. III. How does each part of the system contribute to Total System Power? Each part of the system has its unique potential contribution to Total System Power. These potentials are often not realized for reasons described below. Tops as Shapers. The unique contribution of Tops is to function as system Shapers. Tops shape the system by looking outward, studying the system's environment, sensing its dangers and opportunities, and by looking inward, seeing that the system has the structure, culture, inspiration, and resources needed for coping with these dangers and opportunities. The following are areas that Tops as Shapers are responsible for. This does not mean that Tops are expected to do these things alone; it does mean that whether or not these functions happen is Top's responsibility. Tops empower the system by: 1. developing a vision of what the system is and can be, a vision that inspires system members, that taps their passions. 2. developing structures that mobilize human energy and enable to system to live out its mission. 3. developing a culture that supports creative, productive, and satisfying work. Culture involves such elements as atmosphere, traditions, rewards, and acknowledgement systems. 4. seeing that the system has the resources ? human and material ? to do its work. * Workers as Producers. The unique contribution of Workers is to function as System Producers. Workers produce by being the experts on the system's products and services, by fully applying their intelligence and expertise to the work of the system, by having an intimate knowledge of customers' needs and aspirations, by using their closeness to work and expertise about work to determine how work best be done in the organization, and by involving themselves in ways of improving products and services. * Middles as Integrators. The unique contribution of Middles is to function as the Integrating Mechanism of the system. They coordinate system parts such that the system functions smoothly with the parts feeding and supporting one another while avoiding dysfunctional conflict and unnecessary redundancy. Middles integrate the system by regularly integrating with one another, sharing information, diagnosing common system issues, and solving problem. Customers as Validaters. The unique contribution of Customers is to function as system Validaters. They are in the best position to determine if the system is doing what it is supposed to be doing and doing it as well as it should be doing. Customers validate the system by providing the system with timely feedback positive and negative, by offering concrete suggestions as to how the system could improve service, and sometimes organizing with other customers in order to accomplish these matters. IV. These sources of power support one another. There is no conflict among these sources of power. 1. The better the job Tops do in shaping, the better the structure, resources, and climate there is for the Workers to produce. 2. The better Middles are at integrating, the more freed up Tops are to shape, and the more Workers are supported in producing. 3. The better Customers are at validating, the more everyone knows how well the system is doing what it is supposed to be doing. V. Pitfalls to Total System Power: Burdened Tops, Oppressed Workers, Torn Middles, and Righteously Screwed Customers. Why Tops don't shape. Tops exist in a world of complexity: difficult issues to deal with, unpredictable issues, things that Tops felt were dealt with keep coming back. In the face of complexity, what Tops often do, reflexively, without thought or conscious choice, is suck that responsibility up to themselves and away from others. When that happens, Tops become burdened by this overwhelming complexity. Under such conditions, shaping becomes a good idea but something for which, unfortunately, one just doesn't have the time or energy. Why Workers don't produce. Workers exist in a world of disregard: there are things that are wrong with their condition, and things that they see that are wrong with the system, and their sense is that "higher-ups" should be fixing these things, and they are not. In the face of this disregard, what Workers often do ? again, reflexively, without awareness or choice -- is hold "higher-ups" (not themselves) responsible for their condition and for the condition of the system. When that happens, workers become oppressed: there is energy focused on higher-ups, what they are doing or not doing, disappointed at them, angry at them. Under such conditions, Workers are not inclined to be the Producers as described above. Why Middles don't function as the integrating mechanism. Middles exist in a tearing world, pulled between the often conflicting demands and priorities of Tops, Workers, Customers, Providers, and other Middles. Middles find themselves caught between other people's conflicts. In the face of this tearing, what Middles often do ? again, reflexively, without conscious choice ? is slide into other people's issues and conflicts and make them their own. Middles hold themselves responsible for resolving these issues, and what makes this even more difficult is that the others also hold middle responsible for resolving their own issues. When this happens, middles become torn: torn apart from one another and torn internally, weak, confused, loss of independence, not fully satisfying any of the folks they feel they should be serving. When that happens, being the integrating mechanism of the system is not a possibility. Why Customers don't validate. Customers live in a world of neglect ? products and services not coming to them as fast as they want, in the quality they feel they deserve, or at the price they want to pay. In the face of this neglect, what Customers often do ? with out awareness or choice ? is to hold the delivery system responsible for delivery. That is, it becomes crystal clear to the customers that the responsibility for delivery rests fully on the delivery system and not at all on them. When this happens, they become the righteously screwed customer: angry at the system, frustrated by it, feeling entitled and unfairly treated. VI. The keys to Total System Empowerment: Awareness, Choice, and Stands. 1. All parties need to see their potential contributions as Shapers, Producers, Integrators, and Validaters. 2. All parties need to recognize the reflex response as they are happening. 3. All parties need to be able to say NO to the reflex responses and to have alternative stands from which to operate. Top Stand. In the presence of Top overload, instead of sucking responsibility up to myself and becoming the burdened Top, my stand is: Be a Top who creates responsibility throughout the system. Bottom Stand. In the presence of Bottom disregard, instead of holding higher-ups responsible for my condition and for the condition of the system and becoming the oppressed Bottom, my stand is: Be a Bottom who is responsible for my condition and for the condition of the system. Middle Stand. In the presence of Middle tearing, instead of sliding in between other people's issues and conflicts and making them my own and becoming the torn Middle, my stand is: Be a Middle who maintains my (and my middle peer group's) independence of thought and action. Customer Stand. In the presence of Customer neglect, instead of holding the delivery system responsible and becoming the righteously screwed Customers, my stand is: Be a Customer who gets in the middle of delivery processes and helps them work for me. VI. Final Note. The reflex responses that destroy the possibility of Total System Empowerment are predictable, but they are not inevitable. The Stands, on the other hand, are not predictable, but they are a human possibility. These stands not only enable us to create more powerful systems, they also elevate each of us to higher possibilities for ourselves as human beings. Barry Oshry is the Chief Theoretical Officer of Power + Systems, Inc. He is the creator of the Organization Workshop on Creating Partnership and the Power Lab which is the subject of the prize-winning documentary Power Lab: Living in New Hope. His books include Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organization Life and Leading Systems: Lessons from the Power Lab. email: barry@powerandsystems.com http://www.powerandsystems.com http://www.seeingsystemsblogs.com   http://data-katalog.com/40542-Smart-PR-Tactics-for-Small-Businesses.html Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations, to put them on the map. If you consider that time is money, however, you may find that handling your own public relations is a daunting task and not necessarily worth the monetary savings. Here are some ideas of how to get the best bang for your PR buck by thoughtful outsourcing: Use your business library. If you are savvy enough to identify the best media for your primary target audience, your local library or the nearest city library near your very small town has valuable informational tools to assist you at every turn. The librarian is a public resource that your tax dollars pay for anyway. software galaxer Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:14:42 -0500 Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations, to put them on the map. If you consider that time is money, however, you may find that handling your own public relations is a daunting task and not necessarily worth the monetary savings. Here are some ideas of how to get the best bang for your PR buck by thoughtful outsourcing:   Use your business library. If you are savvy enough to identify the best media for your primary target audience, your local library or the nearest city library near your very small town has valuable informational tools to assist you at every turn. The librarian is a public resource that your tax dollars pay for anyway. Having identified your target media, find a PR agency that charges by placement success instead of a standard six months or yearly contract. In that way, you can share the PR burden by supplying the media to be targeted, and pay only for premier hits. Besides, if the placement is impressive enough, you can put it on your website, and get incredible mileage from it. Market your business service or product in the corporate fashion with mat features to print and online newspapers nationwide at half the price. A young service like Points of Persuasion Syndicate provides PR preformatted newspaper features free to editors nationwide. Their columns get printed exactly as written when the mentions are subtle and useful for the publication's reader. These trademarked, non-copyrighted features are picked up regularly by suburban daily and weekly papers, and remain on P-O-P-S' editorial website for six months to a year for instant downloads. People talk of Public Relations as free compared to the expense of advertising. PR is never free but used strategically, it is more believed than its more costly brethren. Each time a placement is made your business is getting the endorsement of the editor of the publication, or host of the radio and TV show. The public depends on these consumer advocates to help them make the decisions important to them and their families. Myrna Greenhut is currently president of P-O-P-S, a service designed to supply incremental PR impressions for companies, Associations and PR agencies. As a consumer product publicist, she has been with numerous independent and advertising affiliated PR agencies like The Rowland Company, Ogilvy & Mather, Cairns & Associates, D-A-Y as well as having done major freelance PR projects for Avon Products Incorporated. http://data-katalog.com/41014-Is-Brick-and-Mortar-A-Passing-Fad.html Is Brick and Mortar A Passing Fad? software galaxer Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:04:51 -0500 Q: Is the online world the best place to sell a product or service these days? My friends seem to think that brick and mortar stores will totally disappear in the future. I debate this all the time with them, but it seems to be heading that way. Your thoughts? - Alex H.   At last report, Alex, Sam Walton was still resting comfortably in his discounted grave, so I'd say brick and mortar is safe, at least for the next few years. During the dot-com boom the mantra was "Brick and mortar is dead!" Then when most of the dot-com's crashed like an elephant sitting on a wicker chair, the mantra suddenly changed back to "The Internet is dead! Long live brick and mortar!" In both instances those doing the shouting were dead wrong (and highly annoying). The correct mantra should be "Long live ecommerce enabled brick and mortar!" It's not as catchy, but a lot more accurate. So to formally answer your question, Alex: I have to agree with you: brick and mortar is safe for many years to come. That's not to say that online selling will not continue to grow and overshadow in store sales in the coming years. But smart retailers realize the potential - and limitations - of the internet and are making plans accordingly. Smart retailers know that while the Internet has the potential of opening up new sales channels for them, they also know that not all customers will shop online, at least for another generation or two. Until every man, woman, and child on the planet can operate a computer as easily as a cellphone, there will always be consumers who will not buy online. Smart retailers also understand that a successful online strategy depends on the mindset of the buying public. They understand that the internet is not erasing business models: it is changing business models. Those that adapt will succeed, those that do not, will one day close their doors. When Amazon.com burst onto the scene with big plans to change the way people buy books, Barnes and Nobles did not close their brick and mortar stores out of fright. They also did not ignore the trend toward online shopping. Instead they directed resources toward building their own online sales arm to compete in the online marketplace. Many large retailers that were slow to jump on the online shopping bandwagon are now getting serious about online sales. They are using the Web to launch new product lines and sell things you normally would not find in their stores. Wal-Mart for example, sells products online that would be too pricy for their retail stores, like $6,000 plasma TVs and expensive sports memorabilia. Setting up an online shop is also cheaper than ever before. A web store that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars just a few years ago can now be built for less than $10,000. Online retailers can also stock more items than brick and mortar stores that only have so much shelf space. As more consumers have access to broadband you will continue to see a rise in online shopping and a rise in the number of companies setting up online points of sale. One example is Sears.com, which saw online revenues skyrocket 40% in the past year. Forrester Research says US online sales will hit $145 billion in 2005, which translates to 7% of US retail sales. That's a 26% rise in 2 years. Wal-Mart will no doubt have a big effect on online sales as they bring their "lower prices everyday" mentality to the Web. Just as they muscled suppliers for the lowest prices in their stores, so will they bring their weight to bear online. This is great news for consumers. As more retailers go online consumers will have more choices and find lower prices. One thing that may ensure that some brick and mortars never go away is what I call "The Try It On Factor." If you have to try it on or want to see how you look in it, there will always be a need for brick and mortar stores. For example, I wear cowboy boots (I have a pointed foot) and I would never buy a pair of cowboy boots without trying them on first, so until some genius comes out with a way for me to hold my big foot up to the computer monitor and get a perfect fit, I will only buy my boots in the store. I do believe that someday the majority of products will be purchased online. We are already seeing this trend in many industries. DVDs, CDs, videotapes (which will definitely go the way of vinyl records in a couple of years), books, cellphones, televisions, computers, stereos, etc. are all big sellers online. It's also possible to buy a car from the comfort of home and shop for a house. I know because I've done them both several times. When debating the death of brick and mortar you must also consider the fact that shopping is a social experience for many consumers, i.e. females, who happen to control the purse strings and make most of the buying decisions for their families. Case in point: Every year my wife and her mother trek to Birmingham and Atlanta for annual shopping trips. When I point out that there are perfectly good malls right here in our own backyard, I am told that I'm missing the point. The point of these trips is not to buy anything. The point is to shop, to eat, to hang out, to bond. If a purchase is made, oh well. Scientific studies on these phenomena have concluded that "It's a girl thing?" For men, shopping is a chore. For women, shopping is an experience. So until my wife and mother-in-law can get the same satisfaction sitting in front of a computer monitor as they do exploring the malls, there will always be brick and mortar. Here's to your success! Tim Knox Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs. Related Links: http://www.prosperityandprofits.com http://www.smallbusinessqa.com http://www.dropshipwholesale.net http://data-katalog.com/40737-Small-Business---A-Thing-Worth-Doing-Is-Worth-Doing-Badly.html Small Business - A Thing Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Badly software galaxer Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:18:45 -0500 A thing worth doing is worth doing badly. Yes I know that it should be 'well'. My grandma drummed into me that whatever I did I should do it as well as I possibly could.   But grandma said that there was another side to it. If it were worth doing, even doing it badly was better than not doing it at all. "Never be put off from doing something that ought to be done because others can do it better", said Grandma, "The others may not do it and then it never gets done". So it's hard for you to estimate sales ? take a stab at it anyway! I wish I had a dollar for every small business operator who told me that it was impossible to prepare a projection of cash-flow requirements because their sales were so sporadic and uneven. It's strange in a way that although it is true that each business is unique, it is also true that all small businesses are the same. Most small retail firms average about 30% as a gross profit. That gives them an average mark-up on purchases of about 42%. It doesn't matter what sort of shop, you can use that as an average. Similarly, all other expenses average out at about 20% which gives a net return on sales of 10%. Aren't there firms that do better than this? Too right there are?but some do much worse. So a projection based on averages for your industry will probably be badly out-of-whack. You might think the result is a bad job but it will be one hundred times better than none at all. The owner will know quite a number of concrete figures without having to guessitimate. She will know many of her outgoings: Rent Average wages (these will fluctuate a little) Loan repayments Plant lease payments Her private spending requirements Accounting and bookkeeping fees (she should have been told on engagement) Insurance premiums Registration fees Subscriptions And with all this information her advisor can estimate the amount of profit which will be required to keep cash-flow positive. From the required profit it is a simple task to calculate the sales that are needed to produce the required profit. "Hey! I hope to have higher sales than that". But now we've made a start, we can build in some of your expectations, and now we have a projection that we thought couldn't be done. "But will it be right"! No it will never be right on the money, but it doesn't have to be. Each week/month we will compare what actually happened with what we had hoped to happen and work out our strategies accordingly. If sales fall short by 10% in the first month we have a far greater chance of recovery over the 11 months than if we had no plan at all (even if we thought it was a bad one). And for those proprietors who do a plan and do not compare it to actual until the end of the year any shortfall will be lost forever. A thing worth doing is worth doing badly. It applies to all aspects of business ? and life. I often hear owners say, "I can not up-sell. I'm no good at it". Maybe, but it is necessary. Who is going to do it if you don't? Get a little training and start doing it badly. You'll be surprised at how good you get. A thing worth doing is worth doing badly. The Author Kelvyn Peters is one of Australia's longest serving Tax Agents. He was registered in 1962 and became a CPA in 1964. He's served on many charitable boards including St Aubyns Hospital, Alzheimer's Association and Older Peoples Advocacy Service. As a young man he won the Outstanding Jaycee Award three times. Kelvyn is a compassionate, generous man who loves people. That's why he is so skilled at helping people in trouble. Kelvyn Peters was Mayor of Kingaroy Shire Council from 1982 to 1987 and campaigned as the 'Young Man of Action" Over 20 years later he still calls himself a 'Young Man of Action'. He is a director of Restaurant Catering Qld Inc the peak employer representative in Queensland, and has advised the hospitality industry for many years. His specialty is moving in to rescue a sick business. Kelvyn has spent over 20 years experimenting and researching methods to help small business in ways that are affordable. He has perfected it with local clients now he is going global and he is only an email away. http://www.profitstrategies4business.com