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" Be l i e v ei ny our s e l fa nda l l t ha ty oua r e . Knowt ha tt he r ei s s ome t hi ngi ns i dey out ha ti sg r e a t e rt ha na nyobs t a c l e . "Chr i sa nD. L a r s on
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Arc l e si nBus i ne s sPa r t ne r Ma g a z i neha v ebe e n r e pr oduc e dwi t ht he pe r mi s s i onoft hea ut hor s . T hev i e wsr e fle c t e ddonot ne c e s s a r i l yr e fle c tt hev i e ws a ndopi ni onsoft hee di t or .
Sand r a
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Shaping the Future— Deconstruct, Rebuild and Create a Strategic Blueprint By Malik Muhammad
You've been in business for a few years or
special. What makes you stand out? Can
perhaps a few months. You're a student
your product be differentiated? Why should
thinking of running your own business in
people engage with your business? How do
the near future. You're perhaps a highly
you add value to their experience? Examine
skilled professional who lacks the
whether your company culture hinders or
motivation to do better or you just don't
helps the business.
know what to do next career wise. These scenarios are quite common in 2015. They are global experiences that force business people to assess, evaluate then execute a plan of action because doing nothing; changes nothing. Here's a 3 stage solution to take you from where you are to THE place that you visualise you ought to be:
Let me put it another way. Think of your favourite meal - pick the ingredients apart - think of the provenance of each item. When you isolate the ingredients you get a deeper appreciation for what they contribute to the nice meal you were thinking of. When you break down all the things you do or products you sell by asking the difficult questions and
Deconstruct
analysing the measurable results; you are
Clearly identify your skill / unique selling
them unique. This uniqueness, with
point or product. Ascertain what makes
intelligent planning, equals significant
you, what you sell or what you do so
profit.
left with the essence of what makes you or
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Rebuild There must be a clear correlation between all aspects of what you represent. Your brand, logo, website, social media presence, philanthropic involvement, ethos, customer care, press briefings, mission statement and corporate culture should reflect (to varying degrees) who you are and what you represent. In Greek mythology the phoenix was destroyed by fire only to return as a stronger and wiser version of itself. Moral of the story: it changed though its essence remained.
Create a Strategic Blueprint So you've had a period of self/collective
These three tools to increased productivity will work for your business as well as your personal development. You are the best advert for your business and ambassador of your brand. Keeping close tabs on the microcosm aspects of your growth will lay a productive foundation for all the tangible, macrocosmic progress you may desire. Being honest about your business in the short term saves time in the medium to long term. Potential customers are focused on an instant, cost effective solution to a specific need so properly preparing yourself to be an industry expert to meet such a need simply makes sense. Right?
About the Author
reflection and want to keep up the momentum by organising based on what you've learnt. This is the time to implement what you have learnt or deduced. It's time to visualise and actualise or plan and do. Working hard and putting in long hours is not be confused with getting positive results. Efficiency is not the same as hard work. Implementing a practical strategy based on what you've rebuilt after
Malik Muhammad is a Self-Empowerment
deconstructing where you were is a recipe
Specialist, radio presenter and author of
for success and continual profit. The key is,
'Empower yourself to succeed'. He was
therefore, in asking the relevant objective
raised and educated in Jamaica, read law in
questions to extract the best, well thought
London and enjoys quad biking, vegan
out answers to ensure company growth and increase market share.
cooking and jazz. www.be-motiv8d.com
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How Beliefs Empower Our Lives By Sandra Hinshelwood
In a TED Talks session, social
As such, our beliefs may change but,
psychologist Amy Cuddy says, “Fake it
certain beliefs stay and form the
‘til you become it.” This might cause you
foundation of our sense of self-worth and
to raise your eyebrows but, in reality, a
self-confidence. These beliefs can be
lot of the things that happen in our lives
negative and limiting or positive and
are dictated by that attitude and the
empowering.
beliefs that we embody as we go
By subscribing to empowering beliefs, we
through our lives.
are allowing ourselves to get a chance at
The focus on what Amy Cuddy said
a better life. What empowering beliefs do
should not be on faking but on the
is allow us to take charge of a situation
second part of the adage: becoming.
and remember that we are far greater
How do we become what we wish to
and far better than any challenge that we
be?
will face. By habitually believing in
Beliefs are shaped by a variety of
positive beliefs, our mind will learn to
experiences, encounters, and people.
protect itself from attracting negativity and our mind will teach the body to react
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positively towards any challenging
life, the failure to accomplish tasks and
situation.
to actualise certain goals is just around
By simply believing that things will
the corner.
become better, by looking at the bright
It is highly important therefore that we
side, our lives will unfold in the way we
focus on keeping a positive attitude.
want it to unfold.
Beliefs that empower us to move and
We are human, and it is inevitable for us
conquer challenges must always stay
to feed our mind with limiting beliefs that
with us. Limiting beliefs must be limited,
disempower us and take away from us the
if not totally eradicated, from entering
confidence to take on challenges in life.
our lives. As Virginia Woolf puts it, “The
Limiting beliefs, such as negative self-
thing is to free one's self: to let it find its
image, unfounded insecurities, and many
dimensions, not be impeded.�
others give us easy excuses to not do
Take it upon yourself to believe that you
anything when faced with difficult and
can, and you surely will. Be reminded of
challenging situations.
what Henry Ford once said: If you
Once these limiting beliefs take over most
believe you can do a thing, or if you
of our disposition and attitude towards
believe you cannot, you’re usually right.
About the Author Sandra Hinshelwood is a business coach and mentor. Drawing upon her experience as a virtual assistant and team leader in the corporate world, she works with small business owners and solopreneurs to eliminate feelings of overwhelm and empowering them to focus on their goals and visions with greater clarity. www.sandrahinshelwood.com
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5 Changes to Make Your Morning Routine Better By Pearl Whitehead When you arise out of your slumber in the morning, the first few moments can really set the tone of the day. By nailing those first minutes you can set a great tone of positivity and productivity, giving you the best possible kick start to the day. You will either have an app or clock that will interrupt your blissful sleep, encouraging you to get the day moving. This will instantly upset your head, filling you with crankiness. The next few steps will turn it all around.
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Resist the screen
If our morning alarm is on our phone, we are instantly drawn to flicking through news feeds on social media, or checking
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our work emails and instantly dread the thought of chasing them up at work later that morning. You do not want to feel like you are being enslaved to technology as soon as you wake up. Save your morning for waking up, the natural kind of way. Disabled notifications on your home screen just for the mornings, so you can spend the time doing real stuff to benefit yourself, like showering, or eating. Then, if you have to travel to work on public transport, you have a treat of looking through your social media then to occupy your time.
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Roll out the right way
Okay, so this may sound utterly ridiculous. However, studies have shown there is logic behind the saying “gotten out of the wrong side of the bed”. The best way to sit up out of bed in the mornings is to roll over onto your right side. Once you’ve done this, push yourself up into a sitting position before rising up with a straight back. This gentle way takes pressure off your back area and heart, and an easy ritual to ease you in to every early morning.
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Set your goals for the day
TWhen you have got yourself up feeling comfortable, relax and think about what feasible goals you would like to achieve that day. However, remember the key word here is feasible. Limit yourself to three that could include minor goals such as packing your lunch instead of eating out to save some pennies, or scheduling the doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off. This will put your mind at ease, filling you with positivity and determination to meet your goals by the end of the day. This will give you the perfect boost of energy that you need in the mornings.
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Stretch those limbs
Many people ignore this as a chore, or
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getting in the way of extra sleep time. However, stretching is very important step in the morning as it helps you feel warmed up and energized. You can even do it from the comfort of your bed! Simply stretch out legs and arms and start feeling raring to go. It’s all about twisting your body for as little or as long as you like to help you start the day the right way.
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Music is the answer
Music puts everyone in a good mood. When you’re getting ready, preparing your lunch or driving in to work, pop on your favourite artists to be the soundtrack of your morning. The louder you sing along the better! Singing is a great way of combating early morning crankiness, waking you up and giving a positive spin on your day. Make sure you change up your chosen playlist so that it doesn’t just blend in to the boring morning routine. Even listen to the radio as you’re guaranteed to hear something you haven’t heard before. Music helps boost your creative thought also which will come in handy if you work in a creative environment like a design agency.
About the Author Pearl is an avid blogger for Cefar Digital Design. Her passion lies in creating engaging content for all level of readers and her desire is to become noticed for her creativity and versatility. Facebook Page | Twitter
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Realize Your Business Goals with Efficient Performance Management Solutions By Andrew Hoffman Getting ahead in the business world
Link Strategy and Execution
requires careful planning. You must take a
It is rarely easy to get all of your employees
multifaceted approach to find what works
on the same page, let alone on the same
for your office. You should be constantly on
sentence or word. Automated software
the lookout for new ways to improve daily
allows you to assign tasks and close them
operations, and that means staying up to
out in real-time, ensuring that everyone
date with the latest business technology.
knows exactly what is expected of them. As
These days, many team leaders are taking
you can imagine, when all of your
steps to improve business performance
employees can clearly see exactly what is
management (BPM) using automated
going on, there are fewer complications
software such as Intellect. Here are just a
and questions. Automated software makes
few of the reasons why updating your BPM
it easy to implement strategies, and then
is crucial.
execute them with minimal hassle.
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Eliminate the Need to Micromanage Few employees would say that they appreciate being micromanaged, but sometimes there is no better solution. When you implement modern business management solutions, you don’t need to confront an employee until it is absolutely necessary. The software will notify you if a task has not been completed, allowing you to talk to the employee about a specific instance, rather than having to constantly inquire about the progress of a project. This
performance management methods waste astounding amounts of time every day. Employees are often sitting at their desks twiddling their thumbs waiting for the next project to be ready. When you use automated software, a project becomes available the second it can be worked on. For example, once a new applicant is processed by HR, training can begin immediately. This keeps the workflow constant and steady, drastically reducing procrastination.
makes everyone’s work day more enjoyable,
Enable Your Staff to Perform Their Best
as well as more productive.
The right business management software
Improve Employee Morale and Reduce
allows your employees to meet their full
Turnover Rates
potential by removing everything holding
The right performance management software simply makes things better. Your team will enjoy the feeling of being selfsufficient and independent, and you will feel less intrusive and stressed. When morale is high, productivity follows, so everyone wins. Additionally, a lack of communication is often cited as one of the main reasons why employees leave an organization, so you are more likely to retain your valuable employees by
them back in the first place. Automated software opens the lines of communication much wider, ensuring that errors are not compounded. Many employees mean well and have the necessary skills to do their jobs properly, yet they are not able to meet their performance standards because of preventable obstacles. When you upgrade your performance management system, you widen the highway and eliminate traffic jams.
implementing better BPM solutions in your
Understand Employee Performance
office.
It is an unfortunate reality that many
Reduce Wasted Time
employees who deserve praise don’t get it,
Many offices that rely on outdated business
and vice-versa. You may have one employee
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who constantly looks busy, but is
Depersonalize Office Issues
contributing nothing of substance to the
Sometimes a team member may take your
organization. On the other hand, you may
criticism personally. Performance
have an employee who finishes all work but
management solutions allow supervisors to
doesn’t look overly stressed about it.
clearly show exactly what the problems
Performance management software keeps
with the work are – rather with the
you aware of who is accomplishing what.
employees themselves. This reduces the
This allows you to make accurate decisions
chances of someone getting their feelings
that benefit the entire staff.
hurt or claiming favouritism. When you can
Provide Long-Term Understanding
define exactly what went wrong, you are
It is imperative that your employees know exactly what is expected of them on a dayto-day basis, as well as in the long term. If
able to get to the root of the problem and solve it, without any personal issues getting in the middle.
you are constantly introducing new
Take Your Office to the Next Level
workloads and methods, they are not going
As you can see, upgrading your BPM
to be able to stay focused. When there is a
solutions can produce serious results. In
clear and concise way that operations are
today’s competitive world, even the most
done each day, they know exactly what to
minor details make a difference, so it is not
expect when they start the day. While
surprising that today’s top companies are
things may still change at times,
implementing the latest automation
performance management solutions offer
software. Transitioning to new BPM
consistency that results in highly effective
software is surprisingly easy and affordable,
employees.
so there really is no reason not to take the plunge. Give your business the advantage it deserves today.
About The Author: Andrew Hoffman is a freelance writer and journalist from Los Angeles, CA, who has written on behalf of a range of clients including the Livestrong Network and Chron.com. In addition to writing about a range of technology and fitness topics, he enjoys surfing in Santa Monica and collecting classic, first-edition novels. https://twitter.com/andrewhoffman99
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How much do you know your customers? Do you know them well as they know your business? In today’s fierce business environment, it is extremely challenging to pull in sales easily, since we are dealing with a much more computer-savvy and intellectual population. Sometimes, a trivial trick can pull in a sale or make your customer happy or worst, might cause the customer to repel. Thus the question, ‘how well do you know your customers’? For instance, in a brick-and-mortar setting, it certainly is difficult to record and monitor every customer walking in. On the other hand, the scenario is altogether different with an e-commerce site. The beauty of web is that you get to extract significant amounts of important customer data such as age, gender, zip code, time zone, language, browsing patterns/behaviours, buying history, etc. Ask yourself, who is your ideal customer? If you don’t have answer to that or you are
preparing a list of different folks or are targeting everyone right from kids to teens and elderly, then there is some real bad news for you. Yes, because this is incorrect targeting. Targeting Right - Pathway to Understanding your Customers Targeting everyone out there is one of the gravest blunders committed by businesses worldwide. Having a clear picture of your target audience helps you to drive your marketing strategies around them, whereas a lack of targeting will lead to a significant loss of revenue, time and resources. The first step for targeting the right way is asking yourself what problem or issue your product/service addresses. Simply put, the USP of your service/product. Also, understand the fact that customers are looking for solutions and buy from a business for addressing their problems.
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Avoid aggressive pitching. In fact, focus more on convincing the prospects as how your service/product will actually help them address their problems or concerns. Mastering this will get customers queued up for your offerings. Don’t shoot in the Dark Having sound knowledge about your target market plays a pivotal role in manoeuvring your marketing stratagems and optimizing other critical marketing processes as well. Therefore, it is imperative to understand and decide who you intend to sell or market your product/service to. Any uncertainties here is a lot like shooting in the dark. So how do you shoot in the right direction? Actually, it’s quite simple. Read on to know what the requisites of a typical prospect profile are.
Age Gender Profession Family details Geographic/location details (rural, regional, suburban etc.) Interests
Moving onto the next stage:
What are the questions or queries of the prospect regarding your business/ industry What problems they are facing What are the solutions they are looking out for resolving their issues For B2C businesses, it is imperative to determine lifestyles, social behaviours and interests of their prospects
Whereas for B2B businesses, it is advisable to determine what benefits the client aspires from your service/ solution, rate of usage, aftersales customer support, handholding, etc.
Identify where your customers are! Now that you are aware of what a typical customer profile entails, it is time to find out where your customer exactly is. For this, you ought to skim over the geographic details of all the prospects, who befit your bill. After ascertaining the geographic areas/ demographics that have the highest concentration of prospects for your business, it is time to plan and devise your marketing strategies for reaching out to these prospects . End of the Line Once you know where you need to hunt, you then zoom into a win-win situation when it comes to devising and running your marketing campaigns around them. Knowing your customers helps a long way in drawing in the right customers towards your business. Gone are the days of targeting everyone in your list with just a single message, as it’s time to be more customercentric and right audience targeting. This article is written on behalf of Sage Software Solutions, who provide integrated ERP, payroll and CRM software. It helps SME to manage their business and customer. You can find more about them on Twitter and LinkedIn
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How to Create a Killer Logo An Infographic By X Print
A logo is a crucial part of a company’s identity. It tells a story of the brand's culture, behaviour, and values and importantly, it allows potential customers to identify with the brand. Having a distinctive logo can leave a lasting impression on potential customers and can help your business to stand out from the competition.
Designing a unique logo is no easy task though. Quite often, businesses will unknowingly replicate existing logos that are already out there rather than create something truly original. This is because original logos are very hard to produce. Our infographic reveals exactly what is the key to creating a killer logo, from what colours to consider to tips on what to do and what not to do with logo designs and much more.
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At X Print we specialise in high quality, fast turnaround, affordable full colour printing delivering free throughout Ireland. Our aim is to take the hassle out of the print ordering process by offering our customers a simple online ordering process using the latest design online and print ordering technologies. - We offer an extensive range of printed products including Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Greeting Cards, Invitations, Postcards, Flyers, Leaflets, Posters, Brochures, Roll up banners, Stickers, Outdoor Banners, Canvas Prints, Bookmarks and much more but if you don't see what you're looking for give us a shout and we should be able to help. - Choose from thousands of pre-loaded templates ready for you to customise or design your own from scratch using our powerful online design studio. You can also upload your own print ready artwork. - Giving you the ability to design and proof your own jobs speeds up the print ordering process. - Pick your own style, design, quantity, paper type and leave the rest to us. - We print all your orders on quality FSC approved paper and card stocks using the modern digital and lithographic printing technology. - All your orders are delivered direct to your doorstep via next day courier. All our print work is carried out in Ireland no out sourcing abroad so you can feel confident that you are supporting local business. If you need help with any of our services do not hesitate to contact us as we shall do our best to help.
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