Howard Brodsky set out to conquer the carpet world. Dan Bleier just wanted to save his family-owned business. But both cherished their independent status in a retail chain, "big box" business world. Now, each realizes success through a purchasing cooperative.The pair spent almost eight months reviewing different business models, disqualifying one after another. Then they looked at cooperatives. Brodsky and Bleier are founders of two of the...more
Most IT jobs consist of doing work in a constantly reoccurring cycle: define, design, create, test, deploy, repeat. When we get our first IT job or when we jump onto a new program, this can all seem so very new and exciting. However, once we reach the fourth or fifth cycle, it all starts to see the same. We also start to ask the BIG question: why am I doing this and does anyone really care?Ultimately this is THE BIG question. I know that I have...more
In the eternal quest to communicate better and have our message "stick" with our audience, a powerful tool is often overlooked by us technical types. A good story, told at the right time, in the right way, to the right audience can have a lasting effect that can transform an organization. Proof of this can be found on the business best seller list over the past few years: "Who Moved My Cheese", "Zapp: The Lightning of Empowerment", "A Message From Garcia", etc. have all proved that everyone loves a good story. Ah, but as always, the devil is in the details. Done wrong, a story can backfire and send your career down in flames. Let's see if we can discover how to tame this wild stallion so that we can ride it to career success.We've got lots of ways to communicate information, why bother with stories? We all know how to create and use analytical charts and their associated graphs (3-D pie chart anyone?), written reports, etc. A story is the right tool to use when your standard tools just aren't working. Joseph Badaracco, a Harvard Business School professor, says that "People don't simply hear stories. It triggers things - pictures, thoughts, and associations - in their minds". The...more
Corporate frauds undermine organizational effectiveness. Understanding the root causes of corporate frauds and dealing with them is critical to advancing organizational effectiveness and corporate integrity. Understanding corporate frauds is more than skin deep. It's truly a matter of understanding the heart.The ScourgeFrauds and financial...more
Magical but Simple Do-It-At-Home VirtuesMost of the "blockages" to success are originated in cosmic imbalance that slows down the process of attracting abundance or financial prosperity. Learn how to induce your own "Good Luck" combining two magical ingredients and performing simple actions."Good luck" is known as the magical combination between...more
Trading As A BusinessTrading in the financial markets, whether it be the Stock Market; the Commodities Market; the Futures Market; the Forex Market; or even the Options Market; is taking big risks on your hard-earned money.You have to treat trading as a serious business whether you are trading full-time or part-time if you are ever going to succeed and hold on to your profits in the long run.Yes, you heard me right. You have to plan and manage it like a brick and mortar business. There is no other way to succeed in trading or speculations if you are not going to give the due respect that Mr. Market deserves. If you don't respect the Market, the market will not give you the reciprocal respect, in terms of taking money out of the markets and hold on to them.Once you have this proper mindset, we can move on to other important components that make up your trading business.Trading PlanThe first thing you need to do before you start a business is to have a Business Plan. In this case, it is called a Trading Plan.Now, this is the place to set your Goals that you want to achieve. Be as specific as possible while being not to easily or impossible to achieve. Set yourself a goal that is...more
There has to be a reason that some part of a business does better than other parts, why some employees are more productive than others, why some sports team dominate their sports etc. There really is a logical explanation, and once you understand...more
New business opportunities for the entrepreneur who wants to work from home appear almost every day. Many promise to deliver income to the would-be business owner with product ideas they want the business owner to sell, but then offer little to no...more
Are some customers better than others? Of course they are. So how do you attract the customers you want and deflect or discourage those who would do better elsewhere? First, know your customers. Which ones are making your business successful? Which...more
Credit cards are considered to overpass gap between requirements and contentment, disquiet for purchasing and smile for escalating capability of procure even with inadequate cash in hand. Since these synthetic cards came to market, they have allured...more
The world today looks pretty bleak. Financial institutions are failing all over the world, and several million jobs have seemingly disappeared overnight, meaning that ordinary people are facing bleak financial circumstances. You might be one of them....more
Many kinds of loans are available to the Non-Resident Purchasers in France. Some of them are: French Fixed Interest Rate Loans The interest rate is fixed at the starting of the loan for the duration of mortgage period of 5 to 25 years. The positive...more