Archive for June, 2010
|BOSS Business Tip #6: Create a Vision Board!
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Create your own personal vision board; have all employees complete one as well. The board is simply a collection of pictures, statements, or anything else viewed as encouragement to the creator. Remember to be clear and concise! Studies show goals are most often achieved if they are measurable; for example: to increase revenue. Although this is a good starting point, it isn’t precise! By how much? By what date? A more effective goal would be: to increase revenue by 5% by December 2010. When an individual sets a goal with such specificity, they are forced to map out an effective route in order to reach their target. So take control, create your vision board today!
Take a look at some of the Vision Boards you can find around BOSS Headquarters…
Tags: Achievement, Encouragement, Goals, Pictures, Target, Vision
Posted in BOSS 100 Awesome Business Tips, Business Advice | No Comments »
Feedback is Your Friend!
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Excitement mounted as BOSS Members and guests arrived at the Old Mill Inn.
This wasn’t going to be just another BOSS event. After receiving extensive feedback from our last event, the BOSS Team realized that changes were necessary to create even more value for the 75 business owners that were set to attend. We wanted to take action on what our BOSS Members and guests wanted to experience; since after all, this is their business community. So we, as a team, spent countless hours brainstorming, planning and preparing for an event that would create meaningful connections, solutions, and opportunities like never before. From the opening, right through the activities planned… we were ready to show all who attended exactly how BOSS could change their businesses forever. (more…)
Tags: Feedback, Impact, RoundTable Networking, Triad Power Networking
Posted in BOSS Events, Business Networking, Member Benefits | No Comments »
BOSS Business Tip #5: Be on Time!
Friday, June 25th, 2010
We all know life happens. There are certain occasions where being on-time j
ust isn’t going happen; whether it’s work, family, car troubles, whatever the issue may be. In these situations, you are given a free pass, however, don’t take advantage! Make sure you plan ahead, give yourself plenty of time. Some useful tips include; waking up on time (don’t hit “snooze”), be aware of what time it is, and in my opinion, most helpful, plan to be 15 minutes early. Remember when you schedule a meeting or appointment, you are not only using your own time, yet the other party’s as well. Be considerate when making plans. In order to the get the most out of a meeting, or appointment, ensure you always arrive in a timely fashion, allowing yourself to relax, take a deep breath, and absorb the information discussed.
Learn more on being punctual here!
Tags: Appointment, Arrive Early, Meeting, On Time, Punctuality, Tips
Posted in BOSS 100 Awesome Business Tips, Business Advice, Business Networking | No Comments »
BOSS Business Tip #4: Keep Tabs on Prospects
Monday, June 21st, 2010
High demands from current clients may sometim
es distract you from new and exciting prospects or opportunities. It’s easy to “push forward” or postpone reconnecting with prospects; don’t wait! Seek out some fresh faces and make sure to follow-up with existing opportunities. Here are a couple tips when contacting your prospects: Have a reason for calling; the purpose is not to pressure them, yet to provide them with exciting updates. This call should demonstrate potential value; let your product or service speak for itself!
For more tips follow this link!
Tags: Opportunities, Prospects, Value
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Are You an Effective Leader?
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Anyone can be a leader, but not every leader is effective…
During my time as an Air Cadet for 7 years, I was drilled with theory and practical experience as a leader. I was always taught that a leader is someone who steps up the plate and makes things happen; an individual who steps ahead of the crowd and takes a chance; someone who defines his leadership abilities by the amount of followers he or she has.
It was no wonder when someone showed me the following KOAN quote; it left me in utter confusion:
AM I a leader?
A leader needs followers,
to be considered a leader.
A leader needs to be able to follow others,
to be considered an effective leader.
AM I a follower?
I’m sure, like myself, many of you are wondering,
“If a leader is supposed to lead followers,
than how can they be a follower themselves?”
Tags: Adopters, Best Practices, Courage, Effective, Equals, Follower, Gandhi, Lead, Positional, Real, We
Posted in BOSS Leadership, Business Advice | No Comments »
BOSS Business Tip #3: Go Green!
Monday, June 14th, 2010
Aside fro
m the aesthetic improvement, plants also provide cleaner air. Constantly we are exposed to toxic chemicals found throughout nearly any office space; keyboard cleaners, photocopiers, cleaning supplies, the list goes on. By adding some “green” to our workspace, we can help reduce these toxins, and improve the air quality. Clean air can lead to a clear and focused mind. Remember this when designing your workspace, the benefits are priceless!
Tags: Clean, Go Green!, Work Environment
Posted in BOSS 100 Awesome Business Tips | No Comments »
BOSS Business Tip #2: Look for Free Advertising!
Friday, June 11th, 2010
With the invention of television, the internet, and all other technological advancements, 
it’s easy to get distracted from the “roots” of business. First stick to the basics; consider word of mouth. Long before these industrial advancements, word of mouth was one of the only forms of advertisement. According to a study conducted by RSCG, when compared with television and print advertising, word of mouth is still the most influential outlet in the advertising world!
After creating a sound referral network, consider the other end of the spectrum; develop your company using social media and technology! Start a Facebook group, fire up Twitter; theses are all free forms of advertising. Aside from the monetary savings of social media, consider the sheer volume of people your profiles will reach. Facebook estimates 175 million users daily!
So before you write that cheque, consider these ideas. Keep your money!
For more tips click here!
Tags: Advertising, Influential, Social Media, Word of Mouth
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It’s About Finishing…
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
We hear it all too often in the business world, “There are winners, and there are losers.” However, I beg to differ…
I struggle with the concept of businesses winning and losing for 2 reasons:
1) Looking at business in a win/lose light actually hinders a company’s mindset.
They begin to focus on scarcity rather than abundance. What do I mean by that? Well it’s derived from an old proverb that states “your thoughts become your actions.” If you constantly think of how well your competitors are doing; how much you need to improve; how much market share you need to get; you are mostly focusing on what’s not there in your business. However, if you focus on creativity, abundance, giving greater value to your customer, opportunities (even in a bad economy), happy employees, good working relationships with suppliers, growing net worth and life worth, you begin to focus on what can be there.
2) When someone wins it automatically implies someone loses.
This leads to companies focusing so much on ‘beating’ their competitors, that they fail to focus on the value they’re offering. In a world that only used Microsoft Windows, Apple decided to go against the status quo and promote an unfamiliar operating system. In the end, did either of them really ‘lose’? Or how about Google, they’ve already ‘won’ so why do they keep expanding? It’s simple, they’re not finished yet.
In my opinion, business is less about winning and more about finishing. It is about setting goals, and achieving them. It’s about giving the best experience for your employees and your customers. It’s about capitalizing on opportunities and seeing them through. It’s about giving it everything you have to make it to the end that you so determine. If you do all that, how can you not ‘win’?
At BOSS we live this concept by creating meaningful connections, solutions, and opportunities. We know that the sum is greater than it’s parts and that when businesses come together in a win-win situation, extraordinary things can happen. But not only do we know this, we see it day in and day out with our members. Whether it’s a conversation that leads to synergy or a BOSS event meeting that leads to sales, business owners all over the GTA are beginning to realize the power of collaborating to finish, rather than competing to win. Every business we interact with is given the support they need to not just see their finish line, but most importantly… cross it.
What do you think? Whether you agree or disagree, tell us your thoughts below!
Tags: Abundance, Collaboration, Finishing, Success
Posted in Business Advice, Member Benefits, Wealth Consciousness | No Comments »
BOSS Business Tip #1: Website Spring Cleaning!
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Commonly misunderstood, is the idea of a website “homepage”. Unlike the archaic days, when people would manually type in the URL, the web is now filled with a myriad of search engines, which not only find the site you are looking for, yet other relevant sites as well. Search engines such as Google or MSN, have paved the way for a new and more efficient way to navigate a website; no longer do you have to sift through the immense amount of information, you are simply taken directly to the desired page (for the most part). However, in some situations, people are still directed, or choose to visit the homepage.
Keeping this in mind, why do so many websites insist on including a 2 minute introduction video, complete with a song- playing on repeat? Most of us search for the “skip intro” button as quickly as possible. Not only are these introductions annoying, yet typically take too long to load. Site speed is one the most crucial factors regarding website functionality; if it’s too slow, consumers will leave, looking for speedier alternatives. According to one study, the time spent viewing a webpage is low, and is progressively diminishing. Consider the factors that make a website functional; try skipping the 2-minute introduction video. This spring do a clean-up, revamp your homepage!
Click here to learn more about influencing the online behaviour of consumers.
Tags: Clean-Up, Speed, Web
Posted in BOSS 100 Awesome Business Tips, Business Advice | No Comments »
Looking at the "WHY"
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
Take a look at this TED talk that challenges us to look at the "WHY" of your business before pushing your "WHAT" …
BOSS THOUGHTS…
Getting people to ‘buy’ into your philosophy is integral in the development of your business. Helping customers understand where you’re coming from before being sold on what you offer creates an immediate sense of trust. Capitalize on this emotional connection and watch the wonders that genuineness, authenticity, and integrity create!
BOSS REFLECTION QUESTIONS…
Ask yourself,
- Why do I believe in my business? – Others won’t believe in your business if you don’t!
- What need is my business alleviating? - Most businesses are there for a reason, so explain it!
- What do I love most about my business? - Love what you do and others will too!
“Purpose is what gives life a meaning."
~ Charles H. Perkhurst
Tags: Believe, Business Philosophy, Buy In, WHY
Posted in Business Advice | 1 Comment »
