One Of The Keys To Your Business' Success

Is your company struggling managing inventory and keeping an accurate record of what products are in stock? Has it become a burden to keep track of everything or are there times you don't even know what you have and what you need? Do you dread the days that inventory has to be counted and recorded? Do you have a system in place that makes managing inventory efficient and stress free? If the answer to any of the first three questions is "yes" and a "no" to the last one, you may well be in need of an inventory management software solution to make tracking inventory much, much easier.
Inventory management software helps you to securely and efficiently manage your software and keep a more accurate record of your stock. This means you'll be a lot more effective in turning orders around and will have a much more simpler invoicing procedure. The faster you fill order and get those invoices mailed out, the faster you get paid!
Change the Way You do Business with Inventory Software.
When you're looking for that perfect inventory software solution for your company, you want a package that's affordable, quick and easy to put in place, easy to use and lets users to stay connected to Quickbooks. To make things easy for your business and inventory accounting, you want software that is in sync with QuickBooks, that is, if you use QuickBooks. For Quickbooks users, you'll find a lot of inventory software packages replace the functionality of Quickbooks with its own, which can cause confusion. When you have inventory software that works in sync with QuickBooks, the two programs communicate with each other, share data and give you real-time information. It's much easier to get the reports for purchasing and forecasting with advanced applications which enables you to make better decisions based on more current data.
Superior inventory management software is safe as it is hosted by a secure hosting facility. Your information is much safe when it's housed in inventory software than if it is stored locally at your business location where a break-in and the theft of your computer can mean you lose all the information you've stored. And because the information is delivered using a secure connection (HTTPS), like the kind used for online banking, your information cannot be seen or accessed via the Internet.
When your business uses inventory software that is both secure and accurate, managing inventory becomes a lot easier. Inventory software that accurately tracks your stock and helps get those invoices out and back quickly and efficiently is a must-have for your business to succeed.

Run a Food and Beverage Factory

Foods and beverages can be one of the best ways to guarantee yourself a profit. While you may not have the potential earning power to make massive wins on cheap stock, you will be entering one of the few industries that will always be in demand. To launch a successful factory, you will need to take on board many different necessities. There are many national and global companies who have chosen the Middle East for their factory sites and you can learn a lot from those who've already made headway in the business.
Health and safety is a key concern in all factory settings, but it is incredibly important when you're dealing with food and beverages. There will be a number of local legislations and laws you will need to follow when it comes to how well you store and handle your products. If you're planning to make food or drink to be sold overseas too, you may find there are additional regulations you will need to satisfy to take your product to a global market.
Training is one of the most crucial aspects when it come to meeting regulations, as it only take a few members of staff forgetting to follow the rules to jeopardise the integrity of your whole factory. Ensure that all employees are rigorously trained and frequently tested and reminded of the rules and regulations that keep them and your products safe. It's also essential to recognise that there are many different categories in the food and beverage industry, and what might be adequate safety measures for one will not the same for another.
Temperature regulation is a particularly important consideration when it comes to food and drink and there are strict rules to ensure that consumables are stored at a safe level. Heat or insufficient cooling can quickly pose a health and safety risk when it comes to food and beverage products, so factory managers must put systems in place to ensure that there are safe levels throughout.
These will also vary drastically depending on the type of product you are storing or making. For example, you may need only temporary cooling and cold storage of produce, dairy or meat products or suspended animation of flowers or fruits or temperature control for fermentation processes, defoaming, defloculation of suspensions. On the other hand, you may need solutions such as dehumidification of work areas or drying food materials to help you keep your foods and workplaces safe and clean.
As far as the health and safety considerations of workers are concerned, it's also important for a factory to keep working temperatures reasonable. For many businesses in the Middle East, the cost is more effectively managed with temperature control rental solutions that can offer additional cooling services during the hottest months. To ensure that your factory is following all health and safety considerations efficiently, it may be a good idea to call in an independent consultant to help you identify potential problems.

Getting Help From Binary Options Experts To Earn Money

There are new and innovative ways to earn money in this modern day and age. One of the methods that have become very popular among business-minded individuals is the binary options system. People have become very active in this groundbreaking, money making strategy. Most people who have yet to try using this tactic would say that it is complex and risky; well, if you ask most of those who have tried doing it, they'll tell you that it's quite easy and as for risks, every business venture has a possibility of failure.

Of course, everyone wants to succeed at what they do, especially when your finances are on the line. Moreover, to succeed at any type of endeavor, you will need to learn some strategies and know how to acquire accurate information. To do this, you will have to experiment with your venture and see what works for you. However, you have to do it in moderation and control your urges to splurge so much on a trade as it will cost you dearly.

There are many things that you can earn from using this method; stocks are among the assets that people usually deal with. Succeeding in this type of system can be very tricky because it requires being almost like a fortune teller; you have "predict" your assets value at the date of expiration. How do you do this? By being observant; vigilance is the key to become successful in this field.

The erratic nature of the market is what scares most people, but as mentioned earlier, risks are present in any type of venture. You need to be brave to take the first steps and eventually you'll learn the things that you have to do and the things that you have to avoid. This is because there are things that you can do in a binary options trade, but it doesn't mean that it will be good for you. For example, a trade's expiration can be set for longer times than usual, but just because you can do this, does not imply that it's a wise choice; although there are times that you will have to do this, most of the time, it's a lot wiser to keep it short so if its value continues to drop, you won't be too affected.

Turn On Your Mortgage Leads Faucet!

The mortgage business overhaul is almost over. From a Headhunter's perspective, business seems to be improving nationwide. The dedicated professionals who've weathered the past few years are poised to reap big rewards. Tens of thousands have left the industry and the opportunity to grow your mortgage connections is huge. It's time to turn on your mortgage leads faucet.
I like Loan Officers and Originators. If I were not a Recruiter I would join their ranks. The marketplace has changed. There's no use fighting those changes. Millions of people are ready to sell and buy homes again.
Medium size mortgage companies have been acquiring solo operations and small mortgage groups who could not survive in this new era of regulations. The primary growth strategy for many mortgage companies has been to recruit loan officers vs. training new ones.
Mortgage companies are willing to pay substantial recruiter fees for entire branches, and Loan Originators. Top producing loan officers used to close 3 - 50 million a month (the 90's to 2008). Now mortgage companies are happy if loan officers close a million dollars a month. Folks with a fresh NMLS license are eager to develop their mortgage lead sources to build up their sales base.
In addition to recruiting it's time for the mortgage business to turn within their organizations and start increasing market share by helping each individual Loan Originator grow their circle of Realtor relationships. It's time to turn on the mortgage leads faucet to full force.
The secret to growing a never-ending stream of mortgage leads is establishing relationships with Realtors. Every loan originator can grow their mortgage leads and the time to lay the foundation for a steady stream of leads is now. Make a plan for the next 12 - 24 weeks to visit 10, 20, or 35 realtors each week. Make a schedule and follow your plan. Visit the same Realtors each week.
This routine can feel useless but it's not. The best producers have multiple Realtors feeding them leads. Gather your team members and list all the ways your office adds value to the working relationship you establish with your selected Realtors. I spoke with a commercial Real Estate Broker yesterday about how many visits he's getting from Loan Officers. His answer: None.
Set all excuses aside and get out and visit Realtors. Go in person or cold call to make appointments. One thing is certain. Week after week of placing your face in front of your targeted Realtors will start to bring in business. How you service your clients will keep that mortgage lead faucet on.
Your persistence, your dependability, and your brief announcements of how you can help their business will stick. You are there to help them succeed. You are not a pest. You are their backup plan. Offer benefits and value. Prepare your value added phrases before your visit. Take time to stand there and let your authority and expertise register. Ask questions. Do you know what matters most to your customer? What kind of information will help them with potential home buyers? Prepare a top notch sales script to succeed.
New mortgage leads will flow. Don't settle for a few realtor relationships. Stick with your plan for 12 - 24 weeks. Don't let pretend items on the 'to-do' list distract you. If you need help with sales skills, get that help. If you have anxiety related to cold calling or any part of the sales process, there's help. EFT is a perfect solution. Ask your peers for suggestions. Brainstorm. If each person in the office adds four new apps a month to the loan pool it's more cost effective than paying a recruiter fee.
Loan Originators have taken a beating these past few years and it's time to grow your mortgage business by creating endless mortgage leads. Do it now. Have fun. Ask for a new wheel barrel for Christmas. You'll need it to carry all your commissions to the bank!

Don't Ignore Call Resistance

Why do you avoid making cold calls? Is it because you hate rejection? Do you feel you're intruding on someone's day? Are you shy? Insecure? Do you not believe your service or product has value? Is there another reason? Call Resistance is real. If your career in sales requires you to make cold calls it's time to face the issue and dissolve your call reluctance forever.
Everyone knows why we cold call for business. Volumes of books have been written on the subject however if you are in sales and hate to cold call, you're probably miserable. Guilt, shame, feelings of inadequacy, fear; the list is endless so solve the problem once and for all.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is the answer. EFT is emotional self-care. It's been used in healing practices worldwide for about 20 years. Traumatic experiences impact our behavior. Science has proven traumatic memories don't mature. Trauma, emotional and physical pain can be released. While we'll remember events, how we feel about those events can be dissolved. We can choose our behavior and live the life we want.
Example: As children our caregivers told us rules to keep us safe and help us fit into society. "Don't talk to strangers." "Mind your own business." As adults with career responsibilities, those rules don't apply however when we're called upon to act in ways that are in conflict with those rules, we feel anxious, or afraid.
EFT is an energy therapy. When we feel mental, emotional, or physical pain those feelings block the flow of energy within our bodies. EFT incorporates a tapping sequence on acupoints on the body with a focus on the pain we want to dissolve. Done correctly, the EFT tapping sequence sends vibrations throughout the body and dislodges the pain. It's emotional acupuncture without needles.
Therapists are having astonishing results with patients who suffer from PTSD. EFT is easy to learn and self-administered. There are practical uses for EFT and it will erase the emotions preventing you from cold calling. We've all come in contact with perpetually angry people. They're reactions are usually disproportionate to the issue. Is road rage really an excuse to run someone off the road or physically assault someone? No.
We know people who feel angry can experience a rise in their blood pressure. Anger can trigger a heart attack. Emotions can cause us to feel sick, trigger a headache, backache, or make us cry. Emotions impact our physical well-being and behavior.
Use EFT to erase the idea that you don't deserve to be successful or the fear of success. Dissolve insecurities and get rid of false assumptions. You're able to call family and friends so why not call prospects that need and want your service? EFT will free you from subtle negative self-talk messages that have hounded you for years. Maybe you dad could never give you a compliment and you grew up thinking you're not worthy or competent. Nonsense! With EFT it's not necessary to trace a feeling back to the original trauma or pain. All that's needed is to identify the pain or fear or negative behavior you want erased.
A career in sales offers outstanding rewards. Earn what you deserve to earn. Create the life you dream of and be free from outdated or painful thoughts. Don't let call reluctance inhibit your performance. You can cold call with confidence. EFT is a tool that delivers peace and healing when you never thought you had issues to heal! Be prosperous and love your sales career.

Create Your Own Business Referral Network

Customers who come as referrals to your business are coming to you with a pre-set level of trust. They have been told by another individual whose opinion they trust that your business offers exactly what they are looking for. The only step required after receiving a referral customer is to make sure their trust in you is never misplaced. When creating your business referral network you should keep a few helpful tips and industry tricks in mind.
Try it
This might sound overly simplified but it is not. If you see an opportunity to expand your business network, give it a shot. Join committees, your local chamber of commerce, check out some seminars, and continually network yourself at every possible opportunity. You should soon find yourself with no shortage of business referral network possibilities.
Associate with Beneficial Mentors
If you know those who have experience with business referral networks it may be a valuable idea to seek out some mentoring from those individuals or businesses. Utilize your time with any mentors wisely by making notes each time you see a hiccup in your own business referral network programs or strategies and taking them to your next meeting with a mentor.
Do it For Your Team
Instill in your employees that the primary reason they should help with referrals is that when the team wins, they win. With struggling economies, increasing daily living costs and other elements that are killing businesses all over the globe, employees who seek out referrals are indeed, doing it for themselves, their team and overall, the business.
Offer Charity Donation Options Among Your Employees
Some of your team members may hesitate and feel concerned over the appearance of making referrals for reasons that may appear self-enriching. Offer your employees the option of choosing to donate their referral rewards to a local charity. Not only is this a community-based benefiting option, it also encourages those who may not have had interest in being an employee referrer previously.
In Name Only
Some of your employees may not have the time to do the research required to capture perfect referrals or to gather their contact information, addresses or other personal information. For those employees, be sure to offer an option where they can be considered for a smaller reward by simply providing the names of any they think may be qualified candidates for referrals. In many cases you will find that the top employees in your business are willing to work in this manner without any promise of reward for supplying those names. Hand these names over to your expert recruiters to follow-up and begin the process of selling.
Be Patient
Even if you are not new to a business, you are still a small fish in a big pond. Keeping that in mind will help you and your business move forward even when there are obvious setbacks in your network. Don't get discouraged and keep hammering away at your business referral network until you have perfected it to suit your needs and that of your company's.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture and Referral Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture and Referral relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability.

Make The Most Of Social Media Networks

The reputation of social networks has exploded in recent years. Not merely can you keep in contact with buddies, you can know about community businesses or maybe message large organizations. When you consider the quantity of folks online and the amount of time they spend there, you need to be also there with your company. This short article demonstrates how you'll be able to appreciate higher exposure via social media marketing.

Work with Twitter to get an benefit when you find yourself making use of social networks advertising for the enterprise. If completed correctly, you are able to obtain a big audience very rapidly. Attempt to secure the biggest volume of readers. Your supporters are all prospective clients so get as many as you possibly can.

Use puzzle campaigns to keep supporters interested. Devote a web page on your site and produce special pages on the social media communities for this. Use different social networks to post an interesting picture or video clip to hook viewers. To help keep them engaged, ensure you give them a date when more info will be supplied. It will be when you submit brand new content on your micro-site, reveal more of the mystifying video and mention your company.

You could wish to enable your clientele to chat to one another online. You can do so by generating a user community forum on your different social networking pages. This may increase your amount of customer support as well as assist create sensation of community within your client base. You could be shocked simply how much info is shared on these discussion boards and thinkhow it will help increase your profits.

Add in a Facebook tab on all of your articles and posts. This may make it less difficult for your followers to publish your content on their very own Facebook pages. The days of duplicating and pasting are behind us as most readers would rather not publish the material than go through the hassle.

Your end aim is to improve your company's profile. To help you develop a greater base of followers, guest writing is really a great approach to establish your self. Applications for smart phones are also worth looking at as a method to grow your business.

Social media marketing and advertising is also maintaining an eye on any blog posts, reviews or remarks on your organization. You'll be able to know right away through particular monitoring applications when brand new opinions are published about your company. Knowing what folks are publishing about you, specifically prior clients, can help you get a sense of how your company is perceived. You'll be able to also find out which area could need upgrades.

As you can see, it really is rather easy to start your social network advertising efforts. Remaining well informed of current and new trends in the environment of social media can help you reap the benefits of your advertising efforts.

Preparing, Displaying And Serving Food

It is not only the delicious food that impresses guests, but the catering equipment has a major role to play as well. For catering and hospitality industry, it is imperative to source their catering supplies from a reputable seller who fulfills all their catering needs and requirements.

Professional caterers prepare and serve food for weddings, parties, corporate events and other special occasions attended by a large number of people. They must be able to rely on their equipment to provide their services and keep their clients satisfied. That is why they need to locate a reliable company for purchasing catering supplies.

Dinnerware options include dinner plates, salad dishes, soup bowls and saucers made of ceramic, glass, metal or plastic. Caterers can choose from round, square and novelty shapes such as seashells for themed events. Stainless steel, plastic and glass dessert cups come in a variety of styles. Durable plastic dishes are inexpensive and suitable for casual parties. They will not break if dropped on the ground and are resistant to scratches, chips and nicks, so replacement is rarely necessary.

A catering company that offers sushi on the menu will need specialty items. Many supply companies offer sushi boats, boxes, trays and mats for preparation and serving. Chopsticks are also available for an authentic dining experience.

For beverage service, wine buckets, decanters, stands and chillers placed on individual tables allow guests to serve themselves. Bar caddies, spoons, tongs, ice scoops, jiggers and condiment containers are essential for any bar set up. Bartenders will also need liquor pourers, a bottle opener and corkscrew to serve guests mixed drinks, bottled beer and wine.

Three gallon or five gallon urns provide a convenient way to prepare enough coffee for a large crowd. These items are typically stainless steel construction and are made for use with electric heaters or canned heat. Sugar bowls and creamers allow guests to flavor their beverage to taste.

A caterer will need a range of products for food preparation. This includes items such as cutting boards, cooling racks, baking pans and mixing bowls. Silicone molds are useful for making muffins, tarts and petite fours.

Presentation is just as important as food preparation for any professional catering business. Culinary display stands maximize the available space on any buffet table. Soup kettles and chafing dishes keep foods at the proper temperature. Cereal and ice cream topping dispensers provide a convenient way to display these items without the need to set out separate containers for each item.

The Impact of Coaching Skills on Leadership

Coaching and management are synonymous. If you aren't focused on regularly coaching your team, there's a good chance you're not leading them as effectively as possible and an even better chance your sales are suffering as a result. Coaching creates an environment that naturally increases productivity, enhances collaboration, boosts morale, and improves performance.
As a manager, there are many coaching skills that impact your ability to more successfully lead your team. Here are a few of them:
• Problem solving plays a huge role in being an effective leader. Your team looks to you in a time of crisis-large or small-to take immediate, decisive action. Whether or not they buy-in to your decisions and follow your lead has everything to do with their respect for you. Gain that, and you will have a loyal team that trusts in your ability to solve problems before they can become disasters.
• Upholding accountability is important if you want to ensure employees take responsibility for both their individual and team performance. You make employees accountable when they understand exactly what their roles are, the goals of the department or company as a whole, and the consequences of not achieving those goals. Accountability is the skill that makes it easier to make informed staffing decisions.
• Encouragement is an underrated and often overlooked coaching skill. You need look no further than a football coach for a model-always telling his team they can do it, always believing in them. Coaching is building people up. This isn't to say that a coach does not get upset, of course. A good coach tells the team that they are better than how they performed, and how they can deliver better results next time.
• Staying positive naturally follows the skill of encouragement. Coaching requires a positive approach to every situation. It is nearly impossible to be encouraging or solve problems with a gloomy outlook. A positive coach is a better problem solver, holds employees accountable with the right attitude, and provides encouragement when and how it is needed so the organization's goals can be achieved.
It has been said that great coaches are made, not born. It's true. Leadership can be learned and, in fact, must be learned for a manager to be successful. No amount of foresight and education can replace experience. Success relies heavily on a manager's ability to connect with employees, read situations quickly, set achievable goals, develop action plans, and then motivate employees to get the job done.
Coaching and managing need to be viewed as coexisting behaviors. Succeed at one and you'll succeed at the other. Your personal performance-your leadership-can have a huge impact on your team's performance. Lead by example and motivate your team to follow you to achieve even greater success for your organization.

San Francisco Giants Leadership Lessons

What can business leaders learn from San Francisco Giants baseball manager Bruce Bochy, who led two diverse teams to World Series championships in three years? The secret lies in his communication skills, humility, confidence and ability to manage away from a superstar mentality. Bochy epitomizes what management consultant Jim Collins calls a 'level-five leader', someone who can transform a company from good to great through a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will. A level-five leader acts with quiet, calm determination and relies on inspiration, not charisma to motivate. He demonstrates an unwavering resolve to do whatever it takes to produce results, no matter how difficult.
An essential lesson from Bochy is that culture matters. Before games, you would see players jumping up and down in the dugout having fun. Instead of telling them to get serious for the big game ahead, Bochy allowed the team to be themselves. They enjoyed playing together and played better when they were loose and relaxed. In business, helping establish a culture in whatever way is right for your company is time and money well spent. Team bonding activities may in some cases seem childish, like the pranks going on in the Giant's dugout, but they helped keep the team resilient and optimistic when faced with fierce competition."
At the heart of leadership effectiveness is the ability to continually learn and enhance your personal effectiveness.
You are not solely defined by what you do or know. In fact, there's a lot you don't know about yourself because everyone has limited vision and blind spots. We err in thinking. We jump to conclusions. We have poor communication habits that could definitely improve. Personal proficiency takes time, vigilance and help from others.
Who you are as a leader has everything to do with how much you can accomplish with and through other people. In The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner cite three reasons why people follow someone:
1. Integrity
2. Competency
3. Forward thinking
Are you working in a company where executive coaches provide leadership development for enlightened leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders develop an emotionally intelligent business culture? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees.
One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is "Am I a level-five leader bring out the best in people?" Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who create world-class teams.
Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a happy company where everyone is motivated and fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company.

Medical Records Storage During a Move

Professionals in the medical field are well aware of their responsibility to safeguard patient information. In addition to the hefty fines that come along with a privacy breach, as much as $1,500 per incident, there are moral and ethical considerations that clients take very seriously when it comes to medical records storage and the protection of their personal information. With identity theft on the rise and highly confidential medical data at stake, any business that handles medical records must exercise the most stringent storage and security precautions in every aspect of day-to-day operations.
This is especially critical during the disruption and confusion that can accompany a move. With normal protocols on temporary hold, strangers handling the physical move, and records undergoing transfer from one location to another, privacy breaches are all too common during relocations. Patients have found their information compromised and their identities stolen, which is notoriously difficult to repair. In addition, such incidents are well-publicized in the media, resulting in a public relations nightmare for healthcare providers.
Choosing the Right Office Mover to Handle Medical Records Storage
When moving healthcare-related files, most hospitals, medical centers, labs, and physicians' offices employ a logistically complex strategy that incorporates the services of standard office movers with the services of a medical records storage company. Unfortunately, this method is rarely error-free, as standard office movers lack the expertise required to properly protect confidential files, and most records management companies lack the manpower to complete a full office move.
The only relocation solution that offers a complete, highly secure, end-to-end move for all building contents-including patient records-is a hybrid version of the two: a best-in-class, elite office mover and medical records storage company. The highly skilled professionals of such companies are fully versed in the protection of patient files and employee data, and they have completed extensive training in HIPAA requirements. Two of the most critical points include the following:
• Any entity that handles protected health information, referred to as PHI, is responsible for its handling by any third-party vendors.
• Access to records or documents containing PHI must be controlled at all times, even during relocation.
In short, any breach of confidentiality is the healthcare provider's responsibility, making moving confidential documents a delicate task. Selecting a moving company that also handles medical records storage ensures the expertise necessary to protect patients, stockholders, employees, and the board of directors.
Regulatory Compliance
Unlike standard office movers, those with medical records storage and transport experience understand the regulations that surround PHI. For example, the laws around printed material are precise in their requirements for keeping confidential records safe in transit. Only the most highly skilled office movers have the training and manpower necessary to oversee the proper packaging of documents. They also have the infrastructure in place to ensure that no medical records are ever left unattended and are always in compliance with regulations.
Keeping sensitive data safe during a move cannot be left to a patched together plan that includes multiple vendors with various responsibilities. The only guaranteed way to transport PHI without risk is to entrust it to experts in both the moving and medical records storage fields.

The Dynamics of Bullying

Bullying or allegations of bullying at work is always stressful for the people involved. For employers who have to deal with claims and instances of bullying, the dynamic can prove destructive and costly in a myriad of ways. Not least the potential cost of employee complaints, as well as the loss of trust and confidence if such allegations or instances are not dealt with swiftly.

I don't think I have ever been in a work situation where there has not been at least some discussion about whether behaviours can be construed as bullying. I have been in some where bullying has occurred and people have experienced being bullied and it's not pleasant.

In the CIPD Employee Outlook Survey 2010, 16% of people surveyed said they thought bullying by their line manager had increased due to the economic downturn and frankly I'm not surprised. In the last Civil Service People Survey in 2011, 9% of employees said they had experienced bullying, although of those, only 28% said the bullying behaviour had been from their line manager. It seems the allegation of bullying is not exclusively a line manager phenomenon.

In my own experience I have experienced "bullying behaviour" from line managers, customers and colleagues. I have witnessed many allegations of bullying; some warranted and some not so. Personally I've never been accused of bullying, it's easy to perceive assertive behaviour as bullying when employees aren't used to it, and I bet some of my actions could well have been construed as such with certain people, and in certain circumstances.

Bullying has a particular dynamic and it's often not clear cut, which is why so much of the behaviour isn't tackled adequately in the workplace. Some of the dynamics of bullying I have witnessed are:

Bullying or being bullied is

• An abuse of and giving up of power

Bullying behaviour is an assertion of power over someone else. Mostly such behaviour is saying "I am more important than you and I know better" It's a superiority trap, and it is borne of a fear of lack of inner power.

Being bullied is a giving up of power. No-one can bully anyone without their permission. If you believe in yourself and know your own worth, nothing anyone can say will shake your foundation. When anyone accepts bullying behaviour, even though it can be difficult situation to grasp; they are giving up their power.

• Rarely a conscious intention and can sometimes come as a surprise to both people involved.

Countless times I have witnessed people who have carried out bullying behaviour become extremely upset and appalled when they realise the effect they are having. When you encounter such a reaction you know the behaviour will stop.

Sometimes I have witnessed a denial and astonishment that their behaviour could be construed as bullying. These people have work to do, but awareness of their effect on others is often the starting point to change the behaviour forever.

People who are on the receiving end of bullying behaviour are often shocked at how vulnerable they are and how upsetting the behaviour is to them personally. They are often ferocious in their condemnation of the "bully" and aghast at how awful any human being could act towards another.

• A dynamic which springs from fear of not being good enough on both sides

Someone displaying bullying behaviour is using the dynamic of force onto someone else. Anyone who has to use force on another is fearful of their ability to negotiate, influence or gain the co-operation, understanding, approval or help from another.

Someone who feels bullied by someone else feels disempowered to deal with the behaviour in order to achieve a positive outcome, and/or has an unconscious fear they are not good enough and that the bully might have a point.

• A denial of the possibility of caring for each other

Caring about each other is our natural state. Whenever we are not caring about other people we are in disassociation or denial about who we really are at our core. The dynamic of bullying and being bullied is a blatant opposite dynamic of our natural inner urge to care about each other.

Often a bullying dynamic occurs because both" perpetrator and victim" don't believe in the possibility of another caring enough about them to hear the other.

• A dynamic of blame

When bullying behaviour surfaces; it is as a result of an inability to have the courage to take personal responsibility on both sides. The perpetrator is either consciously or unconsciously trying to change or intimidate the "victim" because they are "wrong". The person on the receiving end inevitably feels no choice but to see the behaviour as an attack on them rather than see the fear or lack of awareness in the person displaying the behaviour.

While I have observed those behaviours, I also have to say that whenever either real or alleged bullying behaviour occurs it is always unacceptable, and always ugly to watch because there is always an impact. Quite often assertive behaviour can be seen as bullying and often assertive people can be subjected to behaviour which can be designed to get them to submit to another. Even in those situations, getting into the "who is right and who is wrong" debate is futile.

The Importance of The Location of a Shop

When opening a shop, there are many factors that need to be considered for its success. One of the most important factors is the location.

A store should be at a place where there is traffic. However, a lot of traffic can be disadvantageous. The type of product you are selling plays an important role in determining what kind of traffic there should be. If it is for example, a boutique, it should be in an area where there are other boutiques nearby in order to target the similar clientage. Moreover, if you were setting up a small store with snack items, you would it situate for example along a path children take while going to or returning from school or near a family or amusement park.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that the store should be visible. When deciding on a location, you should select a location that is visible from the main-road or at least near to the main-road where most of the people go by. The location of the store also sheds light on its reputation. Usually customers judge a store by its location. For example, an expensive antique store should be in an elite neighbor hood where the rich usually come to.

The stores in the neighborhood also play an important role in the success. For example, if you are opening a flower shop, it would be wise to open it next to a gift shop as the products and services sold at both these stores go hand in hand. Similarly, if you open a high-fashion boutique, it is sensible to open it near a salon or a spa where well-off people usually come to. Another factor that should be considered is the safety of the location. Even though all the stores are insured these days, but if the location is not safe it would deter the customers.

Furthermore, if you plan to operate and run the store on your own then you should also keep in mind the proximity of the store to your house. You would not want to waste a lot of time traveling to and from the store. In addition to the proximity of your house from your store, you should also keep in mind how accessible is the shop for the shop assistants and your employees.

Another factor that should be given consideration to is the fact that if it is a store selling raw material that needs to be later manufactured to be brought into its final form then your shop should be near the factories and industries that are in the secondary sector. Because this will save them time and money in transporting the raw material and hence they will prefer your store.

Plotting Out Success With a Business Strategy

A business strategy is customarily a document that specifies the direction a business is pursuing in order to achieve its goals. In standard businesses, the strategy is often manifested from goals that were initially established as support for the businesses' stated mission. It is developed in three ways: integration, analysis, and implementation.
Integrating a business strategy is among the many crucial steps in business planning. Creating a business plan starts with an overall vision. From that vision, it will put up its mission statement which is usually short yet more precise. Having a mission leads to definite goals the business aims to achieve. In order to accomplish that mission, businesses must devise a strategic plan with clear action plans to achieve their goals.
Analysis is among the several methods used to identify the business' obstacles, target market, and other resources that are significant in its strategies. Also referred to as "strategic inquiry," analysis is a way to identify the various aspects that influence business direction - be it the strengths it may propel business growth or weaknesses that need to be further addressed. Analysis is where strategic assessment methods take place. These methods include identifying different competitive scenarios, rating business competitors and evaluating the entire business environment, to name a few.
The implementation of the strategy usually follows integration and assessment. Individual players in the business, for example, can implement particular tactics that are developed to support their strategy. During the implementation stage, individual business teams or units will provide a sub-section of the strategy they are focusing on.
Choosing a Business Strategy
One of the first things to do when putting up a business is to create your own strategy. Whatever strategy you have in mind will be very important for your business' future. You strategy should drive your decisions to bring about favorable results towards your business goals. You do not simply choose a business strategy from templates. This kind of business document should be based on your business' unique circumstances. While this is so, there is also some value to looking at the strategies of other successful businesses and picking out relevant strategies that could apply to your business as well.
As a pioneer business, it is important to think about how you can penetrate your own market with your new products or services. Putting together a strategy and an action plan is the only way through which you can improve your chances of success and avoid wasting your precious capital on inefficient processes. Pioneering is one of the strategies used by businesses in entering a market place that has not been tapped. This offers a whole lot of room for business growth. Starting out on the right foot with a carefully thought out strategic plan is imperative. If you cannot do this on your own, it would positively impact your business profitability to get expert help.

Strategic Planning for Better Profitability

Strategic planning is an organization's method of defining the various factors that affect profitability and establishing the necessary steps to achieve both short and long term business goals. The process of planning starts with a clear vision of where the company intends to go. It should then look into the present business conditions including current practices, financial resources, and competitive landscape. From this information, the company's think-tanks can put together a plan of action to give direction to the company as a whole.
In general, strategic planning deals with these questions:
• What does the organization want to achieve?
• How much resources does the organization have?
• How are these resources being used?
• Who are the company's competitors?
• What kind of business environment is the company operating in?
• What steps can the company take to rationalize its use of resources and increase its profitability?
For many organizations, it is typically viewed as a continuous process of determining the organization's plans in the next 4 - 6 years.
How It Works
The goal of strategic planning is to develop an action plan with short, medium or long-term milestones that are measurable. The members of the management team typically all have their own specific areas of accountability. All these, however, are geared towards the completion of the plan. In most cases, these accountabilities are interrelated and the various teams and divisions should therefore coordinate with each other.
It takes into account all business areas including: staffing & team management needs, sales & marketing, R&D technological development, financial & accounting control/operations and product/service development. These plans are effective for any type of business and can be customized based on varying business environments.
Uses of Strategic Planning
• Serves as a structure for securing approval, support or decisions
• Assists performance monitoring and benchmarking
• Gives employees a clear idea of the company's business direction
• Allows the management to motivate and innovate
• It can be used as a blueprint in helping leaders run the business or company
• It is used to articulate the company's vision and value proposition
• Gives a clear sense of focus in terms of priorities among the management team
Actions, strategies, objectives, goals, policies, plans and desired end-states are among some of the terms commonly used in creating a plan. All of these should be defined based on each company's own business circumstances.
Strategic plans for companies and entrepreneurs are vital for the future of their business. Putting these plans together takes time and effort. These plans should not be done haphazardly. Companies need accurate and reliable data in both internal and external aspects of their business in order to devise a good strategic plan. There are strategic plan consultants that can ensure that all the necessary components of a workable and effective strategic plan are present.