Checklist & Achievement

Check It Out and Check It Off

The World Health Organization has shown that surgical deaths can be reduced by a third when hospitals do one thing. . . follow a checklist. Many people think a To-Do-List and a Checklist are identical. If you think in terms of crossing something off, then they are. If you think of the final outcome, they are very different.

The To-Do-List is useful for getting things done, remembering the errands to run, the milk to pick up or what to pack for the trip. These lists take the things rattling around in my brain and get them on paper so that I don't forget. They usually save time because forgetting the baking soda needed for the cake will mean I have to take another trip somewhere - wasted time!  I like To-Do-Lists because they keep me efficient and let my mind think about bigger and better things.

The Checklist that I define is essential to repeatable results. Yes, like the To-Do-List, they make sure things get done, but they qualify the results. Most jobs in business that are routine can be put into a checklist at completion.

One of my favorite checklists that I saw in action was a Heating and Air Conditioning Company that had a Diagnostic checklist for the furnace tune-up (very common) but it also had a laminated sheet the HVAC Tech would talk to the customer about - face to face or over the phone. After going over it with the customer, the tech would sign it in front of the customer. This all took about 3 minutes. These were turned in to the office at the end of the day, noted on the customer's file, cleaned and returned for the next day's work. The results were the:

• Customer was given information, the
• Tech made sure that everything was completed and the
• Accountability is there if the customer is called and random customers were and
• This company found an increase in customer satisfaction and referrals after the implementation of these checklists - now that is results.  

Every business has repeatable results. If you want to really get a handle on checklists, talk to a pilot, they have them for just about everything - and flying is still safer than driving!

Check it Out and Start your own Checklists to drive quality forward.

Copyright 2011 Linda Fayerweather MBA EA

2011 Three words: Implement-Lead-Relax
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
linda@changinglanes.biz
Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2011 the year of your dreams!

Conscious Entrepreneurs Believe To Achieve
The underlying reason most people fail to achieve the goals or intentions they've set for themselves is their lack of belief. If you don't believe in either yourself or your ability to achieve your goal, no amount of willpower will get you to take the consistent action necessary to get to the goal.

But belief will.

It's been proven that our beliefs become our reality. So as you contemplate the plans and intentions you've decided upon for 2011, check in to see your level of belief in your ability to achieve those goals. Ask yourself what it would take, possibly being rejected by a prospect or a negative comment about your pursuit, to throw you off course. If there's nothing that can happen from an external source, then you know your belief is pretty powerful!

To build up belief, take small actions towards the achievement of your goal. Take some chances and don't be afraid to fail or be rejected. Remember the most successful people throughout history have become that way, not because they didn't fail, but because they persevered. They believed in themselves and their ability to achieve their goals.

Copyright 2011 Pat Altvater

Transforming Bodies and Minds
http://www.outsmartweight.com/
http://www.transformationsinstitute.com/
http://www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com/
419-344-6613

Focused and Vacations

Get Focused and Get Going

2010 is a thing of the past and many have said "Good Riddance".
Now, what if you could guarantee that 2011 will be satisfying?
Better yet, what if it could be a guaranteed higher performance year for you and your team?
What would you pay for a guarantee for a more effective team, business or even family?

This type of guarantee is possible and it starts with: FOCUS
• Focus on what your team can control
• Focus on what your team has the discipline to achieve
• Focus on what the collective expectations of your team and company are
• Focus on what different results will look like
• Focus on how to make a plan that looks at your new focus daily
• Focus on who our partners are and are they on the same path (plan) with you.

Don't have a team? Think about who benefits from your success - they may be the start of your team. To guarantee success for 2011 will require an unwavering focus. Staying "In-Focus" will guarantee a great year!

Copyright 2011 Linda Fayerweather MBA EA
2011 Three words: Implement-Lead-Relax
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
linda@changinglanes.biz
Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2011 the year of your dreams!

Vacation and Taxes
Today is Martin Luther King Day and most schools, banks and government offices are closed. You be may thinking about some time off. With proper planning, you can deduct much of your vacation if you combine it with business. That can make your life a lot less taxing! So here are some tips to get you on your next business vacation.

1. The Right Reason. Make sure the primary reason for the trip is business therefore, make your business appointments before you leave for your trip. If the primary purpose of the trip is vacation, then not a penny of the travel & lodging will be an allowable deduction.

2. Sandwich weekends between business days. The IRS notes that if you have a business day on Friday and another one on Monday, then the weekend days are counted as business days and you will be allowed to deduct all the on-the-road expenses.

3. Make the majority of your trip business days. To prove that a trip is primarily for business reasons, you must show that the number of days spent on business (including the weekend as noted above) exceeds the number of personal days. Remember that travel days are business days.

4. Keep great records. Record your expenses and activities for each day you're away. While on business travel, you can deduct 100% of your travel & lodging (hotels, tips, car rentals, taxi fares, plane/train/auto costs, laundry & dry cleaning) and 50% of your food. Plan to have a simple method to capture all those receipts. Keeping a diary of your expenses and activities either by hand or on your PDA will help you make sure your get all the deductions you're entitled to have.

5. Entertainment. If you play a little golf to relax, it is only deductable if you were entertaining a prospect, client or vendor. Then, the IRS rules for entertainment apply.

Tim Pinkelman CPA, Accounting Center and Tax Service, Inc.
419.882.9255
734.847.0400 Ext.201
http://www.accounting-centers.com/

Leading VS Managing

Leading vs Managing

As small business owners, we often end up being both the leader of the company and the manager and quite frankly, very few people ever get to be "just a leader". One definition of the difference is that a leader has followers and a manager has subordinates.

Other than some charismatic leaders throughout time, most leaders we meet do have subordinates. Furthermore, most entrepreneurs are leaders and are great at getting people to follow, but managing is really the first step for entrepreneurs to build a salable business - and therefore, it either needs to be done or delegated.

According to Ken Blanchard and his parable "The Leadership Pill" we want to shift some of our thinking. These are some of the key ideas I found in the book:

• Leading is the opposite of control. Leaders are decisive, and realize that change is not something they can "make" someone do.
• Leadership is something you do with people, not too them.
• Integrity is a given. Leaders lacking integrity don't stay leaders long.
• Leaders share their plan or vision getting everyone on the same page (oh yea, maybe a one page business plan)
• Leaders refuel.
• Leadership is a process; one that gets everyone to the place they are supposed to go.
• Leaders provide praise and appreciation as deserved.
• Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for people.

Yes, there are born leaders, but as a business owner we owe it to our staff and to our self to make sure some of our time is devoted to leading. Starting with a plan that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely), will be a good place to put our mark on the future. Realizing that not all people can be lead will be a conversation for another Monday.

Copyright 2011 Linda Fayerweather MBA EA
2011 Three words: Implement-Lead-Relax
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
linda@changinglanes.biz
Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2011 the year of your dreams!
The Slight Edge Plan (or The Make a Plan Plan)
I'm going to make a BOLD statement. Most people, in my experience, make a plan once a year, usually at the beginning of the year - and they do it with the full knowledge that they'll never revisit it, act upon it, or otherwise use it in any way. Why? Because a Plan is ONE thing; and what ONE thing we do, or don't do, probably won't kill us or our business, TODAY.

An example; part of our plan is to write a guest column for a monthly blog. Our deadline is the first of the month. We get busy and caught up in "work work" and don't make the first deadline. No big deal! It's only one month and we've got 11 more to make up for it. WRONG! Our plan is shot and we need to revisit it, make adjustments, and find ways to get the individual parts done.

But we don't. And we miss the next deadline for another part of it. And we decide, "Well, that didn't work". And we don't do another part, so we scrap the whole thing. Sound familiar?

Reading "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olsen has really opened my eyes to how success and failure can be compounded. Doing (or not doing) small actions CONSISTENTLY over time can make or break you.

So my solution to this dilemma is: The 6-Step Make a Plan Plan.
1. Write down your Goal - What is the BIG number you want here.
2. Look at it every Day - Morning and Night work best.
3. Set a Price - What is worth to you to achieve it? What is the penalty for not achieving it?
4. Make a Plan - What are the EXACT, SMALL steps to attaining what you want?
5. Tell somebody - Get an accountability partner or hire a Coach.
6. Take Action - Every day take a step in the direction of what you want.

Now go back and dust off The Plan you made at the first of the year and apply the six steps above to it. Send me an email on April 1st and let me know how you did.

Copyright 2011 Todd Pillars teaches business owners and sales professionals how to create a network of endless referrals, easier and faster than they ever thought possible. Contact him today at 419-855-2273 or todd@toddpillars.com. You can also find out more information about his Endless Referrals Workshops at http://www.toddpillars.com

3 Words for 2011

"The Calendar is a very arbitrary thing." ~C. C. Chapman

The 3 Words for 2011
Each year, Chris Brogan, a consultant and speaker to the Fortune 100, co-author of Trust Agents and a featured monthly columnist in Entrepreneur Magazine states his three words for the coming year.

The three words idea is designed so you can have something easy to reflect upon and point you in the direction your goals are driving you - much like a lighthouse or compass. As you know, goals are SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) and sometimes not as memorable as we would like - that is why we write them down! The way you use the two together will remind you of the path to achieve the goal and these simple words will help you get back on path.

For instance, one of my words is "implement" and this relates to several projects of 2010 that now need finished workbooks, scheduled webinars, and marketing activities - basically, I need to get busy implementing at many levels. If I get distracted by something "shiny and new" my word "implement" will remind me of my desired outcomes for 2011 related to product development. I keep my three words visible - on my monitor and in my planner.

Now, since a calendar is an arbitrary thing, I am throwing down the challenge to you:

What are your three words that will help you achieve your desired outcomes by 11-11-11? I know, November 11th is not the end of the year, but it is such a fun, auspicious number, I'm using it as my year end date!

What are the three words to drive your 2011 goals???

Copyright 2011 Linda Fayerweather MBA EA 2011 3 words - Implement-Lead-Relax
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2011 the year of your dreams!

SEE BELOW: Two Workshops below to get your year off to a great start!
Accountability and Using Outlook to keep on track - short and free
Small Business Marketing Nuts and Bolts for 2011 - Day workshop in Northwest Ohio



How to Hire a Freelance Designer or Copywriter
Hiring a creative person is different than hiring a standard employee. Why? Because you're hiring that person's style rather than a skills list. Below is a quick list of things you should keep in mind when you're farming out your creative work:

1) Have a plan - what are you specifically looking to do? How quickly do you need it done? How much are you willing to pay? Do you want a seasoned professional or someone out of school?
2) Do your research - There are plenty of copywriters and designers out there - some in your town, some out of state/country, depending upon your budget. Know what the going rates are before you start making your inquiries and if possible get a referral from a reliable source.

3) Know the boundaries - Don't expect the freelancer to work in your office and follow your dress code, office lunch hours, etc. This person is not an employee. Today's technology allows us 24/7 access to email so save yourself some money by doing things electronically. (No face-to-face meetings for which you could be charged travel time in addition to meeting time.)

4) Check credentials - Do NOT buy creative services based on price. You'll be sorry you did. You'll rack up additional hours in "learning curves" if you're working with a newbie. Invite each prospective contractor into your office to review his or her portfolio. This way you'll "see" what they do. If you're outsourcing a brochure, make sure there are brochure materials in the portfolio. Ask the person what their role was in the creation of the piece. You'll want to work with someone who's taken the project from start-to-finish.

5) Put it in writing - Freelancers usually have their own contracts, if they don't here's a link to creating a simple contract that will ensure that you and the freelancer are on the same page before the project starts. http://advertising.about.com/library/graphics/contract.gif


Copyright 2011 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419.855.3399
http://www.marketinginabox.biz/

Small Business Marketing Nuts & Bolts
This One Day Seminar is designed to give you the tools to get your 2011 marketing plan on the fast track. You will learn how to:
• Create a Vision for your business
• Develop a Markeing Hourglass
• Use Social Media for Business
• Close more Sales
• Work your network and stay in touch with your clients and prospects.
Meet your Faculty: Patrick Giammarco, Allen Mireles, Todd Pillars, Jeff Winke, and Linda Fayerweather

Date: January 15 - 8:30AM - 2:30PM - Saturday
Location: Stautzenberger College, 1796 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee OH
Price: $97
Registion: http://ezregister.com/events/2152

Accountability with MS Outlook
Planning Needs Accountability. Making Planning successful means being accountable but how do you do that yourself. Short of paying a coach or having your spouse nag you, you can train your MS Outlook to remind you.
This short webinar will walk you through how to use Outlook to set and manage your monthly projects. You will see examples from both Outlook and Google Calendar.
When: Tuesday, January 11 - 4:30-5PM
Location: Webinar via Go To Meeting
Price: FREE
Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1165940359