CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUSINESS FOR YOU

For many of us, choosing the right business to be in is a serious decision. For me it was a no-brainer as fortunately I found "my passion" at an early age. However having said that, my understanding is that there are thousands, if not millions of people out there who are stuck in dead end jobs, performing mind killing excercises in order to put food on the table.

In many of these instances people feel the "need" and/or are forced, due to circumstances to start their own businesses and this is where it gets really scary, because they have no idea what they want to do and many of the avenues that they perceive are open to them are outside of their realm of understanding (like someone buying a franchise restuarant when they have only ever worked as a receptionist and can't even boil an egg) or completely outside of what their passion is - providing of course that they know what that passion is.

These businesses and these people are doomed to fail before they have even started!

I don't really know how to tell anyone to "find" their passion - you see, my passion found me! The only guidance and/or advice that I can give you here is that you need to ask yourself this one question. If you were to win say R50 000 000 on the lotto, what would you do - yes I know go on holiday, buy a house, a car and a jukuzi and then, then what? What would you do? When you know the answer to that question, the possibility is there that you are on the right track to finding your passion.

Knowing what your passion is, is the basic requirement that you need when choosing a job, a career and even a business.

I hope that you all find your passion or that your passion finds you!

Your job is a big part of you; choose the right one

Workplace staff

02 March 2007 at 06h00

Many students, and adults, are confused about the career choices they need to make. They are often unsure of their career interests and their own abilities, and often have limited knowledge of the world of work and the different career fields available. This is unfortunate as the result of this confusion is often an incorrect career-choice decision, which can lead to job dissatisfaction and an unfulfilled life.

Career counsellor Heather Jones believes that doing the wrong type of work for a sustained amount of time can lead to a deterioration in the quality of life. "Career-related research makes a link between career choice, job satisfaction and mental health. "In her own career, Jones found herself in a series of work positions to which she was unsuited. "I could never work out why I was unhappy in the jobs I had but, even more importantly, I was never sure of what I really wanted to do," she says. "There were times when I felt I would never find my niche."

Today, Jones runs a career-consulting business offering career counselling and career education to both young people and adults. She is passionate about people development and helping others to improve the quality of their lives by improving their career choices. "I am also very interested in the patterns and meanings of lives that you find embedded in the life career history," she says.

Jones has recently launched a career self-exploration workshop that focuses specifically on exploration - of the self and of the different career fields. The workshop helps people to identify their career interests, abilities, values and the meaning embedded in their life career histories. "We also focus on assessing levels of career maturity and the influence that family and culture has on career decision-making," she says.

The workshop includes a theoretical component, which is used to explain the various career-related concepts used. It also focuses on work environment and career field exploration, career decision-making, goal-setting and how to create a new reality for yourself. The workshop is run over one day and includes research assignments to be completed by participants. These research assignments include interviewing someone in a career field you have a particular interest in, obtaining information on specific careers and researching the world of work. "The workshop is fun, interactive and includes exercises, questionnaires, and individual and group work," explains Jones."From the response I have already received, it is clear there is a big need out there for this type of career workshop and individual career counselling. "Adults and students alike are seeking help for the important career choices we all need to make," says Jones.

Those interested in the Career Self-Exploration Workshop can contact Heather Jones on 011-312-2082 or 083-976-2716 or secretrain@xsinet.co.za

FULFULLING YOUR POTENTIAL

Good morning bloggers.

Dr Renate Volpe says: "If you wish to embark on a journey to fulfil your innate potential, challenge your present mindset."

How's that for some heavy thinking and soul searching and yes, even some challenging of our present mindset!

I don't know about you guys, but I certainly find that I need to stop, constantly, check where I am, look at where I want to be and then make what ever adjustments are necessary.

One of the greatest things about Networking is that I am constantly in the company of 'like minded' individuals, who think out of the box, and when we discuss issues, be they of a business nature and/or a personal nature, I am continually amazed by the innovative ideas, the novel way in which certain issues are looked at. This obviously brings a new perspective to the way I do things or even a new perspective to the way I see things.

Reading new material, even if it just a magazine, also broadens the mind. I am often hugely amused at the look on the faces of people I meet, who ask "What are you reading right now?" and I rattle off the 6 or 7 or even 8 titles of books that I am currently reading - it's a 'hangover' idiosyncrasy from my childhood I suspect, I have never been able to read just one book at a time! Keep current with what is happening in the news, especially from a Business perspective - it may just impact on your Business.

Above all, listen! Listen to what the people around you are saying. You don't have to agree with them, or share their opinions. What you do need to do though, is take what they are saying and process it in your own mind. Compare what they are doing to the way that you are doing things. Is their way better, could you improve on the way that you operate, could you be more efficient, more effective. Perhaps you could use part of what they do and marry it up with part of what you do and/or part of what someone else does, to create your own unique path. This is how you change your mindset.

Requirements though would be as follows:

An open mind.

A willing heart.

Determination to succeed.

A constant need to challenge yourself to be all that you can be and then some....

Do you have what it takes?

If you would like to know more about what Dr Renate Volpe is up to, please feel free to visit her website on www.hirs.co.za.

About Leaving A Slice For The RECEIVER

Trevor writes:

Following on from Nikkis post on AGGRESSIVE TAX STRUCTURING I refer to this press article that appeared in The Star Workplace where I wrote:

Extract from Entrepreneurs Are Not Born, They're (Self) MADE

The secret to entrepreneurship is recognising that business is a simple function of providing or developing a product or service that consumers want or need and who demonstrate that they are willing and able to pay for it.

Being keen life-long students of basic business principles, entrepreneurs understand that sales must generate more incoming revenue than outgoing costs, leaving a slice for the Receiver plus an acceptable after-tax profit to satisfy their personal needs and to finance their future dreams.

RegardsTrevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - http://www.innercircleforum.com/
trevor@innercircleforum.com

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 8

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 8

I promised to continue this section with some more tips on Networking.

The Art of Listening. My friend Geraldine always says that her mother used to say that “God gave us two ears and one for a reason!”

People as so busy trying to get their 5c worth in, that they don’t listen to the other person, what their needs are and therefore what their requirements are. If you don’t know what they need, how can you effectively sell your skill and/or widget – it might not be what they want at all!

Most people seem to think that you have to be an extrovert to be a good networker. This is often not the case. Most extroverts are usually too busy talking about their favourite subject matter, which usually means that they are talking about themselves.

Introverts on the other hand, seem to be better listeners. They are keen to find out what the possible synergies are, not just for themselves, but also for the people within their own network.

So when you meet with someone, and the purpose of the meeting is to see where there are possible synergies, ask the other people how you can help them. Listen carefully to what it is that they are saying. Encourage them to talk about their business, what it is that they do, take down notes and if you don’t understand, ask questions. You don’t have to know the intricate details of their business and how it works, but you need to have an idea of what it is that they do – remember you should be referring them to people within your network and it’s no good sending them someone to print their business cards, when what they need is someone to design the logo!

AGGRESSIVE TAX STRUCTURING

Good morning bloggers. This was taken off the SARS site - AGGRESSIVE TAX STRUCTURING. Please be aware of what the legalities are. If your Bookkeeper and/or Accountant is aware of any tax impropriety in your books and/or the running of your business, they are obliged, by law, to report the matter to SARS. The consequences will not be pleasant, I can assure you.

This is another reason, I always urge small business owners not to do their own books. You may not understand taxes and what can be claimed for and what cannot. Be aware!

Think carefully about what you are doing, if you are not giving the taxman his lawful share!

See article: AGGRESSIVE TAX STRUCTURING

NEGOTIATION

Good morning bloggers:

I have taken today's piece from Dr Renate Volpe's series on Negotiation Intelligence.

Renate says:

"Five Minute negotiation preparation:
* Know what you want to achieve.
* What is your exit point?
* Identify what the other side wants and needs.
* Determine your starting point.
* Work out how your proposal benefits the other party's interests."

Well, I for one have never thought about "how to" go about doing a negotiation. It has always just been something that is done, I've never thought about it or planned it, which would probably explain, why I don't consider myself a good negotiater.

Going forward however, I can clearly see the benefits of doing this quick point by point summary. I have no doubt that this would put a huge amount of perspective into what I am negotiating for.

For other benefits that Dr Renate Volpe has on offer, please visit her website on www.hirs.co.za.

So perhaps there is someone out there who is listening! My next question of course, is that it's great that this legislation has been drafted, but when will it be promulgated and when will the bill be signed thereby entering it into the pages of the law books?

Stifling red tape to be slashed
Jocelyn Newmarch
16 February 2007 11:59

Small business received a boost recently with the publication of the draft Companies Bill, intended to replace the three-decade-old Companies Act. The small business sector contributes about 41% to South Africa’s GDP and is most likely to create jobs. Because of this, legislation that helps the sector is also likely to boost economic growth. Government has been widely criticised for not doing enough to promote entrepreneurship and small business development.

Experts say the draft legislation will cut red tape for the sector and reduce the cost of compliance while promoting greater transparency and accountability. The BEE Codes of Good Practice, gazetted last week, also allow significant exclusions for small business. Taken together, these documents show that government is serious about helping small and medium-sized businesses. The document, published for comment on Monday, proposes new forms of companies — widely and closely held — to replace the existing distinction between public and private. Closely held companies will replace private companies and close corporations, and will need to meet fewer transparency and disclosure requirements.

They will not be required to appoint an auditor or an accounting officer to report on the financial statements. Some forms of closely held companies will only have to submit financial statements as required, for example by banks, but tax returns will still be mandatory. Widely held companies will have to meet two out of three requirements in a three-year rolling period. Turnover should be R50-million or higher, with R25-million worth of assets or higher and at least 200 employees for these companies.

Public interest companies, which include widely held companies and companies that have a significant impact on the economy, have to meet higher standards of transparency and disclosure, according to Piet Delport, head of mercantile law at the University of Pretoria. The Bill encourages corporate governance, transparency and accountability for these institutions, sets up corporate tribunals, protects minority shareholders and amends takeover and business rescue provisions.

But government will need to look at a massive education drive for both businesses and shareholders, said Nicolaas van Wyk of the SA Institute of Public Accountants. Van Wyk said there are a million registered close corporations and proprietary (Pty) companies that will need to convert, though some of these may be dormant. There are also concerns about whether the Companies and Intellectual Property Office will be able to cope with the demand. The Bill is a much-needed overhaul of the outdated Companies Act, which became law in 1973 and brings South Africa in line with international trends in company law.

THE RISE OF THE WORKING POOR

So it looks like, although SARS has come to the party on the issue of Small Businesses, Government Legislation hasn't. In simple terms SARS is making it easier for the "little guy" to grow and in so doing get to a point where the Small Business Owner actually may be in a position to employ a single person and thereby do his/her bit in attending to the unemployment issue. That's great news!

On the flip side however, legislation and the red tape that we all have to get through in terms of what needs to be registered and in particular the Labour Relations issue, is a huge deterrant in terms of getting us to a point where we actually employ someone to assist us.

Recent posts on the the Business Warrior site (www.businesswarriors.co.za) evidence the difficulties that Small Business Owners go through when wading through the muddy waters of staff and the requirements of the law.

The perception is that Staff and/or the employee seems to be able to get away with anything and everything, whilst the employer cannot put a toenail out of place without being hit by heavy fines and/or penalties. This places a huge burden on the sometimes already cash strapped individual. Legislation does not seem to take into account the loss of productivity due to staff members not working correctly and/or investigations on allegations of theft and fraud etc that is constantly perpetrated by the employee, not to mention the high costs of employing the services of people like Labour Attorneys and the like.

If Government want the SMME market to be the saving grace of the economy, then Government needs to "GIVE" in order to "get" and that giving must be in the form of more breaks in the Legislative requirements and the 'Red Tape' syndrome. SMME's on the other hand also have to play their part in changing their own mind sets - Red Tape requirements are not necessarily puddles of quicksand and as long as the processes and procedures are followed, although these can be time consuming, they can be accomplished with a minimum amount of fuss - even if the bother is still there.

See: The rise of the working poor : Mail & Guardian Online

THE NEW 100 MOST USEFUL SITES

Wow! Just when you thought you were doing much better in the technological age, this get's thrown at you, and you feel like you're back in the dark ages. I thought that I had been dragged, albeit, kicking and screaming into the 21st century - apparently not!

Well, if you are starting to suffer from information overload and are betwixed and between in terms of where to find the information that you are looking for - or not, try these for size.

Hope you have some time out over the Easter weekend and that you are not glued, the entire time, to the computer looking at new stuff that you did not even know existed!

Have a good one

Regards

Nikki

See: The new 100 most useful sites : Mail & Guardian Online

Business Cards For OVER-50's

Trevor writes:

Nikki talks about business cards in THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 7.

Just thought I'd mention, on behalf of some old fogeys that I know, that most business cards are useless to the over-50 generation whose arms get shorter whilst eyesight focal length gets longer.

For me the purpose of a business card is to stimulate a contact. Most graphic designers seem to think that the contact details should be secondary to the image and design.

Best business card for me is one that says:

My Name
What I Do
Contact Me Now
0800 1234567
largefont@contactme.now

Get my drift...?

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

SELF ESTEEM

Dr Renate Volpe of HIRS (www.hirs.co.za) says "Become all that you were meant to be!"

So many of us wander around this world looking for "ourselves" that we actually get lost along the way.

By all means "look" for yourself, but for heaven's sake, at some point you need to make a decision about who you are going to be and what it is in life that you want as your passion. Once that decision has been made, give it your all.

I once asked a young chap that I worked with if he wanted to go through life hanging onto someone else's shirt tails, living a very mediocre life, or did he want to be all that he could be? Something must have 'clicked' inside of his brain, because he suddenly did a '180', got all fired up and started producing really good work and was rewarded appropriately.

People who are 'being all that they can be' have a hunger for life, they live life to the fullest and are full of enthusiam for what they do and what they represent!

Quite frankly, I'd much rather be around someone who is 'in love with life' and all that it has to offer than someone who is forever complaining about what they don't have.

I say, get up off you butt and make it happen. Be all that you can be and it follows that you will "be all that you were meant to be".

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 7

Good morning bloggers - here's the next article. Have a great day!

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 7

I promised to continue this section with some more tips on Networking.

Business Cards. Many people take a lot of trouble with their business cards. The colours have to be just so, they have to be on special paper and when they come back from the printers they are scrutinized with a magnifying glass! Cool – if you have the time and/or inclination, I say go for it. I am told my business card needs to be tidied up and ‘there’s a lot more than you can do with it’ and this is usually by someone who is itching to redesign my logo (thereby changing my branding). My standard reply to this kind of situation is, my card has all the information that anyone needs on it. It tells them who I am, what I do, how to contact me – all the important information that I want to give someone. So in my opinion that’s all I need.

I have business cards with me where ever I go, whether it is on holiday to an exclusive safari lodge, or down the road to the pub. Always take your business cards with you, you never know when an opportunity is going to present itself and you want to be ready when it does. There’s nothing worse that scabbling around trying to find a piece of paper and a pen to take someone’s details down – it’s unprofessional and disorganized. As a last resort (never scabble around looking for a piece of paper and a pen) to take someone’s details down, use your cell phone (you’re much less like to lose that – unless of course you’re Trevor Nel who refuses to have a cell phone!).

If you have trouble remembering who people are, especially if you have been to a networking event and have come home with a fist full of business cards, make a point of writing something down on the back of the card to remember the person and/or what it is that they do.

I always put down where I met them as well, this jogs my memory and gives me a ‘visual’ memory of the person. When I get home and put all of their information on computer, in the contacts section, I use the spare bit of space under the “IM Address” to jot down things about the person and what it is that they do, so that when I am going through my data base and I can’t remember who someone is , I have something to jog my memory!

I will continue this saga next week, with some more tips on Networking.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 6

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 6

I promised to continue this section with your approach and attitude to Networking.

Most people seem to approach a Networking meeting with the “Let’s see what’s in it for me” glint in their eyes. Let’s face it folks, as Trevor Nel of Inner circle always says “We all come to these meetings to sell, not to buy”. So what would make your service, your widget your IP so much greater than the next person? Why would everyone in the room, suddenly stop wanting to sell their wares and in a unique 120 degree turn, all want to buy something from you – well the obvious answer is nothing!

So, you’re pretty much not going to achieve anything if you expect to be selling 50 deals on the night (day and/or whenever) of the meeting. Clearly your mindset needs to change.

Why not try going into the meeting with the idea that a) you are going to meet a whole new bunch of people (who also know a whole new bunch of people) and in doing so, you will strengthen and add to your data base or b) you are going to meet a whole new bunch of people who you can leverage off and perhaps form Strategic Alliances or Joint Ventures with or c) now here’s a unique thought – how about you are going to meet a whole new bunch of people who you can actually assist by pointing them in the right direction and thereby being a huge “Value Add” in their businesses.

Either way, you will have scored big time and will also have had value added to your network, your database and your business.

Networking for me, is about giving assistance and being of help to someone else, believe me – the more help you give the more business you will write. That’s not to say that you become a “mother Theresa” type of figure – you still have to make money to put food on the table, but at this point money should not be your primary objective.

So the next time you go to a Networking event, make sure that your mindset is right, it will open up a whole new avenue to you and help with building new relationships, which in turn will bring you an abundance of new business.

I will continue this saga next week, with some more tips on Networking. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 5

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 5

I promised to continue this section with some great tips to Network with.

Let’s start off with some of Helen’s tips that she mentions in her book;

Follow Through – Helen writes “It is estimated that 3% of people follow up after meeting new people.”

The 97% that don’t follow up must all belong, well in part anyway, to the “Reluctant Entrepreneur” foundation that I was talking about in previous postings.

Yip, right people – everyone is just blown away by your product/widget/service that you are peddling at whichever networking event that you are at and they are going to do each other harm, in the rush to get to your door to do business with you! I guess some people just live in a perpetual dream world!

YOU have to make it work! Take the person’s business card, tell them that you are going to connect with them and then . . . wait for it . . . . yes, that’s right, you actually do phone them! What a novel idea!

In fact what you should be doing is sending them a mail with your Business Profile on it and in the e-mail, re-iterate that you will be contacting them in the near future and then actually contact them.

The reason that you are contacting them is to set up an appointment for a ‘one-on-one’ meeting. Yes I know that having these meetings can become tedious and time consuming, but this is the way to do it. Set up the meeting and actually pitch up. In my opinion, people who do not pitch up for meetings, or phone and cancel are disrespectful to me. Not only are they disrespectful, but their behaviour also tells me who they are, in one word - unreliable!

The reason you are having a ‘one-on-one’ meeting is to find out more about what they do. Your first question should be along the lines of “Tell me more about yourself and your business – I need to understand more about what you do in order to help you with people in my data base who may need your assistance/widget/services.”

Starting your meeting in this manner, does two things: 1) It gives the other person the opportunity for them to talk (and you to listen… carefully) and 2) They will then feel obliged to ask you what it is that you do and then try to assist you. Human nature and a person’s sub conscience will make them feel the need to reciprocate in some way.

Listen carefully to what they are saying about what it is that they do/sell etc and ask questions about the widgets/services until you have a basic idea (you don’t have to understand it 100% - remember you don’t have to know how to build a car in order to drive one).

Think about the people you have in your database/network and see if you can introduce them to the people who they may have synergies with and/or who may have need of their widgets/services. Help them make the connection.

I will continue this saga next week, with your approach and attitude to Networking. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 4

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 4

I promised to continue this section with why we need to Network. Again, I can only use myself and what I believe in as an example. As a natural networker, it is extremely difficult for me to understand how people don’t feel the need to network. Most of us use networking in some form or another on a daily basis.

Ha got you there didn’t I? Well we do! Ladies, if someone asks you where you got the new dress that you are wearing and you tell them where to go – you have networked. You have recommended that someone go to a specific place in order to purchase a specific item. That is a referral and referrals are part of networking. Gents, if you are telling your buddy about the new golf course that you played on over the weekend and suggest that they play a game there because it was fabulous (ok, so maybe you did not use the fabulous word), you have networked. You have recommended that someone go to a specific place in order to purchase a specific item. Again that is a referral and referrals are part of networking!

So why is it so difficult to do it in the business arena, specifically when it is our own business? Who knows!

Anyway, today that is not the question on the table. The question is “Why do we need to network”. Well I suppose, strictly speaking, we don’t. We could go the really hard route and do the cold calling thing and knock on doors or try and book appointments with CEO’s and Directors of Companies by sweet talking or bribing the dragons called PA's that protect their Lord and Masters from members of the General Public.

Networking is about taking our passion, together with our personal profiles or our own individual Branding and getting it out there, visable, so that people will refer others who need our services, widgets or whatever. Understand that this will not happen for very long if you cannot and do not deliver. So our credibility has to be strong and branding has to be clear in order for us to stand out from the crowd.

My take on this is that Business needs to be fun, and trudging around the planet having one door after another slammed in my face, because they have never heard of me, is not my idea of fun!

So I choose to Network. I choose to meet with people who are of the same mind as me. People who want to do business, who can make a decision and who know what they want and are prepared to go after it. People who make things happen rather than wonder, what the hell happened?

Going to networking meetings organises and structures this and makes the experience all the less painful – particularly if the meeting is facilitated or even partially facilitated. For one thing, there is no hidden agenda, we are all there to do business.

Make no mistake, networking is still hard work, but the bottom line is that you have a foot in the door. That is what a referral and/or lead is . . a foot in the door, now it is up to the individual. What are you going to do with the foot that is in the door.

Many people do not like to network because of their own misguided perceptions. I constantly hear “I never get any leads” (don’t forget to put the whiny voice in when you say these words) or “They’re a waste of time”.

Well that is because the person, who usually utters these statements, has sat in the meeting like a lump of lard and expected relationships to build themselves, or referrals and leads to fall out of the sky like manna from heaven, or to claw it’s way up out of the earth specifically to land as a contract in their laps! To them I say – get real!

Networking is about meeting the right people quickly and effortlessly, so that the business of relationship building can happen quickly, so that business can be referred and deals can be struck and money can be made.

So, do you still think that there is no reason for you to Network?

I will continue this saga next week, with some great tips to Network with. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

BRANDING EXPERT LINDA HART'S TAKE ON THE "POWER OF NETWORKING"

Linda Hart said...

Nikki, great words of wisdom. No question that networking is a crucial skill to learn. You touched on the personal brand, which prompts me to comment from my perspective of personal brand coach.

When we talk about developing and communicating the entrepreneurial brand, this is so much easier said than done. One would think that it would be a cinch to haul out your passion and eloquently and emotively describe it to anyone who will listen - truth is, for many of the entrepreneurs or solopreneurs that I work with, being succinct in defining the passion is a real effort and fraught with insecurities, lack of trust in a single message and in some cases negative or defensive "baggage" that causes a confusion of messages.

We are thinking and feeling beings, our only currency is the currency of language. The more accurately and emotively we are able to craft our message regarding our selves, our service or our "widget" and build the delivery that accurately depicts and delivers our brand positioning, the more solid, reliable and trustworthy we become as personal brands. To your point about networking introductions, we want to be fairly certain that through the currency of language, we are getting the greatest return on investment from every introduction we make, if not in terms of tangible business then in terms of building a trustworthy and credible profile that can be referred for future business. To my mind its about clarity and about consistency.

I find many business owners are not as clear as they could be about what they really are all about - hoping that the listener might ask the right question and allow for further exploration which may lead to the chance discovery of some business synergies. Phew! what a lot of hard work and so many missed opportunities as a result. I call it "vocal mechanics" - throw in a whole lot of words in a random way and hope that it will somehow hit the right spot, or be able to solve the problem for the listener.

People listen in very particular ways, mostly, they are listening with the "whats in it for me" ear. By being clear and focussed about your business, service or consulting service, offering a clear, concise and succinct message that is consistent not only in its language but also in its visual and graphic delivery goes a tremendously long way to building trust in the market that you are targeting. For that very reason, large, well known brands have single messages. Why do we think that since we are relatively small players we need to have one for each market or occassion? Building a brand is about relationship building between you, your offering and your market - but before all that, we need to build a relationship with ourselves, get in touch with who you are, what your passion really is, how will you best deliver it and to whom and then work on the language that will allow you to "orchestrate" your brand message in a unique way, clearly, consistently and with passion. Makes networking so much more effective and unstressful, as you have no need to reinvent yourself for each networking situation. Rather you reinforce and bring top of mind your clear and consistent message every time you use your most valuable currency - your brand tone of voice and language.

7 SECONDS To Make First Impression

Trevor writes:

Said Nikki in her post below: '..you have something like 8 nanoseconds to make an impression etc, etc, etc. Not being a professional on this subject, I will not make any comment on this.'

I sourced a couple of links that can perhaps add further value:

1. Seal the Deal in Seven Seconds

2. First Impressions – Do You Make Your First Impression Your Best Impression

3. Online Networking Tip: First Impressions

4. Making a Great First Impression!

Enjoy!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 3

Finally, I can get into this blog and write my own stuff. Over the next few days I am going to be adding the rest of the Networking post that I have written to get everyone up to date.

Hope this helps!

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 3

I promised to continue this section with Branding. What is branding? I don’t believe that there is any functioning human being on the planet that does not understand what Branding is:

You need only look at the adverts on products like Coca-Cola, with it’s unique logo – it is instantly recognisable anywhere in the world.

But what does Branding mean to you as an SMME and to you as an individual?

For me, branding for my business is all about my logo, the name of my company, the layout of both of these. For example if you had a business that deals with plumbing you wouldn’t have a picture of a mother and a baby. Similarly you would not call yourself “Mother and Child” – you would have something more appropriate like “XXX Plumbing”.

Once you have decided on the name of the Company, the logo and/or any kind of artwork that you have, this should be visible and attached to any and all correspondence that you may have with anyone. Even if you are just sending an e-mail to you buddy down the road, this should be attached – this is advertising for your business. If your buddy down the road, forwards your message, your joke and/or whatever – your advertising goes with it.

Use every opportunity available to you, to get the name of your business out there. Don’t go anywhere without your business cards. Not to the cricket game, or to the pub down the road or to your buddy’s braai. Take your business card with you – you don’t know where the next opportunity is coming from and you have to be ready.

Now on the personal branding: How do you brand yourself on a personal level. Well this is where the “image” people would have a huge amount of stuff to say, like you have something like 8 nanoseconds to make an impression etc, etc, etc. Not being a professional on this subject, I will not make any comment on this. What I can say though is . . . yes! You need to make an impression and it needs to be something that will stick in the minds of people, long after they have forgotten your name. Now that doesn’t mean to say that you need to do a dance naked on the table in front of whomever it is that you are meeting. It just means that for me, it meant just being myself, which means Always, and I mean always thinking out of the box.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I don’t subscribe to the fashion magazines and quite frankly it is far too hot to dress in the obligatory corporate suits that most business women wear (I’m not knocking them you understand – I’m just saying that it’s just not me). So I wear jeans and if, as in the case of the Women In Finance dinners, my friend Geraldine does not allow me to wear jeans, I still wear my golf t-shirts! I also love bright colours and designs. Personally I don’t think that we have enough colour in our business lives. To me, business does not have to be dull and boring, in fact it is fun, interesting and exciting!

The result of course is that I go to the Women in Finance (www.womeninfinance.co.za) dinners and everyone is dressed to the hilt! The women all look so gorgeous and stunning in outfits that cost the earth and. . . . they all look just the same. Me, well I stand out in the crowd, because I am different. Ok, before I go any further with this – you also have to comfortable with ‘different’ – if you aren’t, then standing out in the crowd is not going to be comfortable for you! Anyway the point is that people remember me because of this.

I am not advocating that everyone looks like me either – heaven forbid. What I am saying, is find out who the you is that you are comfortable with and go with that. We are all unique individuals and our own ‘inner selves’ will shine our own particular light out.

I have asked my good friend and colleague Linda Hart from Image Craft, who is a Branding Specialist, to make a few comments that can assist you all, with finding out who and what your own particular brand is. So continue to watch this blog, and get the opinion of an expert. Thanks in advance Linda.

I will continue this saga next week, with why we need to Network. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

The POWER Of Networking - Part 2.

Nikki is writing a great series on 'The POWER Of Networking' on her blog - When Reality Bites - here is Part. 2 which seems to have disappeared into the ether from her blog:

Nikki writes:

So now you have found your passion and you are rushing around madly trying to find work, build relationships and then do the work. What’s next?

Since I have discovered that the majority of people are not natural networker’s, I turned to Helen Nicolson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know” for inspiration, and discovered that it would probably be a great idea to zone into and then emulate what Great Networker’s do. Helen writes:

“Great Networkers:
· Identify and zone in on their strengths,
· Build their brand around their top 10% strength base.”

So what does this mean to me, as a natural networker. Giving this some thought – remember I like to simply things and if I am going to use myself as a case study (God forbid I should use someone else and get sued for something like slander or liable or one of those uglies!)

In my opinion, some of my strengths are (and if you have know me and have a different opinion great! Keep it to yourself though, because remember – “other people’s opinions of me are none of my business!)

1. I am a ‘doer’ – I get so sick and tired of going to meetings that just go around and around and no decisions are made. Going to a meeting to set up another meeting, makes no sense to me whatsoever and wastes my time. So get the ball rolling, make a decision and get going!

2. Making quick decisions, based on the information that I have available at the time that the decision is made. Another pet hate of mine. People who agonize over making a decision. Then before the decision is made they ask everyone and anyone, what they should do, until they hear an answer that sounds vaguely like what they had in mind. Then that’s their decision – you see they can then abdicate the responsibility if something goes wrong, because they got advice from somebody else. For goodness sake, make a decision and if it’s wrong – correct it and move on!

3. Change! It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. If you don’t get with the program it will drag you along with it or you will get left behind totally. For my own part, it is easier or the nerves to keep up and not be like a salmon and swim against the water flow! Look, let’s be realistic – I am not going to change something just for the sake of change – it definitely has to have a reason and the result must be either the same as what I have or better – or no change. Be prepared to have an open mind though. Someone else may be able to do it “better” than you or have a better idea than you.

4. Judgement! Don’t be so quick to judge someone by the way that they look, or speak (or don’t). You don’t know them. You have no idea what their lives are like or what trials and tribulations they have gone through in life. One of my best clients today is someone who I met in a pub, wearing dirty shorts and a stained, dirty, smelly, torn t-shirt. He had just come back from a fishing weekend and they had run out of beer and he was dying for an ice cold one. The man runs 4 businesses, has a yacht, a helicopter and several speedboats! Don’t judge until you know the person better.

5. Listening. My friend Geraldine always tells me that her mum used to tell her that “God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason”. If you are talking all the time, you miss out on listening to not only what the other person is saying, but also what they are needing. Quite often, what they are needing is some help in their business which either you can give to them or one of the people in your database can assist them.

6. Opportunities. I can go crazy when I hear people saying “ work is scarce”. Actually it is the other way around – there is a huge abundance of work out there and an even greater abundance of opportunity out there – it’s just a matter of recognising it. Once you have recognised it – do something about it. It’s not going to just fall like manna from heaven!

7. Networking. Because I am a natural networker – it stands to reason that networking is one of my strengths. During the course of my ramblings on the subject, you will get to understand hope fully the nature of the beast and be able to work with it.

I will continue this saga next week, with your branding. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za

Does Crime Affect BUSINESS Psyche?

Trevor writes:

Am reading Nikki's latest blog entry: COPS WARN OF NEW SMASH + GRAB TACTICS and wondering what goes through business-peoples minds as they witness such events happening right under their noses in peak-hour traffic.

The commitment to fighting crime seems to be thwarted by conficting messages in our economy, see:

1. Interpol raves over Selebi

2. Selebi and the cop mafia

3. Controversial Selebi receives praise from Interpol

4. New anti-crime initiative unveiled

Seems to me that if one wants positive peace of mind, one has to take POSITIVE ACTION to make something happen within one's own sphere of influence - see Lonehill Community Stakeholders.

Here's a parting question: What can be done to turn the plight of robot-beggars and smash & grab thieves into a positive social project? Imagine our streets clear of such individuals sticking their hands and faces into car windows. What's in it for them to conform?

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com