Archive for the ‘Business’ Category
I was watching a Song Thrush recently collecting twigs and grass for its nest. I was thinking it was quite late for her to start, but I am sure she will catch up lost time, and speed up the process of having and raising a family before the summer is over. In fact, she could have 2-4 clutches of eggs.
Why was this song bird so picky about her pickings? It’s all to do with foundations. If we do not built a strong foundation, then the structure on which it stands, will not stand the test of time.
We have seen this in Ireland over the past two years. The structure that was our economy and public services was all built on a promise, not exactly a sound foundation on which to survive.
We know now that it would never last. We seemed to think that it would. So as I manage my business, I think of the initial work I put into the foundations laid down. It takes time to set up a business, that time varying depending on the type, size, shape and location – just like a nest!
So what needs to be in place, for the business to stand the test of time? Read the rest of this entry »
I was recently introduced to a great band called Mumford & Sons. They sing an interesting song called ‘The Cave’. The scenes of the video that accompanies the song uses themes and content from two famous bands of old: The Beatles (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) and The WHO (Quadrophenia). The video continues with a connection between the new band and the old favourites.
I am also reading a book called ‘Made to Stick’ by Chip & Dan Heath. The books discusses how to make ideas stick, and how some ideas stick more than others.
The fascinating thing about both the song and the book, is that a great idea does not need to be an absolute original. The Heath brothers discuss the meaning of experience, Read the rest of this entry »
The average small business owner can be found renting an office or office space in a town (urban) or on the town’s periphery (rurban). Another type of business owner is the entrepreneur working from home in a rural [an undeveloped or lightly developed and sparsely populated area] setting, perhaps using a virtual office. They may have their incoming phonecalls and mail “processed” by a service provider whilst dealing with the outbound selling and administration themselves.
Working in Rural Ireland can feel isolating
Despite a thriving business, the small business owner can often work in isolation. Read the rest of this entry »
How does it work again? Oh yes, you begin with a subconscious dream, it then moves into the consciousness (light bulb! time) and we suddenly realise a great idea. What happens then? We imagine the idea, then imagine no one else will think it’s a good idea. Or worse: they will laugh at, begrudge or reject the idea. So we keep it to ourselves and it never sees the light of day.
Now imagine how many excellent ideas are locked up inside people’s heads, never to see the light of day, never to be shared and realised. It begins to sound very sad. It makes me sad just writing those words.
So what is the answer? Read the rest of this entry »
The former Vice Chairman of Coca-Cola Brian G. Dyson wrote this. It was used as Georgia Tech’s Commencement Address in 2008. I share it with you today because it is perfectly appropriate for us heading into 2010 (Twenty ten or Two thousand and ten?)
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them Work – Family – Health – Friends – Spirit, and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that WORK is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS and SPIRIT are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
- Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
- Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know Read the rest of this entry »
Irish people are well known for donating money, time and resources when an international disaster happens, such as the Tsunami of Dec 2004, or the 9/11 disaster of Sept 11th 2001. It has been well documented that we are more generous per capita than any country in the world.
This could make us very proud as a nation, and does lend to the sense of belonging and makes us proud.
Last week, when bad weather and high tides contributed to the opening of the Inniscarra Dam, Cork City experienced the worst flooding in history. The city centre and citywest were devastated, businesses wrecked, and homes evacuated. Even those areas not affected by flooding were Read the rest of this entry »
Feedback (sometimes referred to as positive criticism) is a process in which the effect or output of an action is ‘returned’ (fed-back) to modify the next action. Feedback should only ever be used as a basis for improvement. It should not be mistaken for negative criticism and vice verse. If feedback does not provide learning or a chance to improve, then it is being communicated as negative criticism.
“Admonish your friends privately, but praise them openly.” – Publilius Syrus (35 B.C.)
So why is feedback important?
Whether you are a Read the rest of this entry »
Have you Timed-Out?
A common message you will see if you take too long to book flights or concert tickets on the internet: “Sorry, your session has timed out, please return to the Homepage and try again” or something to that effect.
How do we feel about it when that happens? We have to do it all over again, either straight away if we are not too miffed, or later when we have stopped being mad at ourselves for missing that 30 second time slot. So how well did we manage that time allocated to buying those concert or airline tickets?
Bear in mind that we were very aware of the time constraints provided and Read the rest of this entry »
I was sending a text to a friend the other day and I used the words above. What did I mean about them? Simply, that you are the most important person in the world to YOU!
Your work is important. Your business is important. What you do in the future is important.
Our economy has been struggling for a while. Jobs have been lost. Our country is suffering from the effects of bad spending, plundering of resources and rash decisions. SMEs have been left aside and are being targeted and ignored at the same time. Targeted for any shred of tax or levies they may owe, and ignored as the future of Ireland’s economy. The big Corporates are baling out month on month. The States and semi-States are under huge strain. The way out is clearly through small business. They will lead the way for future growth and job creation. They will rebuild this economy. One business at a time. Read the rest of this entry »
For those of you who communicate to audiences of any size, here are some common traps to avoid…
1. Be absorbed in yourself and how interesting you think you are
2. Keep talking long after you’ve communicated your point (otherwise know as waffle)
3. Don’t have a point (otherwise known as BS)
4. Have 14 points (and 7 sub-points and 2 recaps, and then Read the rest of this entry »
