For 15 years I’ve taught trainers and leaders and instructional designers the importance of making any learning event more fun. I’ve given them reasons and ways to do it. I’ve written about it many times including All of the things I have taught and techniques I have used are valuable and helpful. And they aren’t enough. The training techniques and ideas all focus on the learning process. And while the process is important; when we focus too closely on a process we can lose sight of the result. It is like when you tell someone their form is wrong and […]

  If you have a great business idea or plan, or you would like to expand your existing business, don’t let a lack of funds stop you in your tracks. There is a wide variety of financing available for small businesses. Let’s take a look at the financing opportunities that small business entrepreneurs can take advantage of. While the financing sources comprise diverse institutions, such as banks, government sources, venture capitalist and “angel” investors, it is useful to look at what all lenders, regardless of category, want when they loan money or invest in a business enterprise. When you seek […]

When someone is coaching you, you are going to want to think about what is going on and how you are handling things. If something is working for you then you should be able to tell right away. If you are not finding it to be effective for you then you must take the initiative to make things go your way and to be more successful in life. Make a list of the good things that happen for you and what you are gaining from them. Take the time to write down anything that is not working for you so […]

  When you work for someone, it is hard to determine what your own personal goals are and what your boss’s expectations are. You need to figure out what the difference is and how you can maintain a good line between both. You have to be ready to stand on your own and make your own choices in life so that you are not being a victim to sacrificing your own dreams for someone else. In your career, it is true that you have to listen to your boss and do what they say. However, you also need to be […]

  Many are the ways that lead to the pathway to success. There are a number of entrepreneurs who try the franchise system and walk their way to fame. A lot has been and can be talked about the franchises. The best of franchise opportunities is that one is allowed to walk in the market with a brand name that already has a strong place in the market. One who enters this way does not have to make efforts to popularize the product or service associated with the brand name. You have taken the responsibility to take the business ahead […]

The internet is the most effective marketing tools in existance nowadays, have the capability of reaching far more people than any leaflet drop or advertisement in the local paper ever will. Should you produce your own website? It all depends on your skills, if you have the ability to produce a site that looks good, then go ahead, it will save you money and will work wonders as a marketing tool. However, if your skills are limited or non-existant then we’d say no. Why? No, not because we want your money (although we don’t mind if you want to give […]

“We will never know how really good we are as leaders unless we are leading people to be better than they think they are.” “Poor performance is less harmful to a leader than mediocre performance disguised as good performance.” “Most leaders are striving to get the wrong results or the right results in the wrong ways.” “The lowest forms of leadership involve rewards and punishments.” “Getting along is not necessarily getting results.” “If you can’t feel it, you can’t lead it, and they won’t do it.” “Leadership is the trim tab of all careers.” “Leadership is seeing hope in any […]

You have to make sure that you are keeping on track about what is most important to you. No matter what you are doing in life, you need to be happy. You need to work through your issues and think about what you are doing every time you are thinking about changing something in your life. There are ways to measure your personal fulfilment and they are not exactly what you may think. Having a goal in life is something that everyone needs to have. You should have goals all the time. Setting goals is one way that you can […]

  If you were to build a house, you would begin with a blueprint. This blueprint proves useful because it contains more than directions on how to build a house. It also describes the finished house. So, what does this have to do with leadership? Last month I asked an audience of leaders to tell me the characteristics of an ideal leader. Their answers were (in the order collected): A good listener, enthusiasm, passion, shows appreciation, a visionary, role model, trusting, integrity, organized, knowledgeable, credibility, persuasive, charisma, team building, clarity of purpose, problem solver, attitude of service, leads by example, […]

  You will need to make sure that you think about some of the goals that you have for yourself and the goals that you have as the business owner. You will need to keep your personal and business goals in mind through the challenges so that you don’t lose sight of the ideas that you once had. As an entrepreneur, you will need to overcome some of the obstacles in order to find success for your business. These roadblocks exist for everyone who is a business owner and there are by no fault of your own. You will need […]