How To Create The Corporation Of Tomorrow

Social entrepreneurship is evolving into a global movement, and it’s rendering the standard nonprofit/for-profit dichotomy obsolete. Now, new legal structures and certifications are being built to accommodate for businesses with embedded social missions. Leading the way in this movement is the B Corporation (B Corp), a new kind of certification created by the nonprofit B Lab that enables companies to “meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.”
(B Corp, it’s important to note, is different than Benefit Corporation, a legal incorporation that allows companies to consider non-financial, social outcomes-based motives when making decisions, a fact that is written into legal documents during incorporation.)
With more than 770 certified entities in 27 countries, the B Corp is giving “business as usual” a socially-focused and sustainable twist.
At the recent Ashoka Future Forum, we sat down with key leaders in this field to get a sense of exactly how B Corps are creating the corporation of the future.
“Businesses are legally obligated to be empathetic”
Jay Coen Gilbert could have gone on for hours about the mission, statistics and societal implications of B Corp and I don’t think anyone in the room would have minded. As co-founder of B Lab—the nonprofit that currently puts all potential B Corps through a rigorous financial and social analysis—Gilbert is full of insights on why this new certification is an important form of corporate branding.
“The last 20 years was about identifying good products through certifications like ‘organic’ or ‘fair trade’, but the next 20 years will be about identifying good companies,” he said. In other words, while capitalism in the 20th century was about maximizing shareholder value, capitalism in the 21st century is about maximizing “shared” value, a kind of collective value that is centered on empathy.
Greyston Bakery CEO Michael Brady explained the perspective shift B Corp has brought about. “We don’t hire people to bake brownies,” he said, “we bake brownies to hire people.” Greyston Bakery, through a partnership with Unilver, is the source of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie—they make that perfect brownie batter ingredient.
Even better than the batter, Greyston creates jobs for people in low-income areas, who make up 80 percent of his staff. That impact is exactly what the B Corp status highlights to the rest of the world. The certification has redefined “social business” to mean that the entirety of the company is functioning with a bottom line of shared value: focusing on people, not just profits or products—in this case, brownies.
“Forget business as usual”
Michael Elsas is the president of the Cooperative Home Care Association, an organization that gives 85 cents of every dollar earned to its workers. “We care about the quality of the product but also about the quality of life of the worker,” he said, adding that CHCA has quadrupled in size in the last few years on tight margins. Businesses will grow when you care about the people that work for you. It’s as simple as that.
Millennial workers (who really think they can make a difference) make up half of the global workforce, so these “better business” efforts are not going unnoticed. Suddenly, there’s been an evolution in expectations in the marketplace—consumers have responded by setting higher standards through their purchasing preferences.
Greyston’s Michael Brady speculated that when consumer behavior change reaches a tipping point, the companies that are still trying to maximize profits will feel a loss of marketshare. Corporations will practically be forced to embed social values into the core of their models.
B Corp-certified companies have proven (and will continue to prove) that they can make a profit while creating meaningful social impact, which gives them a competitive advantage.
“We need to distill the chaos”

This is all fine and good, if it’s actually working. But there still seems to be a disconnect between consumer intent and actual consumer behavior.
As Ashoka Fellow Michelle “Mitch” Hedlund pointed out during the Future Forum session, consumers very much want to do the right thing, but getting the clear, correct information to guide split-second decision-making is the challenge. “We need to distill the chaos,” she said. “The part of the conversation that is missing is the information to allow people to act on their good intentions.” Hedlund, who herself works on demystifying information about “green” products, posits that this will influence real, long-term behavior change on a societal level.

Which states have passed B Corp legislation?

Grant Garrison, as the co-founder and director of GOOD/Corps—set to officially become a B Corp on July 1st—understands how to combat the disconnect between messaging and consumer action. GOOD/Corps, GOOD LLC’s media-for-change consultancy, was created to not only help companies drive meaningful campaigns and position themselves as corporate social responsibility mavens, but also to help nonprofits and causes strengthen their relationships with corporations to create lasting impact.
With campaigns such as the Pepsi Refresh Project, Starbucks’ “Vote.Give.Grow.” campaign, and the Google anti-piracy effort under his belt, Garrison has a unique lens into what actually influences consumer audiences.
“You have to do some gentle hand-holding and provide small amounts of guidance,” he said of directing customers through this cause-related chaos.
Consumers won’t act if pushed; they have to be presented with all the information in order to help them make incremental changes that will lead to new habitual preferences, which can shift profits ever so slightly to favor social outcomes.
Does it matter?
At the end of the day, we have to evaluate how much service and activism matter in our lives as consumers. If the brownie tastes the same, does it matter that it was made by workers who have been given a second chance and are also being treated well on the job? Well, here’s another way to put it: if the brownie is going to taste the same either way, and the price is comparable, why wouldn’t we choose to support a good cause?
The B Corp is “a tool among many tools, not the be-all, end-all of social branding,” Ashoka’s in-house legal counsel Jonathan Ng said. He feels that it’s about making informed choices as a consumer, and using a variety of resources and methods to determine those choices. B Lab’s certification process is yet another helpful way to brand a for-profit company as having a triple bottom line, inside and out.
Be-all, end-all or not, it’s certainly becoming a powerful stamp of approval. Suffice it to say that the more companies that become B Corp-certified in the marketplace, the easier it will be to act on our good intentions.


SOURCE: forbes.com

Benefits of Strategic Partnership

Associations enter into a strategic alliance or partnership with other associations or for-profit entities for many reasons. Typically, the objective is to exchange or publish information, hold joint meetings and/or trade shows, offer education and training programs, sell products and services, promulgate industry standards, and/or monitor policy issues.
Partnerships and strategic alliances can help to make an international program more successful. These partnerships can be informal, such as using the expertise of a counterpart organization or government agency to strengthen your association's own capacities such as attracting international attendees to a meeting you sponsor. Or, they can be more formal (and perhaps on-going) alliances to help distribute, for example, one or more of your association's products on a worldwide basis. Potential partners include counterpart associations, government agencies, publishers, association management companies, universities, or other for-profit entities.
In Global Imperatives: 12 Attributes of Effective Decision Making and 9 Dimensions of Success for U.S.-based Associations published by ASAE in 2011, the author, Mohamadouu Hayatou states that the most common way to grow internationally is through the formation of a strategic partnership network. Strategic alliances can take different forms and have different objectives depending on the nature of the association, its products, services, and resources. The nature of a strategic alliance is also highly influenced by the local market conditions including the state of the competition. By and large strategic partnerships are designed to achieve one, or a combination, of the following goals:

1. To distribute products or services to a set of customers. This represents a straightforward distribution or licensing deal.
2. To jointly develop products and services for the local market. In this model, the association will find organizations that have products, services or skills complementary to theirs and join forces to develop products for the local market. Although it is not uncommon to see this model apply to content-based products, it is more often seen in the organization of events such as a tradeshow.
3. To work with local or regional counterparts to drive a common agenda. This model, also known as co-opetition (collaborating with your competition), is often seen when the two associations are joining forces to push forward an aggressive advocacy or legislative agenda for the benefit of both association’s members.

A partner in another country can offer local contacts, language capabilities and knowledge of the cultures, protocols and business styles. To most effectively form and utilize these alliances, however, the organization should determine some initial goals. Many other ideas for joint ventures are also possible based on your association's interests, contacts and creativity.
In general, here are some of the most common benefits and cautions of strategic alliances and partnerships:
Benefits

• Can capitalize on the individual strengths of each participating organization.
• Can provide local contacts and links to local communities/stakeholders who may be critical to the success of the program you want to launch or implement.
• Involves shared responsibility for the development and execution of a particular program or service.
• Limits a participating organization’s liability to the scope of project involved.
• Provides reduced-cost opportunities and expertise for each participating organization.

Disadvantages
Some cautions or challenges that an organization may encounter in pursuing strategic alliances or partnerships include:

• Usually limited in scope to the objectives of the alliance or partnerships
• Can become ineffective if one partner doesn’t perform at the expected level or fulfill its obligations to the agreement.
• Can consume more human and financial resources than were anticipated.
• Can require a significant time investment to develop an effective alliance or partnership.
• Can result in a loss of flexibility for the organization to take quick action in another area that may be in the organization’s better interests than the area they are pursuing with a given partner.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Before entering into a strategic alliance or partnership, ask:

• Does it extend the association’s reach by opening up and developing new markets?
• Does it help members gain access to additional industry intelligence and knowledge of other markets?
• Does it increase the association’s revenue? Will it contribute to the bottom line?
• Will it amplify the association’s resources? Will it leverage or reuse an already existing resource?
• Does this alliance have relevance for the association and its mission? Will it increase the value of the association within the industry or profession?

source: http://www.asaecenter.org/AboutUs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=137633

Startup Advice From 7 Successful Entrepreneurs

Starting a business can be exhausting, exciting and exhilarating--all at the same time. This is precisely why it's refreshing to hear words of encouragement from those who have done it before--and succeeded. We spoke with entrepreneurs we admire to cull the single best bit of startup advice they could muster--and the experiences that led to it. They're simple mottoes, to be sure, but their impact can be tremendous.

"Don't think, do."

So said a stranger to Jeff Curran, founder and CEO of Curran Catalog, a high-end home furnishings company in Seattle, more than 20 years ago.

Action hero: Curran Catalog's Jeff Curran.

Photo© Lindsay Buzzo

The two men were sitting next to each other on a cross-country flight, and Curran, then 25, had just broken into the catalog business. They got to talking, and Curran spilled his idea for a startup while his neighbor interjected with devil's-advocate questions. When the plane landed and the two rose to claim their bags from the overhead bins, the stranger finally opened up his can of insight. Those three words inspired Curran to pour $15,000 of his own cash into launching his company, which has grown into a profitable B2B and B2C brand.

"After that plane flight, I'm sitting in the bathroom at my parents' house and I pick up [a financial] magazine, and this guy was on the cover," remembers Curran, now 47. Turns out the man was mutual-fund maven Mario Gabelli.

Curran still lives by Gabelli's advice. Earlier this year, after learning about profit margins in the high-end car-accessories business, Curran Catalog launched a new product line: designer flooring for collector and European automobiles. "There is such a thing as overthinking a big decision," Curran says. "Sometimes you just have to get it done."

"Let your customers lead the way."

Anupy Singla never intended to build her business around this philosophy, but the more she looks back on the history of Indian as Apple Pie, her Chicago-based Indian food-products business, the more she credits customers with driving her strategy.

Seasoned pro: Anupy Singla of Indian as Apple Pie.

Photo© Brave New Pictures

Exhibit A: When Facebook followers complained they were having trouble finding certain Indian spices, Singla equipped her company to buy those spices from manufacturers and offer them for sale. Exhibit B: After friends and neighbors asked her to show them around Chicago's Little India, Singla began hosting intimate tours of the shops on Devon Avenue for $50 per person. Even her Spice Tiffin, a modernized version of a traditional Indian storage container for spices, went to market at the behest of customers.

"The point of view for this company is to make Indian food easy and accessible," says Singla, who was born in Chandigarh, India, and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents when she was a child. "If customers are saying they want certain things, it's up to me to give them what they want."

Singla's ultimate goal is to sell her products in retail stores across the country. Until then, however, she plans to leverage her responsive customer base to test-market products and see what sticks. "If something isn't right," she says, "they'll let me know."

Corey T. Nyman of Labor Wines

"It's all about passion."

On some level, especially on the ledger sheets, Corey T. Nyman's fledgling wine label, Labor Wines, is about dollars and cents. But the Las Vegas resident prefers to focus on a more powerful force driving his business: his love for the work.

For Nyman, Labor Wines is the culmination of 20 years in his family's hospitality and food-and-beverage consulting business, and of more than a decade fantasizing about making and selling his own Oregon wine.

"I experienced Oregon wine country on numerous visits in 2002, and the place touched me in a way nothing else ever has," he says. "Since then all I've wanted was to give something back."

"I'm starting an Oregon winery living in Las Vegas. If that doesn't scream passion, I'm not sure what does."

--Corey T. Nyman

To bring his dream to life, Nyman turned the traditional winemaking model on its head. Instead of investing in land--a move that would have required a huge capital investment--he and a business partner work with growers to buy grapes from specific sections of specific vineyards, then pay those same growers to make wine. Production is small, but thanks to Nyman's connections with restaurateurs and distributors nationwide, Labor wine is available in more than 35 states.

"I'm starting an Oregon winery living in Las Vegas," Nyman says. "If that doesn't scream passion, I'm not sure what does."

"No simply isn't a choice."

Above all else, this was the mantra that got Leo Rocco through his toughest times on the way to founding GoPago, a San Francisco-based mobile payment company that last year received millions of dollars in funding from JPMorgan Chase. Before the big deal, Rocco had dumped $500,000 of his own money into the company, maxed out his credit cards, endured three years without a paycheck, fielded numerous eviction notices and pivoted his business three times.

Leo Rocco of GoPago

"I was on fumes," admits Rocco, who spent years working for IBM's Rational Software group before striking out on his own. "It takes an amazing amount of resolve and mental strength to continue doing what you're doing and fight the self-doubt that inevitably creeps in, but when you truly believe in the business you're creating, there's just no other way to do it."

Rocco boasts that his penchant for perseverance likely came from his parents, Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. with nothing and built a successful tailoring business in Buffalo, N.Y.

"They taught me that if you get knocked down, you get back up; if someone stops you from driving forward, you find another way to get to where you want to go," he says. "When failure isn't an option, you promise yourself you won't fail. It's not crazy. It's hard work."

"Seek fleeting competitive advantages."

Mike Masnick, founder and CEO of Floor 64, an insight and consulting company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., admits this advice might be a bit "wonky" for certain circles. But for Masnick, whose company has nearly a dozen revenue streams, it speaks volumes.

Mike Masnick, founder and CEO of Floor 64

Floor 64 manages two insight platforms: Techdirt, a technology and business analysis blog, and the Insight Community, a marketplace for connecting companies with a diverse community of expertise. Add to the mix competitive market analysis for businesses in a variety of industries and an effort toward improving government policy on privacy and intellectual property, and the firm dabbles in a bit of everything.

"There's no reason why any particular business can't have half a dozen business models all working together simultaneously," he says. "Think of it like an investment portfolio: You wouldn't put all of your money into a single stock, so why on earth would you do that with your own company?"

The crux of Masnick's advice: No matter what, keep innovating. Generally speaking, this requires a fundamental understanding of what benefits your market is seeking, and a commanding grasp of technology and technological change.

"By innovating and providing increasing benefits to your customers," he says, "you no longer have to worry about competitors 'catching up,' since you're always leading."

"Business relationships need work, too."

As founders and CEOs of San Francisco-based Little Passports, an educational monthly subscription company for kids, Amy Norman and Stella Ma remind themselves of this often.

Amy Norman and Stella Ma, founders and CEOs of Little Passports

Photo courtesy of dandelionmoms.com

The two met in 2004 while working high-powered jobs at eBay and became best friends. When they left to launch Little Passports in 2009, they recognized that they were in for a new challenge--one that could potentially shake the friendship to its core. Since then, however, they have managed to succeed through a commitment to candor.

"We have found it important to be honest with each other and communicate," Ma says.

Adds Norman: "Before we started the company, we talked about how we'd handle certain disagreements; this way, when we have them, we get our perspectives out in the open, talk them through and move on."

Trust also helps, which is why Norman and Ma opted to share the CEO title. Each woman has the power to act on behalf of Little Passports individually; if one needs to tend to her family during an important business meeting, the other can represent the company solo. They like to think of themselves as interchangeable. "Without trust," Norman says, "that would never fly."

"Be open to anything."

Without this line of thinking, it's hard to imagine where Wicked+ would be today. For years, it was a typical marketing and branding agency, operating out of a 500-square-foot storefront on the main drag in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Up for anything: brothers Brian (left) and Colin Cooley of Wicked+.

Photo© Marc Royce

Passersby, thinking the space was a shop, often would come in to inquire about buying things they saw through the window. Gradually it occurred to founding brothers Brian and Colin Cooley that they should expand their operations to include retail.

Today the agency's modest store carries a handful of products from local businesses, including commuter bicycles, safety razors, Chemex coffeemakers and T-shirts. At any given moment, the brothers might go from writing a video script to selling a bag of coffee.

"I never imagined we'd evolve Wicked+ into a retail brand," Brian says. "But we saw the opportunity and made it happen."

He describes the strategy as a "small bet," noting that he and Colin could have invested big in tricking out a retail operation but instead opted to test the waters gradually. Now that the duo has seen that the shop can be successful, they're contemplating a bigger wager: expanding to a larger space. "We want to grow," he says, "but we want to do it organically."

Source: Forbes.com

10 Brilliant Apps Small Businesses Should Use

Ilya Pozin, Contributor

As apps become more prevalent and more powerful, entrepreneurs and small business owners are relying on these savvy tools to help their businesses grow and run more smoothly. These top 10 mobile and web apps can get you organized, connected and visible – and they will likely contribute to your success:

1) Evernote
Ever had a great idea while flying cross-country? Evernote is an app that makes sure users “Remember Everything.” By allowing users to store, organize and share text, photos, and voice notes, entrepreneurs can easily keep track of all of their brilliant ideas. The popular app has secured $166 million in funding and acquired web startups Skitch and Penultimate to add to their growing list of features.
2) Google Drive
Building on Google Docs, Google’s new Drive app lets users seamlessly port and edit files from PC to tablet to smartphone. Not only is it a fully-featured office suite, the software also acts as a full cloud drive, letting you store any file type via a virtual drive app or a web interface. Google apps is already the top choice for small business webmail, and Google is moving to repeat that success in the cloud storage arena. Oh, and you get a nice 5GB of storage, free
3) FormMobi
Called a “virtual clipboard,” the FormMobi app lets professionals in the field easily gather and distribute data on any mobile device. The app has robust functionality and is a solid tool for filling forms on-the-go. Some features include the ability to record audio, take pictures, collect signatures, and create CAD-quality sketches. Built by a team with 26 years of workflow software experience, FormMobi is making the clipboard digital and easy to use.
4) Bump
Bump is a revolutionary networking app that allows entrepreneurs to ditch traditional business cards in favor of virtual ones. Users can trade contact information, photos, and files by simply “bumping” two smartphones together. Since its inception in 2008, the app has garnered over 8 million monthly users and 27 million downloads.
5) Tripit
Anyone who’s had to make three connecting flights and rent a car on the same day can attest to the need for a comprehensive and simple itinerary. Tripit is an app that allows business travelers to do just that by keeping track of trip arrangements in one unified place. The app also gathers weather updates, maps, and directions to make traveling a breeze. After getting their start in 2006, the company was purchased in 2011 for $120 million by Concur Technologies.
6) LocalVox
LocalVox is a web marketing app that allows brick and mortar businesses to build their brands online. The service enables owners to publish news, events and deal announcements with a click-of-a-button across many online channels, including social media, websites, local directories and email newsletters. The service simultaneously optimizes organic search and Google Places listings for its users. In terms of boosting online marketing presence, LocalVox is a great tool.
7) Expensfy
If managing travel is difficult, managing expenses can be nearly impossible. Enter Expensify, an app that keeps track of business expenses and mileage, while letting users scan and upload receipts. Users can even file receipts by trip and submit expense reports to employers with the click of a button. Founded by David Barrett, the app has exploded to almost 1 million users in only 4 years and processes over $2 million in expenses daily.
8) Asana
Billed as a “collaborative information manager,” Asana is a simple and intuitive alternative to complicated work management software. Asana allows users to manage not only work projects, but personal projects and events in one easy-to-navigate interface. Founded by Justin Rosenstein and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, the work management app has raised $10.2 million dollars to date.
9) InDinero
Created in 2010 by two university students, Jessica Mah and Andy Su, InDinero is an easy way to keep track of business cash flow and manage day-to-day finances. The app syncs up to bank accounts and credit cards and helps business predict future cash flows according to past cash flow trends. The popular web app has completed over 2.5 million transactions and received $1.2 million in seed funding.
10) Square
Square is transforming the way we transact by empowering anyone with a smartphone or tablet to easily accept credit card payments. There are no sign-up or monthly fees – rather, the service takes 2.75 percent of each transaction. The wildly popular app was founded by the creator of Twitter in 2010. A key app for small businesses that lowers barriers of entry to accept payments.

Increasing Business with Strategic Partners

By Laura Lake

In business, it's important to align yourself with strategic alliances. For example, this week I received a call in my office of someone seeking marketing advice. "Laura, I have a company that has a small mailing list of approximately 2000 people. This list is broken out into two groups - one being those that have purchased our product and the other are those who have not yet purchased but have interest in a contest that we were running. What can I do with this list?"

While the company carries an interesting product, it is only one product. So how can we market to this list? More than likely the people that have purchased the item and they are not in need of an additional one at this time.
Many small businesses are in this same situation they offer one product or perhaps one service and do not the have or time to create new offers - so what do you do with those lists that you've accumulated?
The answer is easier than you think, you find other companies that cater to the same audience that you do, but are not direct competitors. For example, let's say that you are specializing in renting wedding gowns - your list has grown and you get fantastic referral business but how can you drive revenue from past customers. You find another supplier or merchant that is catering to your same target market. Take for example a photographer or catering service. Your list would of interest to them and their list could be of interest to you. Although, timing would be the key factor in this situation.
Let's take a look at another scenario. You specialize in selling art. The artwork that you sell has a specific target market. They are professionals with an income range of $150,000 to $300,000 per year. The pieces you sell are very rare therefore carry a steep price tag. While you continually market to your clients and enjoy repeat business, you'd like some fresh prospects. How about finding an interior decorating that is interested in joint venturing with you. It's a win-win. You both exchange lists and send out a special offering to the interior decorator's clients and she does the same. You could also just create a special offering and split the advertising and marketing costs.
The key is knowing who your target market is. Learn who they are:

• How old are they?
• What is their income range?
• What are their occupations?
• What other interests do they have?

If you don't have the answers to these questions it's time to create a market survey and find out this information. By not having it you are wasting opportunities that could increase your revenue and drive you new business at minimal cost.
When you've gathered the information above it's time to so some brainstorming. Who else markets to these people? What other businesses around me have the same target market?
Then pick up the phone and get in touch with these companies. Ask them if they would be interested in joint venturing with you and creating a win-win business situation. If they say no, time to move on to the next. There will be some who are not interested - but to be honest you find more that are.

http://marketing.about.com/od/relationshipmarketing/a/mktpartnerships.htm

Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader Part I

Part I of II

Having a great idea, and assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a successful business venture. While finding a new and unique idea is rare enough; the ability to successfully execute this idea is what separates the dreamers from the entrepreneurs. However you see yourself, whatever your age may be, as soon as you make that exciting first hire, you have taken the first steps in becoming a powerful leader. When money is tight, stress levels are high, and the visions of instant success don’t happen like you thought, it’s easy to let those emotions get to you, and thereby your team. Take a breath, calm yourself down, and remind yourself of the leader you are and would like to become. Here are some key qualities that every good leader should possess, and learn to emphasize.

Honesty
Whatever ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will follow suit.


Ability to Delegate
Finessing your brand vision is essential to creating an organized and efficient business, but if you don’t learn to trust your team with that vision, you might never progress to the next stage. Its important to remember that trusting your team with your idea is a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate departments is one of the most important skills you can develop as your business grows. The emails and tasks will begin to pile up, and the more you stretch yourself thin, the lower the quality of your work will become, and the less you will produce.
The key to delegation is identifying the strengths of your team, and capitalizing on them. Find out what each team member enjoys doing most. Chances are if they find that task more enjoyable, they will likely put more thought and effort behind it. This will not only prove to your team that you trust and believe in them, but will also free up your time to focus on the higher level tasks, that should not be delegated. It’s a fine balance, but one that will have a huge impact on the productivity of your business.

Communication
Knowing what you want accomplished may seem clear in your head, but if you try to explain it to someone else and are met with a blank expression, you know there is a problem. If this has been your experience, then you may want to focus on honing your communication skills. Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you want done is extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working towards the same goal.
Training new members and creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy lines of communication. Whether that stems from an open door policy to your office, or making it a point to talk to your staff on a daily basis, making yourself available to discuss interoffice issues is vital. Your team will learn to trust and depend on you, and will be less hesitant to work harder.

Sense of Humor
If your website crashes, you lose that major client, or your funding dries up, guiding your team through the process without panicking is as challenging as it is important. Morale is linked to productivity, and it’s your job as the team leader to instill a positive energy. That’s where your sense of humor will finally pay off. Encourage your team to laugh at the mistakes instead of crying. If you are constantly learning to find the humor in the struggles, your work environment will become a happy and healthy space, where your employees look forward to working in, rather than dreading it. Make it a point to crack jokes with your team and encourage personal discussions of weekend plans and trips. It’s these short breaks from the task at hand that help keep productivity levels high and morale even higher.

Our office is dog friendly, and we really believe it is the small, light hearted moments in the day that help keep our work creative and fresh. One tradition that we like to do and brings the team closer is we plan a fun prank on all new employees, on their first day. It breaks the ice and immediately creates that sense of familiarity.

Confidence
There may be days where the future of your brand is worrisome and things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain the team morale. Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Remember, your team will take cues from you, so if you exude a level of calm damage control, your team will pick up on that feeling. The key objective is to keep everyone working and moving ahead.

To Be Continued...


source: www.forbes.com

10 Time Management Tips That Work Pt 1

Are you working on clock time or 'real' time? Learn how to manage your day by understanding the difference with these 10 time management tips.

BY Joe Mathews, Don Debolt and Deb Percival

Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?"

The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work.

Before you can even begin to manage time, you must learn what time is. A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens.
There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.
In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children seem to have grown up in only two hours.

Which time describes the world in which you really live, real time or clock time?

The reason time management gadgets and systems don't work is that these systems are designed to manage clock time. Clock time is irrelevant. You don't live in or even have access to clock time. You live in real time, a world in which all time flies when you are having fun or drags when you are doing your taxes.

The good news is that real time is mental. It exists between your ears. You create it. Anything you create, you can manage. It's time to remove any self-sabotage or self-limitation you have around "not having enough time," or today not being "the right time" to start a business or manage your current business properly.

There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.

As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success. 

Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

How to Get Referrals and How They can Boost Your Sales

By Wendy Connick

Referrals – otherwise known as getting someone to give you warm leads to new prospects – are valuable for salespeople in all industries. Yet it's incredible how few salespeople actively canvass for referrals. 

Studies show that a salesperson is six times more likely to close a sale to a referred lead as opposed to a cold lead. That means you can generate six times as many sales if you focus on getting referrals than if you spent that time cold calling! A huge increase in sales and, as a bonus, less cold calling to do – what more can you ask for? And if you open your eyes, you'll see opportunities for referrals all around you.

Existing Customers
The easiest and friendliest referral source. In fact, if you treat them right, they may well go out and do some selling for you! That's when you get those wonderful windfall calls from someone's co-worker or uncle saying, “I hear you sell the best widgets in town. I'd like to buy 40 of them.”

But don't wait for your customers to do all the work for you – pick up the phone and ask for the referral. It's a good idea anyway to check in with your customers a few weeks or months after the sale. You can ask them how they're enjoying the product, find out if they have any questions, and then pop the question: “Who else do you know who can benefit from this product, as you have?”

New Customers
Just after you've closed someone is the best time to get referrals from them, because they're excited about their new purchase. Some salespeople are nervous about asking for referrals at this point because they just want to get out of there in case the prospect changes their mind! Well, don't worry about this. Unless you've used high pressure tactics to intimidate someone into buying (don't do this) your new customer is probably thrilled and enthusiastic. Hit them up now, while their energy is at its peak!

Prospects You Couldn't Close
If you pitch a prospect and they turn you down, don't just bolt out the door. Get a referral or two, and you'll have changed a loss into a win.

You're probably shaking your head and thinking, “That's crazy-talk. Why would a person who wouldn't even buy from me give me referrals?” A lot of sales fall through not because the prospect hates you or your product, but because they just aren't a good fit. In that case, it's the perfect opportunity to find out if they know someone who is a good fit.

Everyone Else
Literally anyone you meet under any circumstances can give you a referral. After all, the average person knows in excess of 250 other people. Do you really think that none of those hundreds of people are a good fit for your products? Of course not. Ask everyone – your dry-cleaner, your accountant, your neighbor, even the person standing behind you in the supermarket checkout. You'll be amazed how many leads will drop into your lap as a result of a brief conversation.

http://sales.about.com/od/salesbasics/a/How-To-Get-Referrals.htm

6 steps to Better Networking for Young Entrepreneurs

By Matt Villano 

 

"All young entrepreneurs know that time is money, which makes the time we spend at industry networking events almost as precious as the funding for which we’re all gunning. How can you maximize the benefits of attending these soirees? Here’s what real-life “treps” -- as well as some networking event experts -- have to say:

Have an agenda.
Not all networking events are created equal. It behooves you to research the best of the bunch in your area and decide which might be best for your overall start-up goals. What is your objective for the event? Are you looking to find a cofounder? Are you looking to meet investors? Are you simply looking to get more educated or inspired? Asking yourself simple questions like these before selecting a networking event can help refine your search -- and, in turn, get more out of your selections.

Nathan Beckord, principal and startup advisor at the San Francisco-based consulting firm VentureArchetypes, will scan the guest list of networking events he attends to identify people in the crowd he wants to meet. "I also will familiarize myself with the speakers -- not only who they are, but what they look like," he says. "That way, if they are hanging out before their chat, I can go up and meet them, whereas if I want until after they speak, they are often swarmed by a mob."

Fly solo.
We all feel more comfortable attending work functions with a "buddy," someone with whom we can seek refuge when the constant meeting-and-greeting gets old. But Priyanka Sharma, marketing director for iSwifter, a Menlo Park, Calif., startup that makes a Flash web-browser app for the iPad, suggests reconsidering. "When you’re solo, you’re forced to talk to people, it's easier to insert yourself into conversations, and you're less intimidating to mingle with," she says.

Work the room.
Consider the law of averages -- the more people you meet at one of these events, the greater the likelihood of making networking magic. Sepideh Nasiri, a director of off-line activities at Women 2.0, a San Francisco-based networking organization for women, suggests that entrepreneurs spend no more than 5 to 7 minutes per conversation. "You shouldn’t need any more time to figure out exactly what the person in front for you is looking for," she says.

Take notes.
It’s impossible to remember specifics on every person you meet at these shindigs, so don’t be afraid to take notes. According to Azam Khan, a social-commerce and marketing entrepreneur in Fremont, Calif., the easiest place to jot stuff down is on the back of someone’s business card. Use keywords to help you contextualize a person’s strengths when you get home and sort through your stuff.

Khan notes that this philosophy works both ways. "Give a card but don’t dwell on it," he says, "and let them write notes, too." Another option here is to use your Smartphone (or bring along a small steno pad) for more detailed scribbles -- though (so as not to make anyone nervous) it’s best to do this in the privacy of a corner or the rest room.

Watch what you drink.
Sure, alcohol makes it easier for all of us to meet new people. And, yes, beer and wine (and sometimes cocktails) are standard at most of these networking events. Still, moderation should rule the day. "If you need a drink to loosen up a bit, that’s probably fine. Anything more could lead to trouble," notes Nasiri, whose Founder Friday events draw up to 500 people per month in more than 10 cities around the world. "The last thing you want is to wake up the next morning and wonder, 'What did I say?'"

Follow up.
The most important step in making new acquaintances is following up. Tweet, email, Facebook -- whatever -- just close the loop. Sharma, the marketing guru at iSwifter, says that in addition to following up with fellow attendees, you always should follow up with the hosts of the event, too. "It’s a good way to get an invite to future and similar events," she says, noting that organizers frequently have large networks and can connect you with others easily. Hey, you never know.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223916