Category: business coach

Give Yourself A Confidence Boost With Clients

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Walking into a meeting room or a conference environment of any size can feel daunting; even to the most experienced of business people. So, whether you’re an intern, or are just starting out on your journey in your new career; it’s worth developing your presentation and public speaking skills so that you’ll sound like a natural. People will always take note of a confident communicator, so it will not only benefit you to brush up on your talents but whoever you’re working for will appreciate the effort also.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy a bottle of confidence (if only). However, by taking the time and making an effort to improve your skills and abilities in an environment where you have to describe, explain, and sell to current or potential clients will allow you to grow in courage and self-belief. The following are some tips and ideas for those who need a boost when it comes to impressing those who matter in a business setting; no matter how big or intimate it might be.

Practice And Plan

The first step to feeling confident in your meeting presentation or conference is a thorough plan and knowledge about what and when you’re going to speak about things. There’s no use in scribbling down a few notes the night before and filling in the gaps as you speak; you’ll only end up stuttering over your words and could forget some crucial points due to nerves and laziness. Therefore, the sooner you write or type a plan out, the sooner you can begin going through it step by step.

Ask colleagues and loved ones at home to listen to you; you’ll be able to gauge a reaction to certain things, and they’ll give you feedback that could improve the experience for everyone on the day. Repeat and practice as much as you’re able; you’ll end up feeling self-assured, and won’t be stuck for your words, which will ensure all your points are put across eloquently.

Make An Impact

Be as creative and insightful as possible when it comes to presenting your ideas, knowledge and thoughts. You might not be a whizz on PowerPoint; however, you can still utilize things like google slides themes so that your templates and images look their best when on a big screen. Think about using music, film, and humor in your presentation; you want to ensure that people leave and remember what you’ve been talking about. Therefore, the use of various media and an impactful slideshow will make sure your key points are planted firmly in the minds of those to whom you’re speaking.

Question Time

As previously stated; the more you plan your presentation, the better the outcome will be. If you have a deep understanding and knowledge of your chosen topic of conversation; you’ll be able to answer client questions with confidence, and they’ll be more likely to trust your response. Encouraging questions after your presentation is another way to reiterate points and ensuring that people remember what you’ve told them, so make a point of getting your audience to speak up!

The Easiest Methods For Launching Yourself Into Business

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Are you one of those people who would love to get involved with the business world but doesn’t know where to start? Then you need to pay attention to some of the tips and advice from this article. Lots of ladies think they need to come up with a useful concept, develop a pitch for investment, and spend months working towards their goal of starting a company. However, there are some fast-track methods and strategies you might like to try if you don’t have any previous experience. The ideas below will assist you in getting things off the ground much faster than you would have done walking a traditional path.

Think about a franchise

Firstly, if you have some money to spend, you might think about investing in a franchise opportunity. Many websites list available offers, and so you just need to conduct some research. Maybe you’re an active person, and you might enjoy a fitness centers franchise or something similar? Perhaps you have a background in kitchen work, and you’d like to start a restaurant with a recognizable brand name? Play your cards right, and you could achieve either of those goals with ease. The best things about that idea include:

  • Using an established brand name
  • Getting a business plan that works
  • Getting support every step of the way

Start an online service company

If you want to launch a business but you want to keep things small, you might consider starting an online company. In most situations, you can do that from the comfort of your home while following your heart and without breaking the bank. Popular niches that you might want to think about at the moment include:

  • Freelance writing
  • Graphic design
  • Digital marketing
  • Web development
  • App development

You don’t need to understand how to do those things to make a profit. You just need to become an excellent middleman (or middle-woman as it were,) and link your clients with the right talent.

Create automated income streams

There are lots of ways in which it’s possible for anyone to create automated or passive income streams without working too hard. Some of the most widely-used ideas include:

  • Affiliate marketing
  • High-traffic website advertising
  • Ad revenue from viral videos
  • And lots more

The idea is to come up with income streams that don’t require too much maintenance or attention. That way, you can relax with your family, spend time with the kids, and go to bed in the evening while still making a profit.

Those three suggestions should help all readers to take a step in the right direction if they want to become involved in the business world. Of course, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and dive in head first. However, there is always a lot of risks involved if you launch a new brand from scratch. So, weigh all the pros and cons before rushing into anything, and make sure you only use the money you can afford to lose. 50% of new firms fail within the first twelve months, and you need to avoid that at all costs. Good luck!

Practical Tips for How to Use Surplus Money

Scott Asai2 Comments

Guest post by Grace Frenson

Most people tend to be irresponsible when they have surplus money by buying things they don’t really need, believing that the money is never-ending. While some people are born into fortune, a lot of people are not.

Proper money management is one of the surest ways to secure one’s future and save for rainy days or anything unexpected. There are several things to do with extra cash–the list is unlimited.

Though you may feel the need to spend your money on whatever you want, it is important to have your priorities sorted out. If you consider some essential things you need in life, you can determine the best plan of action to take. Here is how you can use extra money:

Invest in a Business

Businessmen are often preoccupied with the best way to use surplus money to make more money. Investing in one or more business could be the best way to achieve this.

People who are fainthearted in taking business risks would prefer to leave the money in their savings account, but the money would seldom grow when left there.

Investments do not always ensure the safety of the money, but if it succeeds it will bring a greater return than when left in a savings account. If it is really surplus money, it may be worthwhile to take a risk on it.

Use a 10 Year Saving Strategy

You have been working to secure your future, and now you have extra money. it is time to put some mechanisms into place to keep you from overspending.

One way to keep tabs on future events is by creating a 10 year saving strategy. This allows you to save for predictable expenses for the next 10 years.

Such expenses could include predictable costs such as a house, a wedding, kids, and so forth. If you have enough surplus money, you could even set up separate accounts for each of the items.

Stash the Money in an Emergency Fund

Money is not an inexhaustible commodity–unless you are a multibillionaire, you may exhaust the “excess” money in just a few months. If you haven’t already, you need to consider stashing the money in an emergency fund to take care of emergency situations only.

The amount of money you chose to put in it is up to you. However, emergency funds may come in handy in situations such as unexpected and costly health care bills, home repairs, auto repairs, unanticipated travel, and so forth, so you want to save wisely. Besides helping you to deal with an emergency situation, emergency funds could help protect your credit record.

Job loss is one of the common reasons people end up needing an emergency fund. Say you get injured or sick and have to go on disability, you want to have those supplemental savings in place in case your career or livelihood is threatened.

Increase Your Health Insurance

This may seem obvious, you need to invest in as much insurance coverage as you can afford. If you really have a surplus cash, health insurance is paramount. Health is wealth, and wealth becomes irrelevant and meaningless if the health cannot be secured.

Opting for health insurance is one of the wisest investment decisions you can ever make. This is even much more critical with how high medical bills are today. Medical debt is the single biggest reason people end up bankrupt or in a huge amount of debt.

Putting the money toward health insurance is synonymous to saving it for rainy days.

Obviously, nobody plans on having a critical health condition, but it does happen and you don’t want to be unprepared when it does. Thankfully, you have the cash, and you could make a difference to be prepared for the unexpected.

Create a Budget

You may really be misconstruing the cash as being excess if you have not created a budget and mapped out all of your upcoming payments. A budget will help you keep tabs on your income and expenditures.

It helps you to manage the financial flows and see where your money goes or would potentially go. Creating a budget will help you to make a detailed plan on important necessities like insurance, utilities, food, and housing, as well as miscellaneous activities.

Even extremely frugal people would be tempted to spend money on unnecessary stuff when they have excess money. By making a list of preference and value would help you to know what to spend money on and what to avoid.

A list of preference and value simply shows you items that are worth spending your money on. Of course, the preference and value may differ from person to person but the bottom-line is that it details your highest level of priority and utility.

The highest scale of your value and preferences is the right place to begin spending your surplus money. However, if some items don’t really make it to your list but they are simply critical for life–you need to reconsider your budget and adjust it accordingly.

Be Careful When Spending

When having an abundance of money, it is easy to spend it all quickly. Be careful to not go down this path, and spend your money on what is prevalent in your life.

If you are in a bit of credit card debt, consider paying that off, or paying off your child’s student loans. You want to be sure you don’t spend the money and then not even know what you spent it on once it’s all gone.

Think long and hard about how you want to spend–or not spend the extra cash. You don’t want to regret the decision you make in the long run.

Lucrative Law Areas To Practice

Scott Asai1 Comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you have recently obtained a qualification in law, you are very aware that the life of a lawyer isn’t all fast cars, luxury vacations, and having money to burn. But, if you are looking for lucrative law practice areas, there are some that are very popular right now. So let’s go through the main ones, and and how each one works.

Litigation

This is an area where many practitioners can command very lucrative salaries. There are so many lawyers that make a fantastic living from this, such as Benedict Morelli, and it consists of various legal and factual issues. Litigation attorneys need to be incredibly skilled at managing a team of attorneys, who need to go over high amounts of electronic documents, which can consist of millions of emails, and analyse draft and laws as well as the skill of arguing motions on a never-ending basis in court. Litigation cases tend to last years, even decades.

Intellectual Property

Lots of businesses needs advice securing patents, especially with new technology and also trademarks for brands. So for various companies that are starting out, as well as businesses that are well established, this means they need lawyers who are able to implement the appropriate lawsuits. Between the years of 2013 and 2015, the federal courts saw the highest number of patents filed. It is a very hot area right now. In addition to this intellectual property litigation is another area that is worth investigating. It is similar to litigation cases, but involves the rights to technology or medicines. The outcomes of these cases can result in over hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, and can bring a company down.

Healthcare

Again, with so many issues relating to healthcare, especially in the United States, and with more people having health insurance and getting involved in disputes with their care providers, this means that the demand for healthcare representatives has shot up in recent years. Also, there are new laws and regulations that are continually coming into effect, especially in the digital areas of healthcare. This includes things like data privacy, as well as the digital records of patients’ healthcare information, and how this is protected.

Corporate Law

Generally, this describes different areas of work on behalf of companies. It can encompass lots of different aspects, making it a varied and interesting career as a lawyer. You could assist clients in merging with other companies, drafting agreements or bylaws, or helping businesses to secure adequate capital. There are also capital market attorneys, especially in the growing economy, there is more of a demand for these. This consists of helping companies to issue stock, structuring private placement financings, and issuing equity within the capital market. As the area practice is so diverse, this is quite a complex subject, so you need to know, in addition to federal and state laws, securities and disclosure law, as well as contracts.

Law is definitely a lucrative career prospect, if you know where to look. Have a look at these four areas, and see if these are areas you would like to practice.

The Ultimate Work Productivity Hack

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

There’s no substitute for hard work, but what if I told you there’s a hack to it?

Similar to athletes you and I want to “get in the zone” at work, but believe it’s not controllable.

It is.

Productivity is traced back to mental capacity and energy, but there’s a biological trigger for that: exercise.

Specifically: morning workouts.

Before complaining you’re not a morning person, listen to this: moderate to high workouts release endorphins which not only make you feel good, but boost your mood and energy for up to 12 hours after.

That’s why you’re in a better mood after it’s over and why working out at night before sleeping is counterintuitive (unless you want to stay up late).

Working out first thing in the morning (before breakfast) not only gets your body, but your mind right. Unless you slept less than 5 hours, worked out for the past 3 days in a row or are recovering from an injury disregard how unmotivated you feel. Get up and go to the gym (focus on how you’ll feel after).

Once you’ve completed it, take a shower and eat breakfast. Now your window for optimal work is open.

Take for instance my weekly workout schedule:

Morning workouts: Sunday, Monday and Thursday 7:30 – 8:30 AM

Basketball: Tuesday and Friday 6:30 – 7:30 AM

Rest days: Wednesday and Saturday

This gets me showered, eaten breakfast and working by 9 AM.

What morning workouts also unlock is your optimal working hours: when you’re the most alert and productive.

Since early morning exercise triggers it mine is: 9 AM – 3 PM.

Take it a step further: I do my best (alone) work 9 AM – 12 PM, so 12 – 3 PM is normally reserved for meetings, phone calls, video chats, etc.

I can get stuff done before 9 AM if I run ahead of schedule, but normally after 3 PM my focus drops considerably (use this time after for less-brainpower tasks such as: checking emails, planning your next day, etc).

Factor in I want to go home to see my family, but still this was true ever since sticking to a consistent workout schedule. The actual times will vary based on your lifestyle, yet the important point is to recognize the catalyst: morning workouts.

You and I tend to separate physical, emotional and mental states, but they are deeply connected. If you have time, read Harvard Business Reviews’s The Making of a Corporate Athlete. It completely changed my outlook on work.

Finding your optimal work productivity is simple: workout first thing in the morning and reap the benefits immediately after.

3 Interview Questions For Hiring Remote Workers

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Hiring onsite employees is tough enough, but when it comes to hiring remote workers don’t overcomplicate it.

Before considering to hire remotely, trust is monumental. Without it you’ll fail.

Managing people virtually shouldn’t be much different than in-person since what works face-to-face tends to work over video/phone.

Keep in mind retaining workers is costly when the wrong person is hired, so use the following three questions as a guide to weed out the amateurs and hire the best:

1. Why?

Start with a candidate’s character. Why questions get to the motivation behind an answer. You won’t be physically present to witness how someone spends their time during work, so figure out how driven, self-aware and organized they are ahead of time. Why questions hit at the core of who someone is. Asking past behavior scenarios tend to be the most popular during interviews, but past success doesn’t always translate smoothly to new endeavors. If you need more context watch this Simon Sinek video on why.

2. How?

You can have the most knowledgable person working for you, but if they don’t fit your culture you’ve made a bad hire. Without downplaying competence, style questions are a must when it comes to hiring the right people. If you’re unsure how to define your culture, stop and figure it out before hiring anyone. How questions really come down to identifying personal strengths. The best leaders in any industry are self-aware. That means generic answers on an interview just don’t cut it. As an employer you want to know how they prioritize, interact with others and communicate orally/written just to name a few. Most of a manager’s time is spent dealing with interpersonal issues, so if you’re seeing red flags when it comes to personality quirks don’t proceed. Another helpful exercise is hiring based on your company’s core values. They can be even more powerful than mission or vision statements because they are measurable in behaviors. Zappos is a good example if you need a place to start.

3. What? 

Typical interviews start here. Tell me about your last job. Describe a time you failed a task and what was your response. What is your biggest weakness? Candidates can rehearse these answers and interviewers can critique every detail. The truth is what questions don’t reveal nearly as much as “why” or “how” questions. When asking “what” questions find out: experience, industry knowledge and their decision making process. Interviews are just a preliminary phase to understanding on-the-job performance. Even the best questions can’t possibly cover future mistakes by workers. A judgment call must be made here: do you want to hire for experience (less training, higher salary) or potential (more training, lower salary)? The answer to this question comes back to your core values.

Consider this: treat all your future interviews as potentially remote hires. Not only is that the way our economy is headed, but if you can trust someone working virtually you definitely can in the office.

Hire the best. Don’t settle for less.

Digital vs. Traditional Marketing: Which One Is Better For You?

Scott Asai1 Comment

Digital is the obvious choice for many reasons: optimal reach, price, speed, flexibility, etc.

But this post is less about tactics and more about philosophy.

Recently I took a Digital Marketing class at General Assembly and got a brief introduction how it works. This was an intro class so few strategies were shared, but it was still helpful.

Although traditional marketing has its limits, there’s still value in it.

Talking with a friend of mine Rachel, who owns Bite Sized Media, emphasized building relationships and creating partnerships still trump all.

To answer this question it really depends on two things: your customer and type of business.

If it’s an e-commerce site then it’s clearly digital, but for my online tutoring company I’ve started more traditional because I’m leveraging my network.

At the core digital marketing is more ideal if you can master it because of this simple premise: customers are shopping for you.

That’s key because people who are searching for an answer are more ready to buy.

Traditional marketing is more about bringing attention to your product/service in hopes they can be convinced to purchase.

In my opinion both are valuable and have their place. I admit I’m no expert in marketing and am trying to learn myself, but truly understanding who I am serving and how I can meet their needs is essential.

So the more important question than “Is digital or traditional marketing better for me?” is: who is my customer and where can I find them consistently?

Once you identify that, go forth and start marketing!

3 Ways To Generate New Ideas

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Most people are drawn to entrepreneurship because of the potential of new ideas, but what happens when you run out of them?

It doesn’t matter how creative you are, your mind becomes a blank canvas at some point (yes, it even happens to the best of them).

So when you’re looking for new ideas, but can’t find them what should you do?

1. Read

Most ideas are not original, so don’t put added pressure on yourself to be an inventor. My ideas tend to be inspired by what I read on platforms like Medium. Whether it’s an article, book or video tutorial, “bettering” an idea is much more efficient than creating one. Certain authors will resonate with you and you will follow them more because of their similar mindset. If it makes you feel better the most successful companies rarely create their own industry, they just dominate it with a differentiating point. When all else fails read…

2. Network

To build off reading, people are where ideas come from. Some of my best networking experiences focused less around trying to sell myself and more about just listening. True networking is simply connecting. A friend of mine said it best: “the people you keep in contact with are the ones whose point of views you find stimulating.” Networking can be the best way to learn about an industry you don’t know about. Understanding someone’s process can be a game changer. Also, if you’re a sole proprietor one of the worst things you can do is stay in isolation. No matter how introverted you are, make it a point to connect with others in person, on the phone or through the internet. Nothing great is accomplished alone so don’t be a hermit.

3. Do

People have asked me, “how do you know what to write about weekly?” My honest answer: I don’t. I just write about what I’m learning currently. I mean isn’t that what a blog is? It’s a public journal of your thoughts. Sure, I like hearing success stories and formulas that have worked before, but it’s as inspiring to hear people’s journeys. I like the idea that you’re never ready; the choice is whether you’re going to start or not. I admit I’m not a ready-aim-fire guy. It takes too long. I’m learning to get better at aiming, but my natural instinct is to stop talking about it and just do it (potentially at the core of my obsession with Nike). If you wait for the perfect idea, you may never act. Failing is what the most successful companies have embraced better than others, not success.

So the next time you’re struggling to come up with new ideas try reading, networking and taking action. Chances are the idea will come to you during the process, not prior to it.

Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow The Market

Scott Asai1 Comment

Follow your passion. Follow your heart. Monetize your hobby.

Trust me, I’ve heard it all.

In an ideal world, you’d find your ideal clients and sell to them like crazy, but that’s not realistic.

I’ve learned over time that is has less to do with passion, but more about identifying what’s thriving in the market.

Now thriving isn’t a code word for trendy. It means industries that have staying power.

Just like there are very few new ideas, don’t be overly concerned with competition. The same reason why gas stations and fast food establishments purposely open locations near each other proves this point.

Each industry tends to have a giant or market leader which signifies a strong want (perceived need) in society. With so many options to choose from, positioning your idea boils down to uniqueness.

In most instances it’s your brand story, featured benefit or “patented” process.

Whatever your unique selling proposition (USP) is, it’s much wiser to bring to a visible market than an invisible one.

Take for instance coaching. I’ve been doing it for 10+ years, but it’s still not part of a thriving market. Coaching is more of a “how” than a “what” therefore I’m more focused on ideas that utilize coaching in the process, but it’s not the main offering.

Coaching is an example of being in an invisible market because every time you approach a prospective customer you’re faced with a “double sell” proposal. That means the initial sell is educating what you are selling, then you have to follow up with a secondary sell to get paid. It’s not an ideal situation to put yourself through.

Market research becomes invaluable since you want to enter an area that’s already hot. No matter how great your idea is, the uphill battle of trying to educate people about what your product/service does isn’t worth your time or investment.

We’re fortunate to live in a time where information is readily accessible at our fingertips, so take advantage of it! Don’t be discouraged about developing your idea, but before moving forward make sure there’s a clear market for it’s entrance.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, it’s already been created.

The 1 Question Managers Need To Ask

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Managing people isn’t for everyone, but if taken seriously one question will give you all the answers you need to maximize productivity:

How can I best support you?

Here’s why: support isn’t defined by the giver, but the recipient.

I asked this question in my previous management role and it did wonders for morale, engagement and performance.

The best workers are self-motivated. As a professional if you need to be externally motivated to do your job, even the greatest perks/benefits won’t make a huge difference.

Once hired in a role (assuming you’re qualified), you need to be trained with the skills to do the job, but when that on-boarding process is complete it’s your turn to soar.

As a manager you don’t need to be smarter than the team you lead. In fact, if you facilitate and support well technical skills are just a bonus.

Support is something you feel. When you are being supported you know it. If you have to think about it, it’s absent.

Your job as a manager is to help your teammates shine. At a deeper level it’s making them look better than you. If there’s too much ego involved as a manager, you’re destined to be in competition with your team rather than holding hands across the finish line.

There’s a simple way to gauge if the workers under your care feel supported: ask them.

Be specific. Ask this: on a scale of 1 – 10, 1 being not at all vs. 10 feeling like a champion rate the amount of support you feel?

In a performance-based world, this approach may sound soft, but that’s exactly why it works.

A manager’s job isn’t to tell their team how to do something, it’s to clarify objectives and remove all the obstacles in their way.

Going back to my “best workers” example, when giving support you also offer respect, care and autonomy. Think about the best boss you’ve had. I highly doubt they rode you like a horse. Instead I guarantee you’ll describe your relationship with them (soft skills).

Management isn’t easy, but it’s also not rocket science. Take the servant leadership approach to managing others and you’ll be amazed at how people’s strengths will rise to the top.