Career Synergy is officially full! Please contact me for details about next month’s event. Hope to see you there!
Category: gen y
Guest Post by Kristen Bradley
Struggles Many New Small Businesses Owners Face
Most individuals would love to start their own business if they had the necessary time, financing, and experience available. The opportunity to flee the 9 to 5 rat race, be your own boss, and set your own hours are just a few attractive perks. However, new businesses owners first must overcome a number of challenges.
- Financing. Small business owners sometimes find it difficult to find the necessary funds needed to start up a business. Furthermore, you’ll have to have a sufficient cash flow to meet future expenses. Additional funds will need to be allocated for marketing and advertising so that your business can attract clients.
- Employees. Entrepreneurs fight to find and keep good employees who will help the company succeed and grow. Initially, small business owners may not be able to afford to offer employees medical benefits, paid vacations, and profit sharing. Thus, finding—and then retaining—reliable and dedicated employees from the beginning can be difficult.
- Management. The proprietors of fledgling businesses often end up working much longer hours than they did when they worked for someone else. They must perform many behind-the-scenes tasks daily, including sales and marketing promotions, legal paperwork, and product development and research.
- Technology. A small business may not have the resources to take advantage of new technology, placing them at a competitive disadvantage. Effective web sites are key for getting your business’s name out there.
- Legal regulations. Entrepreneurs have a number of legal hoops to jump through before they start their first business. Name registrations, seller permits, surety bonds, and tax clearances are just a few examples. Oftentimes applicants must prove their professional reliability and financial stability before meeting such regulations, which can prove challenging for younger professionals.
Starting up a new enterprise can be very exciting and rewarding, but success is not usually achieved without first confronting and conquering many roadblocks along the way. With a little perseverance and a knowledge of the industry you’re going into, you, too, can succeed.
This article was written by Kristen Bradley SuretyBonds.com, an agency that helps entrepreneurs and new business owners get their enterprises started off on the right foot. SuretyBonds.com aims to give new professionals an insight into industry restrictions that help regulate businesses in all 50 states.
If you are between the ages of 18 – 35, please take this brief survey to help create a Great Young Professional Development/Network Group!
How To Get A Raise
One of my favorite success stories happened with a client a few years ago. Initially, she was skeptical, but 5 months later she became one of my biggest advocates. Here is how she got her raise in 5 steps:
1) Shut Your Mouth
Nobody likes a complainer, especially your boss. If you feel you deserve a pay raise, you’re going to have to prove it with your actions, not your mouth.
2) Work Hard
Actions speak louder than words. Your results and work ethic are your active resume. Do your work better, faster and push yourself.
3) Ask For More
More work precedes more money. Start by asking for more responsibility. Check with your current supervisor. Volunteer for another department. Use your time wisely, because you’re always being watched.
4) Prove Your Worth
Stand out from the crowd. Give your boss a reason to look at you. Work for the job you want, not the job you have. Show you can handle the next level. Don’t expect better compensation until you prove it.
5) Approach Your Boss
After at least a month, you now have the credibility to set up an appointment with your supervisor. Share with him/her how much you want the promotion and highlight what you have accomplished. Do research and present a proposed increase in salary and explain why you deserve it.
There’s no guarantees, but this process worked before my eyes. Proving yourself before opening your mouth is always a good strategy.
Any thoughts? Experiences? Please share!
How to be an Organic Leader
What does organic mean to you? How does it apply to leadership? Let’s look at three examples of where organic is better:
Produce – Organic products cost more because of their strict guidelines. As a leader, do you hold yourself to the highest standards? Doing the right thing is worth more in the long run than taking shortcuts.
Growth – In business, this refers to expansion. Personally it means, what are you doing to better yourself? What can you tangibly measure 6 months from now to prove to yourself that you’ve grown as a leader? You can only lead others to the extent that you lead yourself.
Organization – Flat organizations disperse power. Great teams share information. Organic leaders trust people and empower others to do their best. On a scale of 1 – 10, how well do you develop others? Start thinking about how you’re going to make everyone around you successful.
Organic leaders serve with the highest standards, teach what they have learned and make others better around them.
How can YOU be a more organic leader?
Food Truck Evangelism
Listen up entrepreneurs, businesses & churches! This L.A. based trend is revealing insight on how to attract loyal fans. Here are three takeaways that you can apply in your organization:
1) Go to Them
Find out where your customers hang out and bring your product or service to them. Potential customers are more “comfortable” on their “home turf.” Make convenience your ally.
2) Create Excitement
There’s a buzz in the air when something is perceived as fun. When you create an environment that appeals to the senses, people become captivated. Feelings drive your actions.
3) Provide Value
Price is important, but people are willing to pay for something great. Value is cost PLUS quality and customer service. Listen to your customer’s needs and plan your agenda around them.
Food trucks are followed on twitter because of the overall experience they create. We can learn a lot from this growing trend by going to our customers, creating excitement and providing value for them! Are you creating an experience worthy enough to be “followed”?
Need a plan to attract customers?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence! E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!
Does your Process lead to Progress?
Process is defined as a series of actions to achieve your desired result(s). Results are the name of the game, but how you get there is extremely important. Let’s look at 3 ways to build a better process:
1) Visualize
Process is a means to an end, so what is your target? Structure your process to reach your goals. Never lose sight of the big picture. Track progress based on your destination.
2) Value-Based
What are your top 3-5 core values? Your moral compass guides your decision making. Authentic choices come from doing what’s right, not what’s easiest. Stick close to who you are.
3) Vacate
We can only be great in a couple of areas. Figure out what’s important and purge the rest. Prioritize, delegate and drop what’s not important. A successful process is spending time on what matters.
Building a better process is about visualizing, being value-based and vacating excess baggage. Improving your process will result in making progress towards what’s important and valued!
Ready to build a better process?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence!
E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!
Musical Careers
What should you be looking for when it comes to finding the right career “fit”? Here are three suggestions for what to look for in a career:
1) Purpose
We all want to be part of a cause greater than ourselves. Identify a company’s mission statement. See if they are actively living it. Commit to an organization that is making a difference in the world.
2) Growth Opportunities
We all want to get better at what we do. Ask your employer what opportunities will there be to advance in the near future? Most people leave their job because they are bored. When it’s not a challenge anymore, it’s time to move on.
3) Autonomy
Look for companies that empower their workers. Autonomy is the freedom to accomplish goals by whatever means (style) is the most efficient for you. Autonomy is rooted in trust.
Does your current job possess these three traits? If not, it won’t be long before you start looking elsewhere!
Ready to find the right career for you?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence!
E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!
From Client to Coach
I understand my client’s struggles because I was a client before I became a coach. Today I wanted to share the Top 3 benefits I received from my coach:
1) Eliminate Blind Spots
Two brains work better than one. A coach can identify things you might have missed. It’s this additional perspective that enhances your performance and optimism.
2) Faster Pace
Coaching is about results. I like accomplishing my goals. Having a coach makes that process happen faster. Weekly goal setting and accountability increases efficiency and accuracy.
3) Confidence
The result of weekly goal achievement is increased self-confidence. Feeling confident makes you feel like you can conquer the world. Momentum, when on your side, can be your best friend.
As a former client, coaching has made such a profound impact on my life, I wanted to pursue it as a career. This passion has driven me to provide the same experience for my clients.
Ready to try Coaching for yourself?
Partner with Coach Scott to widen your perspective, accomplish goals faster & boost confidence! E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!
Relationship Action Plan
Have you ever wondered if there is a more effective way to network? In Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi’s explains how to build success one relationship at a time:
1) Develop Goals to Fulfill your Mission
Make sure there’s a purpose to the goals you set.
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
Make sure there’s a purpose to the goals you set.
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
2) Connect your Goals to People
Identify the people who can help you get there.
3) Strategize the Best Way to Reach People
Reach out to people who can make a difference in your life and the lives of others.
When our relationships are stronger, your business and career is more successful. No one gets ahead in this world without a lot of help. Who you know determines how effectively you can apply what you know. Start creating your Relationship Action Plan today!
Ready to Start Your Relationship Action Plan?
Partner with Coach Scott to achieve your career goals, boost self-confidence and work to your full potential!
Just e-mail Scott and he’ll take care of the rest!
Growing Forward 