Home-based businesses are the trend of the future. An increasing number of men and women are now opting to work at the comfort of their homes. Many of them are tired of office politics and being forced to give up their weekend for the good of the company. They are rediscovering the benefits of working at home. A home-based business is a great chance for many people, especially parents of growing kids, to strike a balance between career and family. An apparent advantage that a home-based business has over a traditional job is the freedom from the daily commute to office.
Moreover, technological innovations in the past decades have created an unprecedented environment for home-based businesses. Transactions are being made over the Internet everyday, with huge profits and hundreds of thousands of niches to be tapped into. Working from home is now viewed by many as their ticket to realizing their full potentials. The amount of money you could earn online is proportional to your own performance, without waiting for the boss to give you a raise or promotion. Whether your home-based business provides you with the sole means of support or just generates another income stream, its earning potential relies on your self-motivation and dedication to build momentum for it.
The financial benefits of working at home seem to be very attractive. However, starting a home-based business is not for everyone. If creating a successful home business is easy, everybody would be doing it. Before you jump at the chance of starting your business, ask yourself if you're willing to make the sacrifices to make your dream come true. To be more specific, ask yourself if you're the right type of person for a home-based business.
Having a home-based business means you're the boss. You're totally responsible for the success or failure of your own business. Are you able to work independently? Do you have the patience and perseverance with which you can overcome hardship and lead your business to full bloom? Are you excited about learning new things everyday? You need to equip yourself with necessary skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the competition. An important factor that determines the fate of any home-based business is consistent promotion. Do you have the drive to push yourself to make marketing plans and follow them on a daily basis? If your answers to these questions are positive, then congratulations and welcome on board.
I used to get negative comments from people when I shared with them my own business. They often labeled what I'm doing as a scam. The fear factor always holds people back and prevents them from starting a home-based business. They are so afraid of failure that they're reluctant to give it a try. To some extent, they envy those people who took action and have a home-based business. This is something they dream of but can't achieve. I'm sure you'll get derogatory remarks from time to time like I did. And my view is: follow your heart and do what’s interesting to you. You'll find a business that suits your needs because there are unlimited opportunities out there. Stay focused with whatever you're doing. Your success is the best revenge for their cutting words.
Why Work At Home? Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting A Home-Based Business
5 Questions to Discover The Perfect Home Based Business for YOU
Are you interested in starting your own home based business, but not sure where to begin? Why not start with yourself?
Here are a few steps you can take to determine what you really want to do. But first, have a pen and paper ready in front of you...
Done? Ok, here we go...
1) What Are Your Hobbies?
Write down all the things you love doing in your own free time. Don't hold anything back, because I'm not here to examine your answer. There is no right or wrong here, only the truth, only what you feel straight from your heart.
Why do this? The answer is because hobbies are a great source of motivation and energy for anyone. If you're willing to do something without being paid, you'd definately do it for money. The only difference is, money will only come second, as compared to the immediate satisfaction you get from doing what you love. Write everything on that pice of paper.
2) What Specialized Knowledge Do You Have?
In your current or past jobs, you would have accumulated a great deal of knowledge on a certain subject. Thanks to your boss, you may have become an expert at something. And this expertise, believe it or not, can help others around the world. Don't let this go to waste.
So write down any specialized knowledge you have. Write down any specialized skills you may have developed too, and it could be in sales, event organization, public relations, accounting, counselling, etc.
3) What Corner of The Book Store Do You Go to First?
When I heard someone ask me that, I was like "What? What has that got to do with anything?".
It has got to do with everything. Which corner of the bookstore you visit FIRST usually indicates which topics you love reading about. In a conversation with one of my team members a week ago, I asked him the same question, and his reply was "Well, Gobala, I never thought about it, but I actually go to the self-help section first, because I like reading about how I can improve myself to be a better human being."
Ditto. Your sub-concious actions may hold the answer to your problem. Now we're getting somewhere, so write YOUR favourite section down on that piece of paper.
4) What Did You Love Doing 5 Years Ago?
My life now is VERY different from what it was 5 years ago. How about yours? What did you love doing 5 years ago, but simply cannot find the time for it right now? Did you plan to start something new 5 years ago, but for some reason it never happened?
Our lives change all the time, but if there was something in your past that you're still passionate about, write it down now.
5) What Are You Naturally Good At?
To answer this question, you MUST ask your friends, not yourself. Whatever you already know about yourself is not going to help. Only things you never knew you were good at are going to open doors to your own home based business. So go ahead, call 10 of your best friends, and ask them "What do think I'm good at?"
Make a mental note, or write all their opinions down on your piece of paper. The key to getting this right is to NEVER question or argue about their opinion of you. Take the good with the bad, take it all. By the time you're done with number 10, I guarantee you'll start discovering things about you that you never knew you were good at.
I found out that I'm good at teaching. I also found out that I can explain things in a simple way, and that I have patience when dealing with others. Trust me, I never knew that before I asked. It's amazing what others know about you that you don't know yourself.
The Road Becomes Clearer
When you're done with your list of all the things you love, all the things you've become an expert at, and all the things you found out you're naturally good at, have a good look at it. Does your dream home business seem a little more clear now? Do you see the begiining of an exciting journey, instead of an intimidating one?
You now have many ideas on what type of home based business you can do, and all you have to do is choose. Choose the one that you're most excited about RIGHT NOW and are eager to start RIGHT NOW.
If you rushed through this article without the pen and paper, without taking notes and asking yourself these questions, then let me tell you the truth:
It takes YEARS to build a steady five or six figure income from your own home based business. You can't do it in months, no matter what anyone else out there may say. The only way you're going to get through the initial "make-or-break" years is if you're doing something close to your heart. Something that will seem like fun, not hard work.
Seek the truth, for the truth shall set you free, and show you where you want to go. If you don't know where you want to go, it's no secret that you'll never get there.
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5 questions to consider, before starting your home based business
For many people, having a home business would be something really attractive. To be your own boss, to not having to commute, to choose the working hours freely and to be able to plan the work-day entirely on your own.
If you are considering starting your own home based business, then you could start with thinking it through, by asking yourself some initial questions, such as:
1. If I'm going to keep my current job, at least as a starter, when will I find the time to build my home based business? How many hours each day can I put aside and use to my business endeavours? Can I work early in the morning or at the late evenings? Maybe at the weekends?
2. Do I have a suitable room or place for my home business? Can I work uninterrupted? And, would my neighbours also feel uninterrupted?
3. How much energy and determination am I willing to put into learning something new, if required? Even if the basic direction of my home based business is something that I already know of and master, then: How about the management of the home business itself? Should I delegate some or any chores, like the book-keeping?
4. Do I know how to market my home based business, in order to get people aware of that they can buy something from me? Should I use online- or offline marketing, or both maybe? How much money and or time do I need to put aside for marketing efforts alone? What is the most effective way for me to market my home business, within my particular economical frames? If I plan to do this myself, could I learn something that would make it easier and more effective?
5. And, last but not least, how about the money? How do I plan to finance the start? How much money is needed? Do I have most of the equipment already or do I have to buy or rent something? If I do need to buy equipment, then what does it cost?
This is a few questions to start with, that's very good to have the answers to, before starting up your own home based business. It would make your upstart smoother and safer, to have some answers for yourself, about the home business of yours to be.
You Can Find A Stay At Home Business That Suits You With Three Simple Questions
The ability to stay at home is increasing rapidly as new opportunities appear constantly with positions from sales representative opportunities to customer service and more. Finding the stay at home career that suits you can be as easy as asking yourself three simple questions. What do I truly enjoy doing? What amount of money or what is my budget for this business? What resources and tools do I have at hand that can be applied toward the business? Asking these three questions will allow you to narrow down which field or areas of home business would best suit your interests as well as your personal needs.
Job Enjoyment
If you do not enjoy the job field you are in, over time you will begin to regret your job choice. It will become displeasure to go to work each day. The dissatisfaction of your job will lead to a decline in attitude and personal happiness, which can affect your relationships with family and friends as well as co-workers. Your job performance will also lack due to this feeling of dissatisfaction. Allowing yourself to understand what areas of work or business you enjoy will allow you to enter a job position knowing that this is a career you can perform every day and it will not lead to total dissatisfaction. There are always days where we do not feel like going to work even if we are in a dream job, but an enjoyable position is a must for job longevity.
Business Budget and Income Levels
When entering into a home business you have to take the necessary time required to thoroughly study your budget and income needs. You need to have enough savings to live within the means required to pay your bills, purchase personal items such as food and any other needed items for a minimum of three months. This allows enough time for your business to become established and to provide a flow of income. You also have to understand the required amount of funds needed to begin your business. What is the cost of materials, advertising, web hosting and so on? You want to provide an adequate amount of funding for each area of your business thus allowing a sturdy base for your business to be built upon. The majority of home businesses fail within the first year often due to lack of budgeting.
Resources and Tools
You also have to take the time to consider what tools or resources that you may possibly already have on hand. Consider computers, Internet access and a home phone line. These items are generally already on hand and in use daily. With these three tools you can begin the home businesses building process.
Once you have the answer to each of these questions you will be able to make the most knowledgeable choice for your home business. This will allow you to begin your business by putting your best foot forward on solid ground. Taking the necessary time to prepare for your stay at home job will ensure that your business will thrive and succeed.
Home Business Questions We All Have
Are you thinking about a home business opportunity? Before you invest you need to remember, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is. It is important for you to do your own research. Here are some important questions to get answers for before investing.
You need to ask how much the start up costs is. You should research if these costs will be an on going expenditure. If they are, you need to find out what they entail and how much they are. These answers are very important especially if you are low on funds. Some businesses cost more to start then you may first think. You do need to remember that is cost money to make money.
Training and support issues need to be researched. You need to find out if there is training available that will help you with your own business. A good example of this would be an accounting course or an IRS tax class. If you have never had experience with either of these fields, you might want to consider additional education. If training and company leadership are good, your business will grow faster and success will be easier to achieve.
Are there rules for advertising and promotion? Many home business opportunities have rules and regulations regarding how and where you can advertise. Some cases may have strict limitations and others will let you do what you want. It is important that you know and understand any and all limitations. The more options you have for your business venture the easier it will be and more money you can make.
You should definitely research the realistic income potential. Some businesses have more earning potential than others. Before investing you time and money in any home business opportunity you need to realistically know how much you can expect to make. You will also need to know where your breakeven point is in any venture you are thinking about starting. Since the main reason for a home based business is income, it is important to research financial issues carefully.
The basis for any home business opportunity is the product or service. You will need to investigate what are the products involved in the business and if they are high quality. High quality products are more endurable and sell better than those of questionable quality. Another issue to consider is if the products are consumable. Consumable products offer more money since people will reorder and buy more. Non-consumable products can only be sold once, and then you will need to locate more customers.
Home business opportunities can give you the flexibility and earning potential that you won’t find in a regular full time job. You must, however, research the opportunities, regulations and products involved with each venture to know which the best and profitable business is.
All Time Favorite Questions For Business Opportunity Weblogs
A business opportunity weblog is a great reference to turn to when you have questions about starting or running a small business. These websites are designed with small businesses in mind, and are geared towards the self-owned and operated business professional. Run by individuals interested in the topic area, these websites provide a place to share experiences and ask questions – both for experienced owners and those interested in beginning their own business. Full of content and interesting advertisements, these sites can be a great asset.
A business opportunity weblog might have many different content areas, but a very popular aspect of these internet magazines is the question and answer segment. Here, people can write in with their questions and experts at the magazine or other individuals are able to provide feedback and ideas. There are some commonly asked questions that, if you happen to share this curiosity, might provide you with insight and the necessary information to begin your own business. Writing in can also provide you with answers to your questions specifically, and possibly many different points of view.
One of the most frequently asked questions on business opportunity weblogs concerns the legitimacy of small business opportunities. Though the better business bureau is an excellent source for information about bad business schemes, these industry websites can provide first-hand experience about what works and what doesn’t. When people try business models that work, they are likely to wrote in and share their experience, providing a resource for people looking to start a business. Likewise, people who experience difficulties or failures in their business are likely to share their experiences, and others can try to avoid similar pitfalls.
Business opportunity weblogs provide a great community for individuals to seek out support. As a small business owner, you may be your only employee. In this situation, it can get lonely and frustrating when there is no one with whom to talk and vent. A business opportunity weblog can provide an opportunity to share your experiences and find comradery with others who are also in the small business trenches. These magazines are also great places to network and obtain resources. Connections formed can be valuable sources of information, ideas, and support during trying times.
A business opportunity weblog can be a great resource for anyone involved with or considering a small business. Besides all of the advantages to your
business, you will find that these sites are fun and interesting to visit, with ample ideas to spice up your business. If you feel any frustration or boredom in you business, check out a business opportunity weblog. These sites are great resources, and can make a great impact on your business.
10 Questions To Consider When Growing Your Business
Here's a provocation for the coming year, decade, century or millennium.
By now, you've set a working direction for the year, established clear-cut objectives. Your first-iteration plan to reach them should be in place. This now seems like an ideal time to rethink the whole thing, doesn't it? After all, one of the effects of internet time is that plans are subject to change just as soon as - or perhaps even before - they are written.
Along these lines of thinking, perhaps there are some items you missed. Maybe there are issues you didn't have time to consider, or even things your mind touched on, but quickly passed over to deal with more urgent and pressing events. If you are off-cycle, and on the verge of a new period, you can use this exercise ex ante, rather than ex post. To help you stimulate your neural pathways and hopefully create an idea or two, I offer the following thoughts for your consideration. These "considerations" are not sequenced in order of importance. I think they are important.
1. How far in the distance is your planning horizon? Most companies today plan 12-24 months out, calling anything beyond that "vision." Internet time implies a shortened time frame for activities, but does that time-collapse extend to a shortened vision as well? How much have you thought about what you will accomplish this decade? What will be your company's impact on the millennium? (OK - perhaps millennium is too far out. What about the century?) You may say you have more pressing fish to fry. Your investors would like to see increased returns sooner than that. While this might be true enough, taking the long view can inform the short view, leading to greater returns for years to come. What do you see when you take the long view?
2. How are your prospects' needs going to change? How is their world affected by the dramatic increases in connectivity and the compression of time? What are you doing to understand their changing environment - their changing business issues? What are you doing to improve your customer's business under these slippery conditions? To take it one step further, what do your customers' customers want? While you are at it, you might stop to consider how your suppliers' needs are changing? Could those changes open up new opportunities for you, or darkly portend changes downstream totally derailing your business model? What about your distributors? Is their world shifting? Can you both benefit?
3. Who in your organization simply isn't contributing? As they say, your mileage may vary from individual to individual but everyone has the responsibility to go some distance, to make something valuable happen. Not everyone will make good on that implied promise. The often observed 80-20 rule applies to your staff as well: 20% of your people will produce 80% of the value.
That leaves 80% producing only 20%. Do the math: the bottom 10% of your organization produces almost nothing.
Who isn't making the cut? Should you be doing something about it? You may think it beneficent to provide that bottom percent with a paying job - don't. It isn't. The non-performers know who they are, but they won't cut the cord on their own. Do what you can to help them reach the bar, but if after a while they don't make it, set them free to find an environment in which they can succeed. Free up your own resources for people who make a difference.
4. Are you creating solutions to today's problems? What about next week's, next year's, or the problems of several years from now? How are you figuring out what those problems are going to be, way out there on the time horizon? Because the solution you sell today should certainly address today's problems, but the solutions on today's drawing board better not. Who in your organization is responsible for trend-tracking and forecasting?
Are you building scenarios for the future? What about prospect focus groups, or some other market-based feedback mechanism? Who is your resident futurist?
5. What do you believe about the business you are in? For most people this is a strange question - we rarely spend time thinking about our own beliefs. The collection of beliefs you hold about your business - what the Germans call Weltanschauung - is decisive in most of the choices you make. How much risk to take. What's risky and what isn't. What projects and initiatives to undertake. What kind of resources you need and whom to hire.
Whom to partner with, or should you have partners at all?
Cooperate or compete. How to treat your team. What your customers should expect from you. How hard do you expect people to work?
All these decisions stem from your beliefs, and it will help you to make them explicit. Once you surface those beliefs, you can start to distinguish which are useful beliefs and which are not.
What is the benefit of a particular belief? Is this belief relevant to your current world, or is it a holdover from some past part of life? Then, when you are ready, you can experiment with new beliefs.
6. What are the obstacles to proceeding along your current path? Yes - you've set a plan in motion, and you are taking steps toward its achievement. But what roadblocks may rise up to stop you? What things could get in your way - foreseen and unforeseen? (I know, if it's unforeseen how are you going to see it? Use your imagination, that's the point of this exercise.)
Rank these obstacles in terms of likelihood, then rank them in terms of severity. Consider how you might deal with them if they come up. The value of this is a) like the Boy Scouts, you are better prepared; b) you may illuminate issues you have been trying to sweep under the rug; and c) you just may invent a whole new approach to get where you are going, and it just might be better than what you are doing now.
7. What, if you only knew how, would you be doing? What would you do now if you had additional resources - and should the lack of resources be stopping you? What, if you were sure it would be successful, would you jump on right away? What would you begin immediately, if your resources were limitless? (Yes, limitless can be relative.) What are you betting the future of your company on? What would you be willing to bet the future of your company on?
8. What are the most important issues, right now? Make separate lists for issues in your market and issues in your company.
Which of these issues are you dealing with, which ones are on the backburner, and which ones aren't even in the kitchen? What are the processes you use to deal with these issues? Which issues are you ignoring, or hoping will go away?
What breakthroughs might be possible by addressing or resolving issues in the latter category? Where are you "resolving" issues by compromising? What possibilities are available by refusing to compromise, or by breaking your compromises? What old stories or old ways of looking at things make these compromises seem inevitable? Where could new technologies (either material, virtual, or societal) be applied to break these compromises?
9. What are you sacrificing to accomplish your current objectives? The definition of sacrifice is giving up something of value for something of even greater value. Did you intend to give up that thing of value, or is it a thoughtless byproduct of your other choices? Do not dismiss this lightly.
In your business there are a number of priority-conflicting critical success factors. These include profitability, product development, new sales, customer satisfaction, recruiting and retention, revenue growth, sufficient capital - which one gets the most attention? And in this operating cycle - will each area get the attention it needs? Even in a lower position of priority, these areas cannot be neglected. What isn't getting done that needs to be done and how are you going to do it?
10. What is the purpose of your organization? I don't just mean increasing shareholder wealth that simply won't inspire your people to greatness. What besides that - a given - is the purpose of your company. Purpose is not something you invent, it is there already - you have to uncover it. Why do you come to work each day? What do you hope to accomplish in the long run?
What about your executive team? Your individual employees - why do they come? What do they think they are doing each day? Do you know? Have you bothered to find out? You've just completed a planning cycle, and I'm asking what your purpose is! If you can't answer this question easily, now would be a great time to start.
Bonus question for consideration: Are there any questions I've listed above that you do not have easy answers to, but wish you did?
Every so often I do an exercise called the "One-Hundred Questions." Download a copy of a recent 100 questions at http://www.paullemberg.com/tipsandtools.html, along with how to use this simple thought-provoker.
(c) Copyright Paul Lemberg. All rights reserved
Are You Ready To Start Your Own Business? The 4 Key Questions You Must Ask
Every year millions of people answer "Yes" to that question and every year that answer costs many of them money, time, confidence, and heartbreak. The Small Business Administration estimates there are 580,900 new small businesses opening each year and that number does not include the small one-person entrepreneurships that pop up every day. However even if you are your business's sole employee then there is still something to be learned from the SBA's numbers.
According to the SBA, two-thirds of new businesses survive at least two years and 44 percent survive at least four years. Two of the key factors in the businesses survival and ability to thrive: the owner's education level and the owner's reason for starting the firm in the first place.
How can you make sure that you are among the winners rather than the losers in this high stakes game? The answer is inside of you. You must ask yourself four key questions to determine whether your own small business will survive and thrive.
1. Are You Ready
Have you mentally prepared yourself for the switch from employee (or student or whatever label fits you currently) to boss. You are going to be the one making decisions now about everything from office products to product line. This total control is one of the driving forces behind many people who take the plunge into starting their ownbusiness but it is also one of the elements that drives new entreprenurs crazy. When you start out there is an endless list of decisions that need to be made and new questions crop up every day.
Even more important you will need to remember that in a small business you will wear many hats. Even if you manage to start out with one or more employees you will each fulfill more than one role in your new business. And if you are running a one-man or one-woman show then you serve in every capacity from file clerk to maintenance crew to salesman to CEO. Can you handle switching from task to task and role to role like that? Are you willing to make those switches?
Similarly, have you prepared your family and friends for this switch in attitude. Your life is going to change -- probably pretty drastically -- and that change can have a positive or negative impact on your family life and social interactions. It will make things much easier if your friends and family are supportive going into the process.
2. Where Is Your Niche?
Have you identified your niche yet? One of the reasons many businesses fail is that they fail to focus on a target audience. Yes if you are a major discount chain then you can sell everything from peanuts to wallpaper but this type of business requires vast resources that just aren't available to the small business. But small businesses dominate the marketplace (creating more than 50 percent of the private gross domestic product last year) by finding a different approach -- a niche.
Knowing your niche means you are better able to find, target, and maintain your customers as well as provide the best possible goods and services to that customer base. That focus is one of your best chances to not only survive but to thrive in a very competitive marketplace.
3. What Is Your Plan Of Action?
Another key factor in the survival and ultimate success of your business is how much planning you do before you open your electronic or physical doors. You need to decide if your business will be based on the internet or include more traditional models. Are you going to work full-time or part-time at your new business? Are you going to hire help or go solo? Have you written (or at least outlined) your business plan? Dreaming, thinking and planning can save you much trouble and waste later when things are hectic and problems strike. Planning can also help keep you focused and to balance your spending and time.
4. Who Are You Going To Call?
At some point, no matter how experienced a business person you are, you will need help. You will need support, advice, tools, or information -- or all of the above. One of the beautiful, and most frightening, aspects of growth is that it can lead you to places you never imagined. No matter how much planning and experience you bring to your new position as CEO the unexpected will arise. How will you cope with this? It is important to recognize that no business is an island. It is not failure to seek help. Failure is when your business shuts down because you didn't get the help you needed.
The best way to get timely help is to work on your support system while you work on building your business. That way you will already have a ready list of resources available that you can quickly tap into when emergencies strike. In today's world there are many marvelous resources available to you no matter what your business model may be. These include:
~ Publications (newsletters, magazines, books)
~ People (professional advisors, mentors, teachers, consultants)
~ Networks (organizations and forums in your niche as well as general business and marketing)
~ Education and training (tutorials, courses, and seminars)
After you have answered these four key questions you are now ready to ask yourself that one big question again -- are you ready to start your own business?
Business Crunch Questions
Good questions can elicit good, thoughtful and inspired answers. Bad questions have a tendency to generate bad answers. The issue is to be able to select the right questions at the right time.
This is a possible list of questions that may precipitate a further analysis of a series of serious issues and often challenge a series of assumptions, an unsure foundation upon which a huge business may have been built.
These questions may be used by the business owner or a business advisor. Several questions can be selected and act as the starting point for an exploratory discussion about the business. However, it is important to think carefully about what the answers actually imply for the business.
Strategy questions?
What business are you in?
Where is the money made?
How do you stand competitively in the market?
Is your industry good?
What do you need to do to make a difference?
How does one raise profits quickly?
What gets kept?
What is discarded?
Marketing questions?
Who are the target customers and clients?
Why do people buy?
Do we have any benefits?
Who are our questions?
Are customers staying or leaving?
Why are they leaving?
This theory can be applied to other areas of business such as financial, leadership or even oneself but the list is far too exhaustive to explore in detail here as it covers the whole spectrum, which as one can imagine has taken up millions of volumes over many centuries.
Food for thought crunch questions
Brand it
You cannot not communicate your brand. Everything about business communicates something. Thus it has to be asked what one is communicating.
Brand oneself that is treat yourself as a business treats its brand. Create a strategy for communicating what it is that you represent. What is your unique selling proposition?
Sort it
Don’t procrastinate. Sometimes it is better to make a decision and look at the results rather than make no decision at all.
Maintain it
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Get your customer’s permission to sell to them
Customers who have given permission to sell them are ten times more likely to spend money with you.
People love to buy from people but they hate to be sold at.
Seduce customers to do business with you but don’t treat them as though they are stupid.
Establish key indicators
If you don’t know where you’re going then any road will do. What are you trying to achieve and will hitting your performance measures enable you to achieve your goals?
Remove self-limiting beliefs
What limits have you set for yourself subconsciously? You are what you believe. How do you limit yourself?
Summarising there are many other facets of questions that can be levied but again we are limited as they encompass the entire spectrum of business and personal analysis but it is always worth asking searching and creative questions whatever the field as they are what uncover the necessary answers to progress. Often people do not ask these questions as they are too busy working in their business and not on it.
Big Questions That Could Change Your Business
How does your business perform in these areas?
Effecitve Meeetings
What if people:
* Called a meeting only when they had a specific goal supported by a detailed agenda?
* Checked with the key participants to help them prepare for the meeting?
* Involved all of the participants in the work during a meeting?
* Obtained results with a team process based on consensus?
* Took responsibility for implementing the decisions made in a meeting?
> Could this help your business become more profitable?
Business communication:
What if people:
* Helped others express their ideas during a conversation?
* Created a safe environment that facilitated clear thinking and free expression?
* Treated each other with respect in their conversations?
* Listened carefully and completely to what the other person was saying?
* Let others be the star in their conversations?
> Could this help your work proceed more efficiently?
Business presentations
What if people:
* Understood the goal for a presentation before preparing for it?
* Spoke with key people in the audience to learn about what they hoped to gain from the presentation?
* Rehearsed what they planned to say with a clock (to make sure that they finished on time)?
* Spoke about the audience and their needs instead of about themselves?
* Delivered compelling presentations that informed and inspired others?
> Could these leaders be more influencial?
Personality styles
What if people:
* Could recognize how others preferred to think, work, and communicate?
* Knew their own strengths and how to apply them for maximize benefit?
* Knew their weaknesses and how to manage them?
* Were able to work together in harmony?
* Could earn trust and respect from each other?
> Could this help people get along with each other?