Posted on 29 April 2012. Tags: apple tree, bright sun, Gardening, Information
It was this morning when I walked through my garden that it suddenly struck me: network marketing resembles gardening. I guess this sounds odd in a way, therefore let me explore a bit:
Let’s say you have lived in a flat up till now and you finally fancy buying a house as you have acquired a taste for healthy and organic food and you want to grow it yourself. So you buy a house with a nice piece of land around it. Now the challenge arises - how will you go about it? Will you start digging around planting all sorts of things as they come along, like planting an apple tree and next to it in the shade sunflowers and perhaps cabbages? And as a nice contrast put rhododendron in the bright sun in a gravel area. Well, anyone only slightly conversant with gardening will know that sunflowers want bright sun and vegetables need their own space and rhododendron need a semi shaded place with deep mossy soil whereas a gravel area might do nicely for a cherry tree, plums and the like.
Very much the same thing often happens with network marketing – people who first have never run their own business get started in it, then they do the first thing that comes to their mind or that might be suggested to them by so-called sponsors who have never done anything but repeated hear-say themselves proclaiming it as expert knowledge. What makes thing more weird, they will even enter the internet and watch what they see and start spamming their information around only to find after a while that they lost friends, a lot of money but have got nowhere.
What would be the most obvious thing to do in both cases:
First, start digging for information, for people who obviously have knowledge which they can also show up – for gardening either by owning or having owned a garden, preferably with similar characteristics and in a similar climate. Why do I emphasise the similarities – well someone who is used to gardening in a cool climate up in the mountains will have to follow different rules than someone who is in a hot climate at sea level. The difference will not only have an impact on the choice of plants, but also on how they need to be handled.
This again also applies for network marketing. If you have the set goal to become successful in this industry you need to find people who, as Michael Dloughy puts it, have been in this industry for a long while, use a duplicable system, have success to show up and who are successful NOW! In the industry of network marketing this “being successful now” is a very critical point - the world has changed to such an extent that experience gained 10 or more years back will to a large extent be outdated today in a time where using the internet has become a vital business factor. Continue Reading
Posted in Network Marketing
Posted on 25 April 2012. Tags: Business, information technology management, Management, recruitment decisions
Given the current economic climate, businesses need to maximize returns from all their assets and investments. It’s common for business managers to focus much of their attention on staffing levels, inventory, energy costs and other means of improving cash flow. In this article, I will give an overview of a simple but effective means of conducting an IT position audit.
An audit of your I.T. resources can be informal and conducted in-house depending on the skills available within your organisation. A more formal audit can be outsourced to specialist consultancy firms. This option is preferable in the following situations.
- Recurring IT expenditure represents a significant portion of the business budget.
- Significant project is due to be undertaken in the short to medium term.
- The business does not have a formal IT strategy or does not employ senior IT professionals.
- Suspected deficiencies in the Company’s internal control systems.
The objectives of the IT resource audit need to be clearly identified when the audit is being planned. The efficiency of the audit will be improved if stakeholders are consulted from the outset e.g. senior management, any existing internal audit team and external auditors. The agreed objectives will determine the work required in the following six areas.
1. Strategy
Is there evidence of a comprehensive documented company-wide IT strategy? Is IT represented at board and senior management level?
Have major IT expenditure items and recruitment decisions been in accordance with the IT strategy? Do the minutes of meetings record a consistent approach to IT in the decisions reached Board and other members of senior management?
2. Policies and Procedures
Are there documents that set out the fundamental policies and procedures in relation to IT? Are these being followed by and enforced by the IT department? Does sufficient induction and education take place within the business? Are there regular tests to ensure compliance with access rights, appropriate usage and security. Is there evidence of corrective action where breaches occur?
3. People
Are there appropriate job and people specifications for IT staff at all levels? Is there evidence that these were adopted in the recruitment and selection process? Do regular performance reviews occur? Do IT staff possess adequate skills to support the business into the future? Do IT staff undertake continuing professional development relevant to the needs of the business? Does the business have quality outsource partners to provide ad hoc, specific project or urgent cover? Continue Reading
Posted in Management
Posted on 23 April 2012. Tags: global business network, home business owners, opportunity, support
Boards of Trade along with Chambers of commerce are those organizations with local, regional, national, international and bilateral representation or Chambers, forming a global business network, which their primary goal is to improve the business climate in a locality. Hence, the local Chamber of Commerce can help you grow your own small business.
From business cards to common projects and a broad range of services, the Chamber of Commerce is a good opportunity to promote your business. There is a misconception regarding these organizations, which prevents many home business owners from joining, because typically it is believed that only mid-size and large companies can become members.
Small businesses can join their local Chamber of Commerce to prosper quickly, promoting each other and working together toward common goals. Business cards are the best way to show that you belong to the Chamber, which aids in improving your opportunities to close deals easily.
Your Chamber of Commerce may bring you many other associated benefits and the opportunity to attend events with other small businesses where you will be able to set up a booth to promote your products or services, as well as exchange your business cards with visitors and other businesses.
Furthermore, as a member of the local Chamber, you can qualify for low cost health and business insurance, and have access to the small business consultant’s office, where mentors can help you develop your own strategies, and over time, you can become a mentor yourself.
Through your local Chamber of Commerce, you can be referred to other Chamber members. You need to make sure there are enough business cards in your pocket when you meet them at events such as lunchtime sales or parties featuring new products or services for local small business’ owners. Continue Reading
Posted in Small Business
