Big Words start conversations and open doors to new places.
Author: anwaryusef
Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath.
Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics.
Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.
Two of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Repeat customers are the lifeblood of all businesses, and it’s critical to understand to have your customers return to your establishment time and again. The following contributed post is thus entitled, The Curse Of The One-Time Customer.
* * *
Repeat customers are crucial in business. They’re the most profitable customers you could hope for. They’re also most likely to promote you through word of mouth. If sites like www.bizjournals.com are anything to go by, customers who have been with you before are also liable to spend more.
Sadly, this isn’t a goal every business manages. In the starting stages especially, it isn’t unusual for sales to be a one-time thing. This is disheartening as it means continuing to spend a fortune on marketing at a time when every penny counts. But, this vicious cycle needn’t become your business reality. In truth, a trend in one-time buyers is often due to a few rookie mistakes. To ensure you don’t make them, we’re going to look at what they are, and how you can avoid them.
Too little follow up
Following up sales is crucial. At the very least, it helps you to collect reviews which show what you do right, and what you do wrong. From a repeat-custom standpoint, it’s also a fantastic way to remind customers you exist. Those first few customers might be a massive part of your business journey, but you’re just another company. The chances are that your shop was far from the only one they bought from that day. If you aren’t careful, then, you could fall off their radar even if they like what they got. By sending a review email, you nudge them into thinking about you again. All without having to outwardly advertise to them at all. With a bit of luck, that alone will get them back on your website looking for more.
In the same breath, too much follow up from a company is sure to be off-putting. As a rule, one email should be enough to cover you here. If you send more than that, you’re soon going to become a nuisance. Note, too, that even companies who only intend to send one email can often end up sending more. That’s because they haven’t dealt with a little something called data management. If your customer information is all over the place, customers may end up on more email lists than they should. This could result in a bombardment which ensures they never buy from you again. Don’t let it happen. Learn to manage customer data with the help of companies like profisee.com. That way, you can automate one follow up email and rest easy that it’s the only one which lands in your customer’s inboxes.
A stagnant business model
If a customer buys a product from you, there’s little chance that they’ll want to buy that same product again. At least, in the majority of cases. That’s why a business model which stagnates is never going to get people coming back. Instead, you need to think all the time about where to take your business next. The more developments you offer, the more opportunity there’ll be for repeat custom and increased success in the long-run.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Your business concept/idea is important but your business space is as well. The following contributed post discusses important considerations for your business space and is entitled, Think Strategically About Remodeling Your Business Space.
Choosing to remodel the building or space where your business is based is on the plus side exciting, on the other hand, it can be quite an overwhelming task to behold. Unless you work in construction or have experience in the trade, knowing where to begin, what to do and how much it’s all going to cost may leave you feeling baffled. To remodel your business space with confidence, take on board the below tips to think strategically when creating a plan of action to give your business space remodeling some much-needed structure.
Purpose Of Remodelling
Before you begin brainstorming ideas of what you would like to change in your business space, it’s firstly necessary to consider why you want the remodeling to take place. In doing so, you will have a purpose and an end goal to work towards. The leading causes owners tend to remodel are mainly due to the following;
• To take responsibility for repairs and replace old electric and pipe systems • To adhere to health and safety regulations • To add personality to your office in line with your brand • To entice clients to your business • To update or refresh tired, shabby decor • To change the design of the office, e.g. to open plan • To generate new departments as the company functions and processes change • To improve employee productivity at work by creating an aesthetically pleasing environment • To launch a new business image
The purpose you choose for changing your business space might include a few of the above. If so, note each point down and refer to this during the remodeling process to ensure you don’t deviate from the objective.
Budget-Friendly Ideas And Next Steps
With the aim confirmed, it’s now time to brainstorm ideas and solutions to meet this goal. This will be directly linked to your chosen purpose(s). For instance, if it’s a new office image to represent a new brand you seek, with an open office plan space and an environment that increases productivity for you and your employees, your ideas will be linked with this objective in mind. This could mean;
Idea – Knocking down any existing walls within the business space, bar toilet, and staff rooms.
Next Steps – Checking whether there are any load bearing walls or walls that have electrical wires and pipes running through. To obtain quotes from a few handymen to assess the work.
Idea – To replace the existing flooring for durable, hard-wearing, modern flooring, such as concrete.
Next Steps – This is a task that would logically take place after knocking the walls down. You would need a professional such as a concrete contractor, R&M concrete to assess whether the flooring you require is possible in your building and a quote for how much it will cost.
The remodelling plans for your business space should be thought through to assess if the work is both practically possible and affordable. If for instance, the ideas you devise are not cost-effective regarding the budget you have, you will need to think of alternative approaches to reach your objective. Solutions to this could be, choosing to remodel at a later date when you have the funds to put your ideas into action or applying for a business loan to put your plan into motion sooner.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Running a business isn’t all about making money in some instances. In some cases it’s important to consider how to better the community that your business is based in. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How to Use Your Business Acumen To Help a Community.
* * *
When it comes to running a business, you feel pretty confident about your abilities. You have several successful projects under your belt so far and you’re ready to add even more to your list. You take running your business extremely seriously, so when you think about a company that could genuinely help other people it makes you pretty excited. You want to use your business knowledge and acumen to help a community and create a truly worthwhile venture for once. Instead of being in it for the money, you’re ready to find new ways to make people in your community feel wanted and included.
Build a New Community Centre
One of the first ways in which you can make a difference in your local area, is by building a brand new community centre or church. Perhaps your village was involved in a natural disaster or the pride and joy of the town was destroyed by vandalism. This is the perfect opportunity to contact a church construction company, Daniels Construction and start a brand new project. Even if there is already a building in place, you can expand and reconstruct the current one in whatever way you wish. No matter what type of budget or time scale you are working to, you know you will be able to get the job done with a team of professionals on hand at all times.
Now that your new commercial building project is underway, you might be able to start thinking about how you can give back. Why not start up a church group and invite the homeless to meet new people a couple of times a week? There are so many ways that you can give back to the people who are less fortunate than you. A soup kitchen or a career support group is also an excellent idea for your new community centre.
Give Troubles Youths a Chance
If you live in an area where you know there are a whole load of troubled teens, then you might just be able to help them out in life. Offer to give those troubled teens a little responsibility, which will allow some structure in their life. Whether they’re helping to make coffee in the church or cleaning up after an event, their parents will be grateful for you reaching out to those who are truly in need of a helping hand.
So if you have been doing some soul searching recently it’s time to start considering all of your options. Nowadays it can be very tricky to start up a business venture that is really going to have a positive impact on the people around you. Whether you’re building a new community church or you’re trying to volunteer locally, there are so many big ways that you can make a difference in your area. Being a business owner isn’t just about earning respect and making money; it’s about helping the people around you and understanding the importance of giving back.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital world, all businesses don’t have to be run in a traditional sense within a ‘bricks and mortar’ setting. Much of business is now carried out online via E Commerce. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Take Your Business In An Unexpected Direction.
Pretty much every small start up nowadays is being established online. There’s a good reason that many small business owners are taking to the realm of E Commerce to sell their products to the consumer market. When it comes down to it, E Commerce is a lot cheaper to set up than a brick and mortar store. You don’t have to worry about forking out for a commercial property or commercial property rent. You can also wave goodbye to commercial energy bills to keep the place up and running. You don’t have to furnish this space or pay for merchandisers to arrange your products in an appealing manner. There’s no pressure to take on security staff or pay for security equipment. Instead, you can simply collaborate with a freelance web designer on the one-off project of creating your website. E Commerce also provides low levels of commitment. By avoiding commercial property, you don’t sign up to rent a space for a given period of time, meaning you can back out of your venture at any point if things get a bit too difficult or if things just really don’t work out – there really won’t be all too much loss involved. So, we would generally recommend taking this approach if you are operating a small business or planning on operating a small business. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that with the ease of E Commerce has come an influx of small businesses establishing themselves. It seems like every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to try their hand at becoming the next entrepreneur. The market is becoming increasingly saturated and you’re going to have to take bold steps to ensure that your company manages to stand above the rest. This could require a little thinking outside of the box. But how can you achieve this? Well, let’s take a moment to look into the matter further!
The Problem With Saturated Markets
So many small business owners make the mistake of assuming that all companies will have to take some sort of sales in a saturated market. There are so many consumers out there that at least a portion will naturally fall into your path and choose to spend their money with you, right? Well, this isn’t actually the case. When you are operating in a saturated market, you’re bound to face a whole host of problems at some point or another. Saturated markets create stiff competition and the majority will start to pull illogical business moves in order to try to stand out from the crowd – they will significantly reduce the prices of their goods to lure customers towards their company. Sure, this might work. Customers will go where prices are lowest. But by undercutting competition, these small businesses devalue their own goods and significantly reduce their own profit margins. You don’t want to get roped into using the same tactics and devaluing your own goods. However, if you are offering the same thing, you’re going to have to! There is an answer to all of this though. You just need to take your business in an unexpected direction and offer something different! Offer something that nobody else is offering. Even if the difference between your product and other products out there is relatively small, it’s much better than offering the exact same thing as somebody else. Even the slightest difference in your goods could draw people towards you, helping you to make sales and generate more of a profit.
Coming Up with Something Innovative
When you have something that is completely innovative and that hasn’t been seen before, you are going to find swaying buyers your way to be a lot easier. Your product will exist in its own right and people won’t really be able to compare it to other options on the market. But how do you come up with something innovative? Well, we’re afraid that this is purely down to you. You’re going to have to get your thinking cap on! The good news is that there are a few steps that you can take to steer yourself in the right direction.
Identify a Gap in the Market
The first step that you should take on your journey to creating something completely new is to identify a gap in the market. Take a look at what’s already out there and actively seek out a space where you could offer something different.
Offer a Service
Small business owners tend to focus more on products than services. So, why not consider providing a service instead of something tangible that can be packaged up in a box and placed on store shelves? While the market for services still has a lot of competition, there tends to be less of it than in the market for goods. Still try to be innovative. Look at how a service for off highway powertrain has taken off. This might have been something that you would never have thought of yourself, but it takes thinking up something like this to experience success!
Differentiating Your Product
Remember that your offerings don’t have to be an entirely new invention or the most astounding idea ever. They just need to tweak existing designs and items to make them slightly more appealing than current options. If your product is similar to other products on the market, people are likely to opt for whichever is cheapest. However, by differentiating you are giving them alternative choice and they may deem that whatever small addition you are offering is worth paying a little extra for! You may need to really focus on whatever differences you make through advertising and marketing. Really laying emphasis on a slight difference of features can make consumers really focus on it too!
Conducting Market Research
There’s a good chance that you’ve already carried out a little market research at some point in your business journey. This isn’t all too surprising. After all, market research is a business basic and is particularly beneficial for newly emerging businesses. It is a process that allows you to see current market trends, scope out your competition, and to come up with a competitive pricing plan that will encourage customers to shop with you without eating into your profits. However, it is important to remember that you should continue to carry market research out as your brand develops and grows. If you are deciding to take your business in a new direction, you really do need to make sure that there is a market for the innovative idea that you’ve come up with. Sure, making a slight difference to an existing product can help your product to stand out and can make consumers take a second look at what you’re offering. But things could just as easily sway in the opposite direction and a minor change could put customers off and make them step away from your brand. So, conducting fresh market research into any change you make to your products will help you to work out whether your demographic is showing sufficient levels of interest in these changed products in order to buy the final result from you. Take the time to determine how your new and unexpected take will fare in the current marketplace. It really is more than worth the time and effort invested into the process!
Patenting and Copyrighting
Once you’ve come up with something innovative, you need to be prepared for the fact that others out there are going to try to mimic you. This is an inevitability. The good news is that you can hinder their efforts to take your hard work and profit from it themselves. You simply need to protect your intellectual property through patenting or copyrighting. These are legal means of protecting your ideas. A patent ensures that you are the only person who can produce and profit from the product you have created for a set period of time. This gives you the opportunity to become a market leader and generate a significant amount of profit before others can try their hand at selling your idea. Copyrighting is a means of ensuring that other people can’t copy your ideas. If they do, a cease and desist letter can be sent out to them. If they fail to cease and desist, they can face serious legal action!
Constantly Moving Forward
Once you have managed to complete this entire process, avoid being complacent. No matter how innovative your product may initially be and despite your best efforts to copyright and protect your ideas, others are eventually going to catch up. You need to always stay one step ahead of the game in order to ensure that you continue to stand out from the crowd rather than being swallowed up by it.
As you can see, you really do need to take your company in a new and unexpected directions in order to experience success and generate significant profits. Hopefully, the above information will help you to achieve this!
Three key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship, and Technology. If you’re in business, it’s important to know the best technologies to use for your business and purposes. The following contributed post is thus entitled, The Highest Tech For The Best Business.
* * *
Technology is something a business swears by, and if you can’t say this for your business, then you definitely aren’t doing things how you should be doing them. But sometimes we aren’t using the best technology, but you just don’t know what potential is out there! So, if you want to know what the highest tech out there is at the minute, and how it can easily better your business, we’ve got a few tips coming your way. There is a whole world of technology being designed out there, all feeding off information that clients such as yourself provide. The companies developing them adapt and learn, until they get to the stage where they’re at the top of their field. So, keep on reading, and hopefully by the end of this you will have at least one piece of technology that you can look into further, and hopefully use within your business.
Every business uses communication systems, and some use them in ways that others don’t. It all depends on the line of work that your business is in, and how you might need to use said technology. But we have to admit, some companies are just completely stuck in the stone ages when it comes to technology and their communication systems. For example, you can now get state of the art gps antenna systems that will allow you to see and therefore communicate with clients, unknown people, and whatever else you might need to find in your line of work. But there are some shoddy antenna systems that will barely pick up anything at all. The same goes for things like your IT serves, which is a different type of communication system in that they will be talking to other components of software to ensure your business is running properly. If you were going to go for a server, you should definitely go for a professionally managed one so that you don’t bear the brunt of a bad server.
Office Essentials
Now to the things that you might use more and more on a daily basis, and one thing we definitely thing you should utilise is software to help you with the day to day running of your business. It really has become an office essential to have software, such as ones that help you run payroll. It’s a long task to do such a thing, but it can be made so much easier with the aid of software. So, sit and have a think about all of the things that you find hard to do in a day, and then have a quick Google search and see if there is software that can really help you with it.
Tech That Will Push For Growth
Now isn’t this something that will have got your ears up. Growth is the number one goal of a business, and it’s best done by using software that allows you to monitor your sales patterns, rather than you trying to work it all out manually. It becomes an easy process to figure out what it is that your business needs, and where the sales might be going wrong.
A key focus of my blog is Career Discussions. While some people are motivated by money, others are motivated by sincerely helping others. What are some careers that can will allow you to do this? The following contributed post is entitled, Careers to Pursue If You Want to Help Others.
All of us are motivated by different things when it comes to work. Some of us want jobs that bring a huge salary home. Some of us want authority positions where we are respected. Some of us want a role that is flexible around our home life and other commitments. However, if you’re a compassionate and empathetic individual, you may find the most fulfilment in a role that allows you to actively help others. Here a few for you to take into consideration.
Medicine
The first jobs that tend to spring to mind when we consider careers that help people are medical positions. Doctors, nurses, and other professionals in the field all work hard every day to save the lives and improve the health of the people who approach them. Any medical position will take a whole lot of education and training before you will be put to work. But this will be an exciting and insightful journey and by the time you are done, you’ll have specialised and will be competent in the area you are focusing on.
Politics
Politics tends to be a point of contention in any context. Many people avoid talking about it in order to avoid offending others with their personal viewpoints. After all, we all have a different opinion in regards to how the country should be run and how people should be treated. However, when it comes down to it, someone has to remove themselves from the fence and make some serious decisions that pave the lives of the majority. People need to be protected and someone has to stand up for their rights! If this sounds like something you’d be interested in taking the reigns of, you could consider a career in politics. This will be intense. You will be actively involved in shaping laws and policies and representing the people. Like Mayor Vauss, you could make decisions that significantly and positively impact the lives of the people in your constituency.
Counseling
Most people tend to go through a lot in their personal lives at some point or another and they may feel that they need to reach out to someone. Whether this is to vent, cry, or gain some advice, they can generally reach out to counselors. They may be based on helplines, in support groups, or you might be able to contact them in other ways. So, why not become a counselor? There are paid positions and voluntary positions within this field, but if you’re considering doing it for money, keep an eye out for paid positions. You will generally receive training before starting the work to ensure you feel completely comfortable in your role and can cope with the pressure!
These are just a few different positions that you might want to consider if you really do want to dedicate your career to helping others in the world. There are plenty more out there, but hopefully this can work as a springboard for you to progress from!
A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. Chronic pain can really take a toll on your life and affect your overall happiness. Once you have it, managing it becomes key to functioning properly everyday. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How To Relieve Your Chronic Pain – Easy Ways.
* * *
When you’re a sufferer of chronic pain, it’s likely that you’re always trying to find new ways of relieving the pain. Whether you’ve injured yourself and as a result, you’re in pain, or you’ve got a condition that causes the extreme pain you’re feeling, it can also affect you mentally and change your general quality of life. Chronic pain is no song and dance but there are many ways in which you can relieve it without having to try weird and wonderful remedies. So, here are some tips on how to relieve your chronic pain – the easy ways!
Food might not be the sole reason for your pain, but did you know that what you’re putting into your body can greatly affect the kind of pain you’re in? People who suffer from pain from conditions such as psoriasis can actually greatly improve their general quality of life by simply changing what they are eating. There are many diets that are tailored to psoriasis, and there very well might be one for yours too! Consider looking for a specialised diet for your condition to see if it can improve the pain that you’re in.
Take your medication properly!
One of the biggest mistakes that people with chronic pain make, is not taking their medication properly! It’s likely that when you injured yourself, or you had your condition diagnosed that your doctor prescribed you medication to help relieve your symptoms – take them as directed! LifeBrite Labs have discovered that half of all chronic pain sufferers don’t take their medication as prescribed, yet wonder why they are still in pain. Make sure you’re taking your meds properly and you may notice a difference in how you’re feeling.
Kit out your home
Chronic pain can last a lifetime and unfortunately, it’s something that you’re going to have to adapt your life to. Many sufferers refuse to accept what’s going on in their lives and tend to refuse any help in day to day life. However, this will make life much harder in the long run and can lead to further problems with your health. Give yourself a helping hand by kitting out your home with aids such as handrails and a seat in the bath so that you can make your day to day life that little bit easier.
Do some gentle exercise
Finally, exercise is likely to be the last thing on your mind right now, but did you know that not moving at all or very little can actually make your pain worse? Being stationary for long periods of time can cause your joints and muscles to seize up, so try and do some gentle exercise each day to make mobility as easy as possible. Don’t forget to speak to your doctor before doing so as they may be able to give you a guide on what kind of exercises will help relieve your pain!
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. What it takes to be successful today has changed from what it took just 10-20 years ago. It’s very important to understand the attributes and qualities of successful people and then cultivating them in yourself. The following contributed post is thus entitled, The Dos And Don’ts Of Being Successful In The Modern Age.
* * *
Being successful in the modern age can be tough. Success doesn’t come easy, you have to work at it consistently – plus, it isn’t linear, which means you might think you’re making progress and then be faced with evidence to suggest otherwise. In no way should your ‘journey to the top’ be a straight line. Here, we’re going to discuss the dos and don’ts of being successful in the modern age, so you can avoid some of the pitfalls and figure out how your dreams are within reach for you:
Do Forge Your Own Path
First of all; you have to go after what you want. Oftentimes, this means forging your own path. Other people and their journeys can inspire you, but the path has to be entirely your own.
You shouldn’t be comparing yourself to anybody else, or trying to copy step for step what they did. There will be things you have to change and tailor to yourself, and that’s fine. Ask anybody in the same industry how they got their and their answer will be different. Ask any CEO how they started their business and the answer will be different.
Don’t Let Mistakes Stop You
There are always going to be mistakes when you’re trying to do something big. The key is to appreciate mistakes, as you can learn from them. You can learn a valuable lesson from each and every mistake that you make, so make sure you assess what it is your lesson could be.
Do Trust Your Gut Instinct As a business owner, one of the most important things you’ll learn how to do, is trust your gut instinct. Being able to listen to that feeling in your gut that something is or isn’t right is a valuable skill. Humans have gotten pretty great at ignoring their intuition, what with technology taking over and so many things out there making us doubt how we feel. However, if you can sit and meditate over something even just for a small amount of time, you should be able to assess how you truly feel about it.
Don’t Get Distracted There are many, many distractions that can take you away from your goals. Social media is just one thing; you also have things like emails, work that doesn’t matter (why not automate?), and multitasking. All of those things can be a big distraction and stop you from doing what you set out to do.
Do Keep Your Family And Friends Close Making sure you keep your family and friends close can be considered an achievement in itself, these days. Some people have the misconception that they will have to live in the office and work ridiculous hours in the beginning. While you’ll definitely have to work hard, you shouldn’t neglect the people closest to you. Success should be about balance just as much as it’s about working hard and getting things done. It could help you if you take a look at some of the most successful people and their families to get a feel for how they may have helped them, such as Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi family history. Have a look at a few people you admire or want to be like and learn as much as you can about the process (but don’t forget, this is your path to forge).
Don’t Underestimate the Importance Of Your Mindset
Your mindset is going to be absolutely imperative to your success. If you’re doubtful of whether you can actually succeed and you’re not sure if you’re just being crazy, there’s every chance you won’t make it. You literally need a ‘can do’ attitude, or even an ‘I am going to’. There should be very few doubts in your mind about whether you’ll be able to do what you’re setting out to do. The fewer doubts you have, the higher your chance of success creeps up.
Do Track Your Progress
In order for you to ensure you’re heading in the right direction, you should make sure you find effective ways of tracking your progress. There are numerous ways to do this depending on what you want to achieve. You can use your business plan to track your progress, for instance, although it’s advisable that you stay flexible with your plan just in case anything changes – things often will, in this day and age. You could also use project management systems and software to ensure that you’re on track.
Don’t Use Goals As A Hindrance More Than A Help Goals can be used to help propel you forward, but if they aren’t set properly, they can actually encourage unethical behaviour. Unrealistic goals have led companies to lie about sales in the past, just so they could say they met a goal. Goals should be achievable, and they should be as detailed as possible. How do you want to achieve your goal? Why do you want to achieve your goal? Make sure your goal is also easily measurable.
Do Continue Learning No Matter What
As the owner of your business, a lot of what goes down is all on you. You don’t have to know absolutely everything there is to know, and in fact, many business owners choose to learn a lot of stuff as they go. If you wait until you know everything, you’ll be waiting a ridiculously long time. That being said, always continue learning; read books every day, go on courses and to workshops, and do all you can to expand your knowledge both personally and professionally.
Don’t Go It Alone You don’t have to go it alone. There are many things you can do to ensure you have support and perhaps even another viewpoint, if you need one. Many entrepreneurs and business people choose to get a mentor, as they have often been in their shoes and can help them to see what needs to change.
Being successful in the modern age is tough, but some may also say that it’s easier than ever, what with the plethora of information out there. There’s no better time to follow your dreams!
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of success and two of its key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Goal setting is important for anything you want to achieve. In some instances though, goals can be a hindrance. The following post discusses how to set reasonable goals for your business and is entitled, Why Your Business Goals Might Actually Be Redundant.
* * *
Almost everybody talks about the effectiveness of setting goals. Everybody says how goals can help to keep you focused, help you to achieve more, and be beneficial in a plethora of other ways. However, that’s only really if you’re setting goals the right way and taking the correct approach. For those who aren’t pros at goal setting, they can actually be more of a hindrance than a help. That’s right; in some cases, setting goals can actually slow you down and stop you from achieving what you want to achieve. Let’s talk more about this below!
Focusing Solely On Reaching A Goal When your team is focusing solely on achieving a goal, they may not be performing other tasks. In short, your focus can become too narrow when you are focused on a goal, and you might even find that you sacrifice one goal for another goal. Something has got to give when you’re hyper focused on achieving a goal. More often than not, you will experience issues in other parts of your business. While you can get help from companies like WGroup IT Management consulting if you’re finding you haven’t got time for other aspects of running your business, you will still need to be realistic and balanced about what you are able to achieve.
Goals Can Be Limiting Most people don’t realize that goals can be limiting, too. People tend to relax and take a break once goals are achieved, which often means they have overexerted themselves and won’t be motivated to do regular work for a while. People can get so used to having a goal that they don’t do much when they don’t have one to work towards.
Goal Setting Can Cause Bad Behaviour
Goal setting can actually encourage people to lie and cheat. For example, it isn’t unheard of for businesses to create falsified earnings to reach goals. This can cause no end of issues for the company.
When Do Goals Work? Goals can work when you know exactly what you want to happen, and you’re not too concerned about secondary behaviours. You’ll also need to figure out whether unethical behaviour is a big risk or not. Always set goals with caution, and discuss the steps needed to be taken. Do what you can to prevent unethical behaviour. Research has shown that having individuals do an activity because they find the work rewarding in and of itself is much more effective than doing it because they have been given a goal. In fact, being given that goals can undermine this intrinsic value of work.
Most business owners don’t realize the negative effect that goal setting can have on their business and the people within it. However, now that you are aware of when goals can go wrong and when they can actually work, you may be able to set more effective goals when you need them and get more done in the long run.
How will you set goals moving forward? Let us know!
A key focus of my blog is Technology. Liquid technology is around us and something we use daily. Few people know about liquid technology and what its applications are. The following contributed post is entitled, Liquid Technology Which You Use Every Day.
When most people think about technology, liquids aren’t often the first thing on their minds. Being notorious for killing the devices which people love the most, it’s natural to want to keep them away from the stuff, but this isn’t always possible. To give you an idea of where liquid technology is found in the modern world, this post will be exploring three different options, giving you a clear picture of what you have available in this area. There are few areas more interesting than gadgets which have the power to fry themselves.
Smart Water
Crime is always something which people are working to tackle. Regardless of how much time and resources are put into an area like this, though, you will always find people who are able to break into things. Smart water promises to help with this, but not in the way which most people imagine. By using a special chemical compound which can be altered very slightly for each bottle, companies making this material can leave a criminal’s skin stained with a liquid which is completely unique. This is the modern equivalent of being caught red handed, as you simply won’t have a way to argue with a court if you’ve been found with loads of this material on your body.
Lubricants
Modern cars move faster than ever before, and often have to rely on manufacturing methods which don’t make room for much error. To make sure than engines are able to cope, lubricants are used, usually coming in the form of oil. Companies like Peakhd have been working for decades to create products in this field which are able to outperform their more traditional alternatives. Creating a liquid which doesn’t change its state as temperatures and pressures around it vary is no mean feat, though this is exactly what you need in your vehicle, making it hard for companies to hit the sweet spot.
Phase Changes
Not a lot of people know how their refrigerator works. Much like the radiator in your car, these large appliances use an array of fins to cool down a fluid on the inside. As the fluid changes temperature, it also changes state, becoming a gas as it heats up, and a liquid when it cools down again. This sort of system is found in loads of different types of machine, not just fridges. Of course, though, it also isn’t the only way to cool something down, and there are modern methods which don’t require any harmful chemicals to get started.
With all of this on your mind, it should be a lot easier to see the power which liquids have to support society. A lot of people struggle to see where these tools can fit into the world, even though they are already commonplace, and this keeps the wider population oblivious to the liquids they are using on a daily basis. It’s always worth working hard to build a good understanding of the technology and tools you use on a regular basis, especially when they are so strange.
