Here are a few tips to help you stay focused on work, and not end up feeling isolated and bored when you work from home:

1.     Find ways to talk to your colleagues

Take advantage of all of the technology your company has to offer.  Spend time in instant messenger chats, make regular conference calls, or talk your team into setting up a Google hangout.  Do whatever it takes to stay up to date with all of the news that affects your office-based colleagues.

2.     Designate an office space

Try not to work from bed, or from the living room while the TV is on.  You may feel like you’re still being productive, but this kind of “work anywhere” attitude is a bad one to have.  Instead of blurring the lines between home and office in this way, set up a dedicated office space (be that the kitchen table or the spare room), and go there whenever you need to work.

3.     Tackle bad tasks first

Each morning, look at your to-do list and pick the task that you really don’t fancy doing.  Make yourself do it.  That task could be calling an awkward client, completing that mind-numbingly boring spreadsheet, or filing your expense report.  Whatever it is, do it.  After you’ve got that task out of the way, everything else will seem easy.

4.     Link productivity with rewards

This one is easy for people who are self employed and work from home.  Self-employed people know that if they don’t get work done, they won’t get paid.  Salaried employees don’t tend to have such a direct link between work and money in their minds – they know that if they slack off for one day, they’ll still get paid, they’ll just have to work harder the next day.  Try to build a mental link between work and money (or getting work done and having time off), so that you have some motivation to get stuff done.

5.     Block those social media accounts

If your job doesn’t require you to hang out on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, stay away from those sites during office hours.  If you can’t do that with willpower alone, install some software that blocks access to those sites.  When you don’t have anything distracting you, it’s so much easier to focus on work.

6.     Work away from home

When your home and your office are the same thing, it can become hard to relax at home, and even harder to focus on work.  Treat yourself by taking your laptop to the local coffee shop, the beach, or even a quiet pub.  You may be surprised at how much more productive you are away from home.

This guest article has been provided Maintel who provide a range of unified communications and remote working solutions.  Follow them on twitter @Maintel for more information.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

The statistics

Economist Intelligence Unit conducted the survey unlocking the benefits of energy efficiency and found of the 278 major global corporations involved that eighty-three percent reported significant cost savings due to programmes they had implemented, while fifty-four percent of respondents noted enhancements to their brand’s reputation. Big business, yes, but as noted by the study, businesses generally underestimate the value of green business to their investors – or potential investors.

In the UK, even simple changes can make a big difference, with the Carbon Trust reporting that UK businesses together could save more than £400 million a year by improving hot water boiler efficiency.

Lighting

Let’s start simple. Changes to lighting are often simple but effective:

• Turn it off: If there are windows and there is plenty of light, turn off the lights and enjoy the natural ambience.
• Change the lights: A change to energy saving light bulbs can make a big difference. For example, incandescent light bulbs are less efficient than halogen or compact fluorescent lamps.
• Clean it: The life expectancy and output of lighting can degrade if dust and other dirt collect, so make sure to keep it clean.
• Occupancy sensors: These detect movement in a room and turn the lights on and off accordingly, generally costing up to $80 depending on circumstances.

Heating

Another simple but effective way that small or larger business owners can reduce energy wastage is by keeping track of their heating:

• Turn it off: It’s that one again, but it is applicable if people are not there to be kept warm. Consider setting a timer if you know employees will be starting and finishing work at a certain time; otherwise it may be chilly at start time.
• Be heating energy efficient: As the seasons change the temperature of your business’ heating should reflect this. Try different settings on the thermostat to find the one that saves energy and works for your employees.
• Don’t let in the cold: Cracks or gaps, or damaged windows, can let in drafts, but sealing these can ensure the thermostat is not turned up.
• Open the window: If the summer has arrived and you and your employees need some cooling down, consider opening the window rather than touching the heating.

Office apparatus

Office energy efficiency is hampered by several items around the office that waste energy and money. But you can make a difference:

• Monitor: If a PC is not in use for a while switch it off, and make sure this is done at the end of the day.
• PCs: Some cleaning and general maintenance can make a difference to the energy usage of a PC. If you hear the fan working hard it’s probably because there is a lot of collected dust.
• Printers: Consider networking several employees to one printer as this will lead to energy and cost savings.
• Photocopiers: They sit in the corner of the office and waste a lot of energy while they sit there idly. Other than turning them off when they are not in use – yes, that one again – consider using the double-sided option and run copies in batches. Also, don’t buy big, buy the copier that actually suits your business requirements.

Smart meters

The smart grid in both America and the UK uses communications technology such as smart meters to maximize the efficiency and affordability of electricity. These smart meters use ‘big data’ for households and businesses to give insights into where energy is being wasted and where it can be saved. These can help you as a business owner to save money and understand your business’ processes. In the UK, there are also half hourly meters which work to provide bespoke costs and not ones based on estimates. Half hour metering is applicable if your business expands and can help companies to monitor usage and implement programmes. In the UK, half hourly meters are generally a mandatory requirement for large users of energy.

Action steps

So what have we learned today? That it is often simple changes that can improve a business’ energy efficiency and expenses. The following, and article ending, action steps should hopefully help entrepreneurs and small business owners to implement the elements discussed above:

• Analysis of premises: Take a look around your workplace and see if you can find any areas where energy is being wasted and where key changes can be implemented.
• Analysis of competitors: How are other businesses in your industry working to change their energy consumption? Can you do the same or better?
• Energy saving champion: Depending on the current level of your business and the resources available, appointing an energy saving champion can give your organisation a spearhead for change.
• Seek out help: Organisations like the Carbon Trust offer a range of services to help businesses improve their green standings.
• Meter reading: As mentioned above there are smart meters like half hourly meters as part of the smart grid which give you real insights for change.
• Energy supplier: Speak to your supplier and see what changes can be made. Also, do not be afraid to see what else is out there.

Jason Smith is the utility manager at www.businesselectricityprices.org.uk which has helped thousands of businesses each year to reduce their energy bills by providing guidance on green energy and energy management.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Startup founders may find that there are several tools that are currently being used by big companies that may be applied to their own businesses to create “unfair advantages” relative to the competition just by designing and operating more efficiently.

May I present to you what I’d like to call The 7 Startup Mudas.

1.    Waiting

As Eric Ries’s Lean Startup states don’t waste your time and launch as fast as possible.

2.    Inventory

Don’t waste money creating unnecessary inventories that will occupy unneeded space. Develop a strategy to instead buy and use only what is strictly needed.

3.    Over-designing

Design only what the client desires and what you validated using customer validation tools. Make sure you are developing the right product at the right time for the validated client.

4.    Over-processing

Don’t waste other peoples time by building complicated stuff. Save the trouble for later and try to design processes that can be easily standardized from the beginning. If you are already well on your way in your product development ask yourself what can be improved to make your product flow without interruption. Use tools such as 5S, spaguetti diagrams, value stream mapping and other lean tools to skim the fat of your current product development process.

5.    Inefficient/Too much Testing

Create your own metrics to test your product, keep track of everything, analyze variability (product and process related) and improve. During testing try to come up with solutions to shorten your startup’s overall lead and cycle time in delivering value to clients. Have a strategy for identifying waste and immediately respond to problems, challenges or breakdowns.

6.    Hiring Rock Stars

Check out Kelsey Meyer’s awesome article “Why we don’t hire rock stars”. Sometimes teams look great on paper but are they really delivering value to your startup? Use wisely the potential of each individual in your team. Dismiss anyone that is not making significant contribution.

7.    Miscommunication

Develop good rapport and minimize indirect interactions with your possible suppliers, clients and your team. Use project management tools to simplify tasks, create milestones and schedule projects.

When building your products or services always consider:

1. The cost of manufacturing or service
2. Learning curves
3. Competition
4. Fluctuations in demand
5. Devising an efficient schedule for material shortages
6. Building flexible processes and highly configurable products
7. Insufficient vendor capabilities
8. Quality standards
9. Process inconsistencies

Keep in mind that by developing simple and easy to manufacture products and services you are minimizing primary startup costs drivers. Be rigorous in your design approach while maintaining a fast testing atmosphere so you can develop a fully integrated lean atmosphere.

Whether your business is a manufacturing or service based startup it is important to establish common processes for product development, product management and manufacturing service offering.

The 7 Startup Mudas will enable you to tailor your own winning formula to operate efficiently. In no time you will see significant performance improvements in quality, cycle time, asset management, delivery and profit among others.  Please let me know if my advice works for you.

Eric Lozada is an industrial engineer and startup founder based in Puerto Rico, visionary thinker and coffee lover. Follow me at Twitter: SuperEric00; LinkedIn: Eric Lozada; email: lozada.eric@gmail.com

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Venture Capital Communities

Venture Capital for Africa (VC4Africa)

Have you heard the phrase, “See one, do one, teach one?” The idea is that you learn a skill from someone else, try it yourself, and then learn even more by showing someone else how to do it. Be a mentor with VC4Africa and you can do just that. This community can put you in touch with a budding entrepreneur in Africa. Sharing your new knowledge with someone across the globe will help you become a better entrepreneur.

Venture Capital—Winning the Venture Game!

This community is the place to go to learn about crowd funding, angel investors and venture capital in general. Members offer advice, ask questions and help each other figure out how to fund their unique businesses.

Startup Funding

This community isn’t for startup entrepreneurs—it’s for investors interested in contributing funding to new ventures. While you won’t join this community as a member, it’s definitely worthwhile to pop in occasionally and see what’s going on in the world of venture capitalists. They post content and information about events and conferences around a variety of business niches.

Communities for Startups in Specific Locations

For Londoners

Startup London

A community for new business entrepreneurs in London. Members can get feedback about their ideas from other members, post and read helpful content and engage in discussion. Startup London takes the Google+ Community idea even further—members post about local business-related events in London and meet up in person for more networking opportunities.

For New Yorkers

Startup NYC

For those Big Apple residents starting new endeavors, Startup NYC is a great community to learn everything about entrepreneurship and business in the big city. It can be hard to meet people in this city of over 8 million people—Startup NYC will introduce you to like-minded entrepreneurs facing the same challenges as you. Local events are listed here, too.

For Berliners

Berlin Startups

This community, created specifically for new entrepreneurs in Berlin, Germany is an active space with lots of back-and-forth dialogue. The community asks that members post in English—members originate from many countries around the world.

For Brazilians

Startup Brasil

Brazilian entrepreneurs will find a vibrant community here. Business owners and those wanting to start a business contribute content, tips and let members know about events. The community hosts its own networking events, too.

For Small Biz in the UK

Small Business UK

This community is more of a discussion board than content offerings, but can still be helpful for small biz and self-employed folks living and working in the UK. Strict rules regarding spammy posts and trolling.

Communities for Startups in Every Location

Startup Founders

This small but growing community is open to everyone who has something of value to share. Whether you’re a new business owner, in the planning stages or your business, or an experienced old-timer, you’re invited to post content, advice, questions and events. Members live all over the world.

Startup Weekend

Budding entrepreneurs all over the world contribute to this community. You’ll find members sharing plenty of great content and reporting about conferences in cities far from you: everywhere from Cedar City, Utah to Rio de janeiro. Startup Weekend also hosts occasional contests.

Entrepreneurs and Startups

A loosely-organized, largish community of folks just starting out. Lots of content-sharing here, tons of friendly faces and a wee bit of self-promotion. A great community for newbies to cut their teeth on.

Tech and Online Business Communities

Start-up Talk

This community is hosted by ci&T; a company specializing in lean IT and outsourcing for businesses. You’ll find mostly ci&T execs posting on this community, but everyone is invited to participate. The focus of the community is mainly concerned with IT, but other aspects of entrepreneurship are sprinkled in.

Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs & Startups

“Silicon Valley” says it all—this community is absolutely focused on entrepreneurs interested in building apps and developing other technology-related products. You’ll find contributors involved with Android, iOS, WordPress, Facebook, etc.

Internet Startups

Specifically for Internet entrepreneurs, this large community offers plenty of content sharing, advice and information. Community members hail from every corner of the globe, but are asked to post in English

Internet Media Labs

This incubator community is based in NYC and offers info from some of the greatest innovators in technology. Regular podcasts and “lab sessions” take entrepreneurs by the hand and guide and offer valuable advice from industry giants. In addition, members share presentations, content and ask for advice from others.

Online Entrepreneur

Created specifically for new online business owners, this community has members who are dedicated to offering content that actually offers relevant advice. Posts are organized into categories that include: General Business Tips, Online Marketing, Management, Design, Tools of the Trade and Intros/Promotion.

Communities About Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs/Self Employed Community

This large community focuses on a range of topics and conveniently separates posts into each category. Topics include: Self Employment, Marketing, Finance, Incubation and Feedback (plus a special category for introducing yourself, keeping those, “Hi, I’m Brenda” posts separated from real information). The community is closely moderated and does not allow self-promotion.

Entrepreneur

Hosted by Entrepreneur.com, the community members here offer tons of great information and all varieties of content (plenty of podcasts and video in addition to written content). Contributors from many different places, but most posts are in English.

Entrepreneurs, Self-Employed and Small Business

A little bit of something for everyone. This community is organized into 20 different categories—everything from legal issues to marketing. It’s a large community (well over 15,000 members), so expect a variety of advice—some very relevant, some not as much.

Entrepreneurs and Small Business

Hosted by EFactor.com, this smallish community has tons of contributions, mostly from EFactor.com itself. It’s relevant, interesting content, though, and well worth your time.

Social Enterprise Collaborative

A community with an academic flair, Social Enterprise Collaborative is hosted by DePaul University in Chicago. You’ll find lots of internship postings, studies and networking opportunities, all focused on social responsibility entrepreneurship.

Communities for Women Entrepreneurs

Women Entrepreneurs

A small community geared toward female entrepreneurs. Lots of legit content sharing and helpful advice, organized into categories. One category, “I need…” is helpful for those needing (and providing) advice. No self-promotion allowed on this community—just learning, helping and giving.

Women Entrepreneurs Who Change the World

A mix of women entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship, this community is focused on giving to the community of women small biz owners, coaches, authors and any woman who feels that sharing and mentoring are an important facet of the entrepreneurship experience. Lots and lots of great online networking going on in this community.

Small Business Communities

Small Business

A decent-sized community full of a diverse group of small biz owners. The community is open to everyone, but has specific rules for self-promotion (posting in a self-promo section). A great place to collaborate with others and get advice.

Small Business: Advice and Resources for Small Business Owners

Focusing on webinars, online marketing and social media, this small biz community is a hybrid of small biz info and Internet biz info. If your small biz needs some help with its online components, this is the place to be.

Small Business: Discussing Small Business Across America

A community focusing on all aspects of small biz. You’ll find separate sections for posting/learning about brick-and-mortar biz, online biz, marketing, legal issues, etc.

Your Small Business

Community-focused, offering content from large companies, business owners and mentors. The community has strict standards that ensure that every member submits relevant content, so you’ll find high-quality stuff here.

Small Business Marketing: Social Local Mobile (SoLoMo)

It’s just what you think it is—a community focused on social media, mobile marketing and buy local. Helpfully organized into tons of categories from blogging to websites to analytics and more. The community has specific guidelines to keep posters offering legit, helpful content.

 Small Business Marketing

A super-comprehensive community offering advice and content on 19 topics, organized into categories. You’ll find SEO, IT Support, Web Dev and even helpful case studies.

Social Media Trends for Small Business

A community centered around creating effective social media marketing for your small business. Separate categories for each social media platform: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube, plus a few more topics.

Local Small Business Marketing, SEO, Social Media

Based in Sacramento, this community focuses on SEO and social media strategies. You’ll see posts from industry experts and newbies alike, but most offer relevant content and helpful advice.

Get Going with Google+ Communities

Getting involved with Google+ Communities will help you grow your business, offer you the chance to help and mentor others and give you a voice in the world of entrepreneurship. Choose a few communities and start participating, but don’t be tempted to join too many—you’ll get the most out of the experience by participating frequently on a few select communities that most closely reflect your own niche.

Nelson James is COO and Co-Founder of Signs.com. Signs.com produces custom banners and signage for small businesses and other customers seeking a custom signage solution. Nelson also previously helped grow small businesses including his time as VP at Lendio and Co-Founder and President of SEO.com

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Brazil, the promised land.

For tech starters, Brazil has huge opportunities. Although just 40 percent of Brazilians currently use the Internet, Brazilians reportedly spend some $13 billion a year on e-commerce. Add to that the fact that Brazil is now the second-biggest market for Facebook and Twitter, and is home to more mobile phones than people. The money is flowing in, too. For the last few years, Brazilian startups have begun to successfully draw blue-chip Silicon Valley venture firms. Brazilian entrepreneurs and active startup accelerators are also a key part of that successful ecosystem. To be perfect, Brazil should decrease taxes. For example, an iPhone costs around $1000.

India, on the footsteps of China.

In India, the benefits and opportunities for getting in early are enormous. As in China, life is cheaper, and for a small amount of capital and resources, anybody can get started, and potentially see impact and returns within just a few years.

But with lousy infrastructure, useless regulation and a famously corrupt telecoms sector, the web is available to only 10% of Indians, many of them squinting at screens in cafés. Compared to China, e-commerce sales in India represents only 6% of the Chinese market.

Anyway, Indians have realized the tech opportunity. They are focusing on the mobile Web instead of PCs. A new generation of Indian entrepreneurs educated in the West are eager to apply startup business models they’ve seen in the U.S. to the Subcontinent. Then, they can create innovative services and sell to customers outside of India, but also localize existing concepts for local audiences. Thematically and geographically in the middle of everything, India and its startups seem to be able to take over the world in the next years, as China did.

Israel, the startup nation.

Put on spotlight by the book “Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle”, Israel is widely known as the Start-up Nation. With countless incredible characteristics and statistics, this small and young country, surrounded by war, has produced more productive high-tech startups than everyone else. For example, Israel hosts more NASDAQ-listed companies per citizen than any country. According to PWC’s MoneyTree survey, in 2012, 660 Israeli high tech companies received $1.9 billion in venture capital. To put this in perspective, in 2012 that amount was 17% of the $10.9 billion funnelled to Silicon Valley start-ups and 59% of the $3.2 billion that New England startups received.

Thanks to a lot of individual talents, a risk-taker and creative population and a friendly government policy, Israel is without doubt the startup nation. But it could be overtaken by the new emergents startup nations like Brazil or India. Intel Israel president, Mooly Eden, called into question the ‘Startup Nation” status of Israel. “Although the company’s remarkable success in Israel gave him great pride”, he said, there were plenty of other tech-savvy nations that will outpace Israel if it doesn’t make the right investments, as India and Brazil do.

This emerging wave in the tech industry should lead to a new inspiration for young entrepreneurs all over the world. Brazil, India and Israel teach us the best way to come up with the coolest innovations. About mobile, e-commerce or tech in general, these countries have succeeded to set up profitable businesses.

Whether it is for creating or dealing with clients, it appears that high flyers tech startups are building their expansion process on the same key points:

- Be part of a prosperous environment for new businesses (favorable government policy, forward-thinking entourage, palmy tech-market)

- Move forward, use what you have and never give up. That means analysing the market and the demand of your innovative product, being open-minded, throwing up constantly with ideas and making the best use of your direct available resources.

- Be passionate and confident about your project. If you want to complete it successfully, you will have to be enthusiastic, creative and aware of everything in order to make the right moves and investments.

Many examples all across the world should permit to inspire a new wave of young entrepreneurs. Good luck!

Written with love by the editorial team at Fueled, a premier Android app design agency in New York City.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Want to set yourself apart from your competition and keep your customers coming back? Answer the phone.

You’ve heard the cliché that you must answer the door when opportunity knocks, yet despite often having great business concepts, many entrepreneurs fail to answer when opportunity calls. Yes, opportunity still uses the phone—and you should too.

Old-school customer service (read: direct, personal, and human) is more helpful to customers than digital systems that bounce callers from prompt to automated prompt or an email form on your website that doesn’t guarantee a response.

Connections matter in business, and dialogue with your customers is the best way to build strong relationships and accurately gauge satisfaction.

The current communications landscape is more globally connected than ever before, but it’s also increasingly fragmented. A growing number of companies rely on email, text messaging, and social media to move business forward and to handle customer relations, but swapping the personal touch of a phone call or hand written note for the time saving ease of digital communications is riddled with drawbacks.

We know business is not better when customers are unhappy, so why do so many start-ups opt for automated answering services and impersonal digital communication strategies?

Automated phone systems, known as IRV (Interactive Voice Response) are appealing to some young businesses because they’re often cheaper than employing a human to direct phone calls, and IRV’s are meant to screen calls that it deems unworthy of human assistance, only patching through calls from “serious” customers with order numbers in hand and the patience to remain on hold indefinitely.

IRV’s require a much smaller time investment from the business to manage customer calls, but here’s the main issue with this approach: every customer call deserves personal attention. If your IRV is screening calls and redirecting people trying to contact you directly with questions or concerns, the odds are good that they will not be return customers, and negative word-of-mouth testimonials can do irreparable damage to a new business.

My personal business approach focuses on four core principals: integrity, insight, rigor and reliability, and has not changed since I launched my company in 1998. I learned early on that when running a business where you offer more than a million customizable products your customers are going to have a lot of questions. Without direct conversations I would not be able to provide the level of insight into each order that my clients have come to expect from me.

Do you answer your cell phone at 2:00 a.m. when a customer calls? After 15 years I still do, and the voice on the other end of the line has been appreciative every time.

The middle of the night isn’t my favorite time to talk shop, but in a global economy, “business hours” don’t really exist. I make myself available to my customers at all times because I would rather answer a question during dinner than have a client wait a day for a response to a voicemail.

When you make a customer wait, you risk letting them walk away. But, by making yourself available and accountable to your customers, you build trust and move your business forward.

No one wants to do business with an unreliable vendor, so if you truly want your business to succeed you have to prove your worth. Making a customer with a simple question wait through automated prompts before being able to speak with a human won’t prove anything positive, and will only encourage them to take their business elsewhere.

Think about the last time you bought something. It makes no difference if you were in a store or shopping online. Did anyone from the company offer to help you? If you had any questions about products or complications with your order, were you able to ask a human?

New technologies have the potential to connect entrepreneurs with potential customers from all over the world, but the only surefire way to monetize this potential is to talk with them. You can call it “old-school,” but I just call it effective.

Make yourself available. Encourage inquiries. Ask questions. Listen to the answers. If you’re willing to take the time to learn who your customers are and to teach them about yourself, you will know success.

###

Esbert Cardenas is the CEO of Image Outfitters, a promotional products and advertising specialties company he founded in Miami in 1998 with $5,500 in capital. Today, Image Outfitters has an office in Stowe, Vermont and annual revenue exceeds $1 million. In 2012 Cardenas created iShare, a program that lets his customers donate 10% of their order’s revenue to the charity of their choice.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”

Emotional Abuse …

Frustration because your needs are not met…

Lack of Support…

Emptiness …

Distance…

Five things you want to avoid in relationships.

The best way to do that?

Respect is demonstrated by our actions, not our words. When those actions are absent, especially at a trivial or simple level, there is also a distinct lack of respect. In every relationship respect goes hand-in-hand with love and commitment. You cannot love someone you don’t respect or are not prepared to commit to, even for a short time. Otherwise you will resent the time spent with them, or spent doing things on their behalf, when you could be doing something else or be with someone else. Neither can you love someone you really do not trust. Once trust is gone, the feelings become superficial as the relationship shifts in terms of both emotion and power. You would no longer respect that person, tending to be suspicious of their actions instead of celebrating and enjoying their presence.

The Six Dimensions of Respect

Often a lack of respect comes from a misunderstanding of the word. We throw around the word ‘respect’ very glibly, as a single cure-all for our feelings. But respect is not just one term. It carries six other dimensions within it:

1. Curiosity

2. Attention

3. Dialogue

4. Sensitivity

5. Empowerment

6. Healing

If we are not really demonstrating those six concepts in various ways, with regards to the one we say we respect, we are not showing them much respect at all.

Curiosity

Respect starts with curiosity. We have an interest in that person. We want to know as much about them as possible, or at least a few key things to start with. In the dating process we engineer all kinds of opportunities to satisfy that curiosity and are often mortified when we get no response from our interest because are unable to fulfill our curiosity in any way and to give our attention. We feel frustrated, rejected and insignificant.

Attention

If curiosity is satisfied, we move to give that person our full attention. Indeed, our curiosity grows too, because that person begins to assume value in our eyes. The amount of value will depend on the way they satisfy our curiosity and attention. If the information we get is weak, unappealing or non-reinforcing, we lose interest rapidly, our attention wanes and we move towards another. However, if we perceive that the new interest aligns with us and matches us in major ways, excitement and interest both quicken. We then lavish even more attention on that person, going out of our way to attract their attention and interest.

Dialogue

Lots of attention inevitably leads to dialogue because that is the only way we can learn about our new interest. We communicate verbally as much as possible because we respect that person enough to want to hear what they have to say. We also take the greatest pleasure in conversing for our own sake. Hence much money will be spent on dates and phone calls, in particular. Where there is little respect, we are not in the least bit interested in that person and won’t even talk to them. If there is also disrespect, for example, we made assumptions about them based upon their gender, color, sexuality etc., we will go so far as to treat them negatively. We might have a dialogue at such times but it will express our anxieties, prejudices or anger, not our respect.

Sensitivity

This is at the core of respect. Accepting the person as they are without wanting to change them to suit us; fully acknowledging their values, culture, identity and who they want to be; valuing their contributions, opinions and inputs and genuinely listening to them and sharing their concerns. These are all essential elements of showing sensitivity to the person they are, and wish to be. When we put ourselves and our needs first, and can only see our values, cultures and opinions, we are lacking great sensitivity to those we care for and are actually denying them respect, no matter what we say to the contrary.

Empowerment

Being curious about someone, giving our attention to, having a dialogue with, him or her, and being sensitive to their needs represent the greatest form of empowerment we can grant to another human being. It shows we value them greatly if we are willing to give them our attention and time, and also care about what they value. Anything else lacks respect. For example, if someone is trying to talk to you but you are busy playing on your computer, or talking to someone else on the phone, that shows little reciprocity for the respect they might be giving to you, or sensitivity to their presence and needs.

Healing

Respect has the capacity to heal, especially when we have had past experiences that have been very hurtful or traumatic, so this last dimension is important. When we have had a bad time it is very affirming to be respected and valued by the new person we are attracted to, or the people we interact with, and it is effective in speeding up the healing process. For example, if someone felt really inadequate because her man went off with a younger, more beautiful woman, a new lover in her life demonstrating how wonderful she is would give her much-needed respect and reinforcement. This would heal her pain even quicker than if she had to overcome it by herself. Respect heals because it affirms and reinforces who we are and wish to be. It also puts past hurt into perspective, or even negates it, and restores our confidence.

Respect and trust can never be taken for granted. They are attributes that have to be proven. They are also directly reciprocal to the behavior of others. For example, when we feel that we have had no respect from other people we care about; it is likely that we have given them very little respect ourselves. Most of us are sensitive to when we are not being treated with respect and are then unable to give any in its absence.

If you feel disrespected, what are you doing in the process? There is always a connection. You are either accepting substandard behavior in order to gain approval, allowing yourself to be treated like a doormat, or you are not treating someone well enough. Once you sort out the root cause, mutual respect and trust are usually assured.

Altogether these six dimensions add up to the powerful concept of respect. When we show another human being that respect, we add an even greater experience to their life and perspectives while we too are empowered by its effects.

Respect is an absolute must have in building business relationships and other personal relationships. We would never have the quality of relationships that we do without respect for one another, for our business, and for the talents we poses. Respect boils down to taking personal action and responsibility for mistakes and past actions and moving forward to what we grow and learn to love as our current state of mind and beliefs.

There are many different kinds of relationships. There will be people you have met and are ‘acquainted’ with. There are people you will know as friends, some as lovers. Hopefully you have more friends than lovers. These significant relationships are difficult to find but let me highlight how we can build these incredible relationships.

Fire and Forget relationships… people you meet then never see again

This level of relationship I like to think of as a brief ‘six degrees of separation moment’. These are times in life when you meet somebody who shares a space with you for a moment… and that’s it.

Facebook friendships… people you know but don’t spend much time with

Face book friendships are with people that you know for some reason but don’t really spend a lot of time with. You may think of these people as the step underneath acquaintances.

People you keep at arm’s length… Acquaintances

These are people you know and have spent time with but are not really close to. They are beyond the Face book friend because you have spent time with each other on more than a few occasions. People like this are usually around but not there all the time. You can call them and they wouldn’t mind (I hope) and maybe once in a while you might have dinner with them. But, these aren’t the kind of people you spend a great deal of time with. You are acquainted and may not even like each other.

Real relationships… people you know and love

I have about one or two people in my life I would consider to be deep friends. These are people I share common interests with that I know I am never going to have to give them something in return. The company is enough. My boyfriend is one and the other is a person I know up the coast. Every time I see this guy I know he just wants to talk and chatter away with me. There is no hidden agenda, no mutual bootlicking, no butt kissing or anything like that. It’s all about mutual company not what we can get from each other. No ambition nothing just each other’s company. So how do you find friends like that?

The art of building meaningful relationships

The key to building meaningful relationships is to recognize the relationships you have for what they are. You may have heard that a relationship is a like a garden. You have to work on it. That may be true for some people but it’s the way I have come to understand it. Here are some keys to look for when searching for meaningful relationships.

Key #1 Do they want something in return

These are the kinds of people who want something. They ring and ask to have dinner once in a while but you just know it’s not to see you… it’s to get something. In a perfect world nobody would act this way but it’s the way it works I’m afraid.

Key #2: Is the relationship ‘needs’ based?

Are you providing what’s missing in someone else? This is a relationship of convenience. There are times when knowing the right person to help you out is a must but you would hardly call that a deep relationship. In the Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell identifies people called ‘connectors’ who are really good at placing people in relationships with other people. He notes that these people often have few meaningful relationships yet know lots of people. There are times when this is a useful thing to be.

Key #3: Is it a sick relationship?

Another way to find meaningful relationships is to ask if you are in a sick relationship. These kinds of relationships are when you are being used and abused and know it but won’t do anything about it. People of power are great at these. I experienced something a while back where a person was attempting to bully me into making a decision that in hindsight would have been a disaster. Lucky enough, I had the guts to change my mind. Don’t allow yourself to be controlled… by anyone.

Key #4: Looking for mutual satisfaction on a deeper level

The final key is knowing how to look for deeper meaning in your relationships. This is what makes building meaningful relationships an art form. This is where you and another person share a friendship with no expectations. There is no neediness from either of you, it’s not a sick relationship nor is it a relationship that requires you to do tricks in order to get approval. It is simply an understanding that you are mates and that is that. There is no need to be anything other than yourself and there is an unspoken treaty between you and the other person where you share each other’s lives but expect nothing more than friendship in return. If you find a relationship like this hold on it… it’s worth cherishing.

At the end of the day real relationships are formed when we allow people into our lives. I am a person who likes the background. I don’t enjoy being the center of attention neither do I like social gatherings. My idea of a good time is with my significant other. That said, I have a few people (maybe one or two) that I would consider to be meaningful friends. That doesn’t mean that the people I also know (if you are reading this!) are dogs. It just means I don’t share my life with them on that level. Maybe through time this might be so … but I doubt it. In my opinion the art of building relationships involves a level of intuition that’s missing from normal relationships. We shouldn’t embrace this as a horrible thing. Instead I think we should look towards the relationships we do have and build the meaning that’s desired by both parties. Sometimes, people will want more from you than you should give. If you don’t have that for them … it’s better not to give it. You are not responsible for other people. We are all responsible for ourselves. So…

Figure out what matters to you!

While determining what direction to take in life, many of us make the same mistake: we try to apply the principles of our parents, spouses, co-workers, etc., to our own individual journey. Then, we’re surprised when we’re miserable. The first thing to do when trying to connect to your life’s purpose, then, is to set aside the need to please others or live up to anyone else’s expectations. Be completely honest about what matters most to you. Define your core values, and respect and be yourself.

Treasure your relationships not your possessions.

Melissa Krivachek President of Briella Arion is deeply & passionately committed to the growth & effectiveness of young leaders, teams, and organizations. Melissa is a High Caliber Leadership, Sales, and Personal Growth Expert, Author, Speaker, Coach, and Life Enthusiast! To IGNITE your Purpose, Presence, Passion, & Profit visit http://www.contagiousconfidenceconference.com.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

There has never really been a better time to launch a Startup, especially if it resides in the Tech industry. The rapid advancement of the Internet continuously creates gaps in the market, and provides the perfect platform for launching a web based company.

The sheer amount of resources found on the internet catered towards Startups and small businesses can prove to be a vital lifeline to those on a shoe string budget. This article is a collation of the best resources and tools that can entice you to take ‘the leap of faith’ and help get your Startup off the ground.

Guides/How-to/Roadmaps

Building the Marketing Plan: A Blueprint for Start-ups – A free and in-depth eBook on building a marketing plan for Startups.

Y Combinator Startup Library – A huge collection of resources and guides, covering everything you need to know about launching a Startup, written by people who have achieved success multiple times.

Entrepreneur.com Startup Kits – In depth and thorough kits on how to start a company in a variety of industries, ranging from cleaning services to restaurant ownership.

Business Link – The UK Government website has a complete roadmap to starting a business, consisting of in-depth and thorough videos.

Score – An abundance of free advice and resources for starting a business, including mentors, counselling, tools and workshops. Predominantly US focused.

Funding/Incubators/Accelerators

Kickstarter – Crowd funding platform for creative projects. Although only suitable for certain Startups, it’s an effective way to secure funding in a short period of time.

Seedrs – A crowd funding platform for Startups, ideal for seamlessly raising capital by offering equity to the crowds.

LaunchSquad – A PR firm with an emphasis on technology, ideal for taking a business to the next level.

Founder Institute – A ‘Startup accelerator’ training program and global launch network, with programs available across the world.

500 Startups – A Startup accelerator program consisting of hundreds of experienced mentors, offering seed investment and work space in Silicon Valley.

Collaboration

Dropbox – A freemium cloud storage service, perfect for collaboration and seamless sharing of files across devices.

Google Drive – Drive is a cloud storage, file sharing and collaborative editing solution, great for working in teams and storing everything in the cloud.

Evernote – An intuitive note taking tool that allows you to quickly save ideas and snippets of web pages for offline viewing. All notes are backed up to the cloud and accessible across multiple devices.

Webex – Online meeting software with advanced collaboration features, perfect for teams who are geographically separated.

Mockingbird – Quickly create mock-ups and web pages on the fly, with an intuitive drag and drop interface.

Events/Networking/Recruitment

Startup Weekend – A global network of 54 hour events, where likeminded entrepreneurs join forces to develop ideas and launch Startups.

Tech Cocktail – Regular Tech Startup events for entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts, helping Startups find employees, co-founders and funding.

Meetup – A network of local groups with many dedicated to Startups and small businesses. A great way to meet likeminded individuals and practice pitches.

PartnerUp – A small business orientated site with a focus on finding partners and exploring business opportunities.

Interview Street – Effective programming tests to help you find the perfect programmer for your Startup. Essential for less technically minded CEOs.

LinkedIn – A social media networking site for professionals, allowing you to stay informed about contacts and industry, and connect with likeminded individuals.

News/Blogs/Sites/Discussion

How to Change the World – The blog of Guy Kawasaki, an award winning author, former Apple employee, evangelist and founding partner of Garage, a venture capital fund for tech Startups.

Young Entrepreneur – As the name suggests, YE is a hub for aspiring young business people, with an abundance of useful resources and an active forum.

OnStartups – Created by marketing expert Dharmesh Shah, OnStartups is a blog focussing primarily on software Startups, with insightful guides and resources.

Inc. – A website for small businesses and entrepreneurs, who regularly post highly resourceful articles and how-to guides.

Mixergy – Interviews with successful entrepreneurs and founders, who dive right into the story behind their success and fortune.

Quora – A constantly growing source of information, where any questions can be asked and promptly answered by real people who have first-hand experience. Industry leaders and prominent figures regularly chime in to lend a hand.

Springwise – ‘Brain food for entrepreneurial minds’, covering inspiring Startup news and stories on exciting ideas and concepts.

Vator.tv – A community driven website with an emphasis on funding and emerging technologies.

Alltop Startups – Co-founded by Guy Kawasaki, Alltop is a news aggregator covering the most popular breaking news in the Startup sector.

Reddit – A community driven social news website, with surprisingly useful subreddits such as /r/Startups, /r/smallbusiness and /r/entrepreneur. Not just pictures of cats!

Tools/Web Applications

Freshbooks – A cloud accounting solution that makes invoicing and time tracking extremely easy to manage.

Bidsketch – Web app for easily creating professional looking proposals in minutes.

KnowEm – KnowEm is a paid service that takes your brand details and subsequently registers up to 300 social network profiles.

Design Contest – Create design contests for logos, web designs and more, and receive 100s of entries from talented designers. Great for buying a quality logo on a shoestring budget.

WordPress– The most widely recognised free Content Management System. Highly versatile with an abundance of themes and plugins to alter aesthetics and functionality.

Prezi – A tool for creating stunning presentations, which are sure to stand out from the usual PowerPoint pitches.

Launch Rock – A free web based application to quickly set up a ‘launching soon’ page, with heavy emphasis on social sharing.

Google Analytics – One of the most widely recognised web analytics and reporting solutions, and completely free to use.

Hoot Suite – A social media management dashboard to efficiently track mentions and measure campaign results.

Video Scribe – A tool for quickly creating animated and engaging videos for marketing, instructional purposes, company overviews and product demonstrations.

NameChk – Type in your Startup name ideas and quickly check which domains and social media profiles are available.

SEOmoz – A premium suite of SEO tools ranging from SEO management, social media monitoring, actionable recommendations, competitor analysis and more.

Amazon Web Services – Collection of remote computing services that utilise a cloud computing platform, used by popular Startups such as Pinterest, airbnb and SmugMug.

Unbounce – Create landing pages that turbo charge conversion rates, with no technical knowledge required.

Market Research

Ask Your Target Market – Carry out highly targeted surveys to find out vital information about your primary audience.

Survey Monkey – An efficient surveying solution allowing you to target specific audiences based on gender, interests, demographic and more.

MailChimp – One of the best email marketing solutions available, with easy to use tools to create signup forms and newsletter designs.

Qualaroo – Helps gain useful insights from customers and visitors by asking short questions, in the form of an unobtrusive popup.

Google Trends – A tool to see interest around search terms, and what people are currently searching for. Great for inspiration and finding out how big the market is.

Books

The $100 Startup – A manual on how to change your direction in life and pursue a career being your own boss, with insights from 50 highly successful entrepreneurs.

The Lean Startup – Highly popular book on changing the way companies are built and products are launched.

We hope this collection of fantastic resources proves invaluable while launching your Startup, and if you feel any have been left out do get involved in the comments.

This Post was written exclusively for Under30CEO by Alexa Garthwaite, Business Development Manager at EO Group London.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Having a successful marketing program depends on asking the right questions and doing the research to come up with the right answers. This may not be domo and CEO news, but it is key to creating a winning ad campaign.

Question #1

The primary question is “Who are my competitors?” The reason this question is important is because knowing your competitors allows you identify what might make your product sell better or tell you why your competitor is able to sell more product.

If it is something you can add to your product to increase sales and you can afford to do so, you should implement the change. If it is a matter of a more convenient location, you may not be able to afford the expense. Whatever the case may be, examine your competitors closely to see what they are doing to bring them to the top of your product’s ecosystem.

Question #2

Once you have identified your competitors and analyzed what makes them profitable, you should ask yourself, “What makes me different?” This could be a major selling point.

Maybe you are the little guy who treats customers personally instead of with an automated system. Small differences like this could make a big difference to your customers. If you’re up against companies bigger than you, it’s smart to add that personal touch whenever possible and to add that to your marketing materials.

If you are a large company, capitalize on that fact by letting your customers know that you can buy in bulk and pass the savings down to them. Knowing what makes you different allows you to find an angle to market your company to differentiate yourself from your competitors

Question #3

The third question is “Who is my audience?” You must know who you are reaching in order to understand how to position your marketing pieces. A brochure showing tattooed twenty somethings will turn off your consumers if they consist of an older crowd.

This is where market research can really come in handy. You need to know who is buying your product. Once you identify your audience you can create pieces that will reach each segment, and you can avoid turning off the wrong consumer with the wrong marketing piece.

Question #4

Once you have identified them, you need to ask, “How do I reach my audience?” If your audience is comprised of people 65 and older, investing a large amount of money in a social media campaign would not be a good idea. A direct mail piece or TV campaign would probably generate more revenue for you.

On the other hand, if your product appeals to people 60 and under, you should definitely pursue a social media campaign and ramp up your mobile marketing. Mobile marketing is the fastest growing segment of advertising today and will continue to expand for several years.

Question #5

The last question is “How can I measure the effectiveness of how I reach my audience?” This is an important question, because no matter how precisely targeted and effective a marketing endeavor is, if you can’t measure who is responding to it on what media channels, you are throwing money out the window.

Today’s companies are demanding more precise tools to quantify the money they invest in advertising. Since so much of today’s marketing is deployed on the Worldwide Web, essential consumer information can be captured using tools such as surveys, questionnaires and registration questions.

When a consumer responds favorably to an Internet campaign, companies can often identify who, when, where and facts about the consumer’s demographics. This information can lead to personalized outreach from the company, another growing marketing area.

When a company asks itself these five questions and backs its answers up with solid marketing research and deployment, they can rapidly place themselves at the top of the marketing echelon. Most companies asks themselves these questions either consciously or unconsciously. Asking them again and ensuring that you have followed up on the answers as thoroughly as possible will help you sharpen up your marketing enterprise.

Hayley is a freelance blogger writing on behalf of Domo. Visit Domo for the lastest CEO news.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

The truth is that nothing happens in our world until you start compelling that move by doing something. And for something to happen on the outside world, you need a power to move you from within.

If that power moving you from within is strong enough then grabbing the attention of the world should not be difficult to achieve. This explains some of the successes some highly influential world figures have been enjoying.

This power from within is called idea. The power of idea has the potency of bringing out the very best enterprising side of a man.

In philosophy, the term idea has been used to cover a range of concepts. Ideas are often construed as mental representational images; i.e., images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images.^[1] Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of being. The capacity to create and understand the meaning of ideas is considered to be an essential and defining feature of human beings. In a popular sense, an idea arises in a reflex, spontaneous manner, even without thinking or serious reflection, for example, when we talk about the idea of a person or a place. Source wikipedia

Idea is one thing that most of the world’s successful inventors have extraordinarily capitalized on to have their world changed for good. I wonder what kind of idea you have in your medulla oblongata.

My advice here for you is that no matter how insignificant the ideas you’ve are don’t ever take them for granted because most of these idea might be the reason for your existence. And for you to truly live a rewarding and fulfilling life style which you’ve always aimed for you must give this ides a shoot.

Remember that because most of these ideas of yours are still in their infant stage, it may practically look like nothing to you. That’s why you don’t have to give up on them and keep nurturing them until it gets to a stage where it’s visible well enough to be sighted by anyone who might need the impact of these ideas.

Ideas are like seeds to be planted by individuals, and if these ideas are not planted on the right soil and watered regularly, development might be a problem.

Such are our ideas, if you don’t spend time to develop some of these ideas. They will die before they get to their maturity stage. And to avoid that, you really want to spend time to nourish it with whatever is required.

You’ve to spend time nourishing it because it’s your responsibility not mine.

I’m sure you must have heard that ideas rules the world and perhaps you’ve not I just told you now and this ideas do have a worth placed on them. The only way you can uncover this worth, is by taken time to nourish and develop it well.

As an aspiring entrepreneur you’ll love it so much, if the ideas moving you so far comes out and becomes the next big thing the world most have been waiting for.

Here Are Quote To Help You Value Your Ideas

1.  ”To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years requires a lot of discipline.” – Steve Jobs

2.  ”I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.” – Pablo Picasso

3. “Everything begins with an idea.” – Earl Nightengale

4.  ”If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” – Albert Einstein

5.   “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo

6.  ”An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.” – Oscar Wilde

7.  ”All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.” – Napoleon Hill

8.  ”Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.” – Thomas Edison

9.  The air is full of ideas. They are knocking you in the head all the time. You only have to know what you want, then forget it, and go about your business. Suddenly, the idea will come through. It was there all the time.” – Henry Ford

10.  ”A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.” – Mary Kay Ash

11.  “Right now it’s only a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it into a concept, and later turn it into an idea.” – Woody Allen

12.  “The man with a new idea is a crank — until the idea succeeds.” – Mark Twain

13.   “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” – John Cage

14.  ”The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas of enthusiasm.” – Thomas Watson

15.  ”The new idea either finds a champion or it dies. No ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with the indifference and resistance that change provokes.” – Tom Peters

16.  “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward: they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.” – Goethe

17.  “An idea is salvation by imagination.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

18.  ”After years of telling corporate citizens to ‘trust the system’, many companies must relearn instead to trust their people and encourage them to use neglected creative capacities in order to tap the most potent economic stimulus of all: idea power.” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter

19. “You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea.” – Medgar Evers

Page Source

Obviously, here’s a list of top idea quotes to help you realized the benefits of nurturing, nourishing and placing values on our ideas rather than for us to see them as not being important. Note that if some of the inventors of olds and recent in this post discarded their idea by not taken then seriously.

But remember “You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea.” – Medgar Evers

I’m Olatunji Femi of www.onlinemoreincome.com  a freelance writer and blogger. Also a competent and adequate product review writer that delivers and turn your business around for maximum profit. If you’re impressed with my write-up don’t hesitate to head over to my HIREME PAGE.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com