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Keeping the Family Business Running and the Business Family Happy

Written by Rob DePalo Jr.

Running a successful business is complex per se. Adding the element of “family” to a business often creates more complexities, especially as the business grows. Lifelong family bonds and expectations can run headlong into business realities and needs. Today, we’ll share some ideas about how to keep the family business running and the business family happy.

First, a definition

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Why Now Is the Perfect Opportunity to Promote Remote Learning for Employees

Written by Susan Fitzell

Going beyond the LMS with remote learning to boost retention and business growth

The pandemic has revealed a silver lining for employees: reduced commuting time. Rather than spending two to four hours per day commuting to and from an office, employees are signing on and off each day with zero commute time. They’ve gained so many more hours in their day that many workers are reluctant to return to the old office-based work structure.

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PIT Stops Win the Race

Written by Machen MacDonald

Successful people know the secret of slowing down to speed up. It's about simplification and elimination. Finding ways to lighten the load, staying focused on the destination, and doing what must get done to complete the journey.

In auto racing, pit stops are a necessity to complete the race. Replenishing fuel, changing tires as they wear down and become unsafe, cleaning windshields, and making minor adjustments or repairs are all part of the successful pit stop. Even though when a car pulls into the pits, the pack of cars it was once ahead of passes on by, the car is doing the best thing for its chance to win. The other cars will need to pit as well, at some point, providing our car the chance to leap ahead. If the other cars don’t pit they run the risk of running out of fuel or worse…crashing and not finishing the race because of a worn tire that blows out or mechanical failure.

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Hiring for Success-3 Key Steps

Written by Garrett Grega - Transforming Business Cultures and Leaders from the Inside Out


Have you ever hired the wrong person? If you could identify the characteristics for success in a position in advance, would you make the commitment? What if you had access to an assessment process that can compare “success” characteristics across multiple candidates, would this make it easier to hire?

Many companies approach their hiring process the same way. They cast a job description out and receive resumes from recruiters, employment sites, or their own career sites. As the hiring manager, you then need to filter through the list of resumes to find the perfect candidates for the role. Even after interviewing, you still may not know if the candidate will be a long-term fit for the organization.

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Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Written by:  Alan Goldberg

Most of us are happiest operating within our “comfort zone” -- where everything is routine, familiar & safe. Inside our comfort zone, though, we rarely unlock our fullest potential. We often stay at a job or in a relationship, longer than we should -- because of its familiarity. There's comfort in security. The unknown can seem daunting.

Entrepreneurship is treacherous ground. You may face great risks, from the inception of a company through its growth stage, and even as you stabilize and gain momentum. If you’re going to be successful as a business owner, you need to be prepared for risk and address your fears proactively.

While each entrepreneur and each business is unique, there are five common fears almost every entrepreneur will need to face before starting a business:

Money
A business costs a lot of money to start and run. Capital is one of the biggest concerns most entrepreneurs have, and with good reason. Funding usually comes directly from an entrepreneur's savings or the pockets of independent investors. If you can't secure a reliable revenue stream by the time that initial startup capital runs out, the business -- and all that money -- is in jeopardy of being lost for good. Disappointing investors is one thing but losing your life savings is another!

Skills
Running a business takes specific talents and skills. Whether you're worried that you aren't good enough as an entrepreneur or that your product isn't good enough to be competitive, these fears can be debilitating.

Remember a simple concept that applies to all businesses launching with a minimum viable product. Your product doesn't have to be perfect when it first launches, nor does it have to be the best. It just has to be acceptable. From there, you'll have plenty of room to make improvements over time. No product ever starts out perfect. As an entrepreneur, you too can be a minimum viable product. You don't have to make all the right decisions, and you don't need to be a perfect leader. You just have to be passable until you have the time and experience to improve yourself.

Stress
The entrepreneurial life isn't chosen because it's easy. It's chosen because it's a challenge with many rewards along the way. If you're getting into entrepreneurship because it seems like an easy way to get rich quickly, someone has lied to you.

Entrepreneurship is riddled with obstacles, stress, and hard work. But, the flip side of entrepreneurship is control. Yes, you will inevitably feel overwhelmed at times, but it's all completely within your power to change.

Knowledge
You don't know what you don't know. The unknown is indescribable and impossible to prepare for. When you first get started with a business plan, a bit of money, and maybe a partner or a mentor by your side, you'll have no idea what to expect in your first year. For many, it's a thrilling thought, but it's also terrifying.

Entrepreneurship isn't a job. It becomes a lifestyle. You're choosing to be in this role because you're a risk-taker, you're passionate, you work hard and you believe in your idea.

Failure
The fear of failure gets the better of all of us occasionally. There are small failures -- such as a botched email-marketing campaign or a major bug you discover post-launch, and massive failures -- such as your company's going under. Failure will set you back no matter what. But, you can't let the fear of failure stop you from making a decision. Failure is only the end of the road if you let it be. Otherwise, it's just a temporary stopping point in a long path to a final destination. More important, failures are learning opportunities. Every failure you experience yields a lesson you can incorporate into your business or your life.


The above is more than enough to conquer any obstacle that gets in your way -- even the unknown ones. So put those fears to rest and believe in yourself. Risks shouldn't steer you away from pursuing entrepreneurship. Instead, see them for what they are: necessary obstacles on a greater path. There's no way to avoid the risks you'll face as an entrepreneur, but by recognizing them, you can prepare and mitigate them.

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Team Dynamics: 4-Stages Model Part 1

Written by Garrett Grega

You are supervising a new team.  How can you assess your team’s ability to succeed?  What do you need to do to achieve a high-performance team?  Over 15 years ago, I was introduced to the “Four Stages Model” of career development.  While simple in construct, the “Four Stages Model” provides a powerful tool in assessing not only your personal development but the development of your team.

The “Four Stages Model” is based on the research of Harvard Professors, Gene Dalton, and Paul Thompson.  The model describes four different stages of career development:  Dependent Contributor, Independent Contributor, Coach / Mentor, and Visionary.

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6 Tips For Using LinkedIn!


Written by MerriLyn Gibbs

In our current work-from-home climate, the use of LinkedIn has become more and more important. It is a means of connecting, nurturing relationships, and promoting business and career development. Still, there also seems to be a lot of confusion on how to use it properly and what to actually "DO" with the platform.

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Thriving During COVID and Beyond

Written by Machen MacDonald

2020 into 2021 is anybody’s guess. As business owners and as citizens, the quality of our lives is in direct proportion to our ability to handle uncertainty. We can’t control situations and circumstance we find ourselves in. However, we always have the power to choose the brightest perspective.

We have a unique opportunity to build our mental and emotional strength by frequenting the G.Y.M (Guide Your Mind) each day. Philosopher Marcus Aurelius stated, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” In this case the G.Y.M. can also mean - Guard Your Mind. Once a thought, concept, or vision, get’s in, it can be hard to get it out. Be the ultimate guardian of what you let in.

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6 Tips to Avoid the BLACK HOLE of Your Inbox

Written by MerriLyn Gibbs

The biggest time-waster in my opinion is the all-mighty inbox. I call it the ​ Black Hole.​ It seems once you start going through your inbox, you suddenly notice that 2 hours just went by and you feel like you literally got nothing done. Well, no more, let's start practicing these 5 tips to make you more time-efficient with the all mighty inbox.

1) Schedule Your Time​ : Start with segmenting when you look at your inbox. I suggest 3 times a day. Once to start your workday, sometime in the middle of your workday, possibly right after lunch and then once to end your day.

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