Small Business Simplifier
Helping You Work More Productively, Profitably and Enjoyably
Are you a question asker? Or are you a person who doesn’t ask questions because you don’t want to “look dumb”? Yes, sometimes asking questions can lead small-minded people to think less of us, but asking questions is an important part of the learning process. Whether we are asking questions to learn more about a …
Remember the game of telephone? When someone would repeat a sentence to the person next to them and it would go from person to person down the line, until the last person would repeat the sentence out loud and see how much it changed from the original sentence. I don’t think I ever played that …
Do you wish you could be a better writer? Are you putting off blogging because you don’t think your writing is good enough? Are your writing skills (or lack of) holding you back from the success you’re seeking? Is writing a challenge for you? You can become a better, more confident writer. You don’t have …
Do you know what the most important business skill is? It’s not sales. It’s not marketing. It’s not picking the next “sure thing”. It isn’t accounting (thank goodness for that!). And it’s not networking. The most important business skill isn’t any of these, but it is one of the keys to success in all of …
Is there anything more frustrating when doing business with someone and finding out that the relationship will be unsuccessful because you didn’t ask all the right questions before starting your project? And even more so that you didn’t know the right questions to ask? How do you know what you don’t know? Some people will …
Are you one of the many people who is terrified of public speaking or are you one of the few who knows the benefits of it? Public speaking is said to be one of the most feared activities in life. According to Wikipedia, 75% of the population experiences anxiety or nervousness when speaking in public. …
One of the things I love most about Christmastime is that good things appear in my mailbox. In addition to the usual assortment of bills and ads, I get letters and Christmas cards from friends, family and associates all around the world. I don’t know about you, but there’s something special about getting a card …
Gossip hurts. Whether you are the gossiper, or the gossipee, gossip is damaging. Gossip has been on my mind this week. Two different podcasts I listen to aired episodes about gossip. While preparing a presentation on positive communication, I remembered a time I was deeply hurt by gossip—from someone I trusted. And, sadly, I remembered …
Public speaking. Two little words that have the power to strike unspeakable fear into the hearts of the bravest of souls. I’m not sure what it is about presenting to a group, giving a speech or leading a workshop that is so fear inspiring, but there it is. Actually, I took an informal poll among …
Leadership may come with some privileges. It definitely comes with responsibilities. However, leadership does not automatically endow us with all the skills needed to become a great leader. We have all experienced inspiring leaders. Ones who motivate us and want us to do and to be better and help us to achieve our potential. And …
Like it or not, we live in a digital age. For most of us, at least a portion of our lives happens in the digital sphere. So much of business—and of life—is conducted via the internet today. Unless you only connect with people you have already met “in real life,” as they say, it is …
How will you wish your customers a happy holiday this year? Have you thought about it—or are holiday cards just an old-fashioned holdover from the last century? You can send an e-greeting for the holidays. It’s as simple as sending out your weekly or monthly newsletter. They don’t require much time, effort or expense to …
