Little Boxes
The world puts things into little boxes. Little boxes with labels; sorted by usefulness or normalcy so that it’s easy to understand what is going around us. These boxes compartmentalize the world into digestible packages; framing what we know, who we are and how we interact with the world. Boxes, categories, classes, they all mean one thing; a limitation on our potential, our self and our connection to the world around us. In my life, growing up on Vancouver Island, going to school in Burnaby and returning as a small business owner to Central Vancouver Island, I have never had much success...
Read MoreHiring a Great Employee
So you are ready to hire an employee … simple, right? Put together an ad and choose from the resumes that come in – what could be simpler? Think again. If you have your own business or are in charge of hiring for an organization, the steps you take to hire a great employee will determine the success of your business going forward. Make sure that you have a job description so that you know exactly the type of person you want to hire and the specific skills that are required for the position. This can take some thinking but it will be well worth it in determining your candidate’s...
Read MoreAlison Strom’s Yoga Bliss
If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time. (The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell, author and scholar of mythology and comparative religion) I am sinking down into the mat, all muscle has let go and my bones are heavy on the earth; my breathing has slowed. This is peace; this is rest: my body has stopped, and I have separated...
Read MoreA Muse-Driven Business
It finally began at the kitchen table of an old house in James Bay, Victoria. With a stack of sketches, a sewing machine and some material, and from a deep well of inspiration, Laura Bemister launched Victoria’s Muse Clothing Company. Seven years later, powered by hard work and inspiration, her company continues to grow. Laura Bemister is a petite, energetic, self-assured woman in her early 30s with a sparkly enthusiasm, a great big smile, and a ready laugh. Optimistic, cheerful and driven, she epitomises the enthusiastic self-starter. Her interest in fashion can be traced back to when...
Read MoreTake the Room by Storm
Take the room by storm by calming the sea of anxieties. We have all had the butterflies just before entering a room filled with people. It all comes down to variations and degrees of nervousness and anxiety. Here are some recommended tips to alleviate the stress, build confidence and camouflage your insecurities until you become more relaxed at entering events and social gatherings. 1. The best thing to do is to accept the fact that you are nervous and don’t fall victim to playing the blame game. For example; “What is wrong with me?” or “Other people don’t have this...
Read MoreMothers of invention
Like most people, I get articles sent to my Facebook acccount that cover a whole range of topics. Some are warm, some are funny, some are weird and others I wish people would not send to me. But every now and then, I receive one that really tweaks my interest. This link on women inventors was one that really surprised me. It showed amazing things that had been invented by women; mainly American women. I had no idea that that so many things we take for granted in our daily lives were the result of the ingenuity of amazing women. It also had me wondering “What about Canadian...
Read MoreGrowing your business
First choose your growth strategy – focus on sales or increase your profits. Then ask yourself the following questions to start assessing whether your business has or is able to get what it needs to successfully implement your growth strategy. 1. Products/Services • Are you seeing demand increasing for your products and services or is it slowing? • Which ones take a great deal of resources but are hard to sell or get a good price for? Are there products/services that are actually costing you money? • Are there products or services that could enhance your existing offerings and would...
Read MoreThe Gen-Y Perspective
Career change: You’ve reached that two to three year hump where your job has become stagnant and you’re starting to think about a career change. But where do you start? Instead of aimlessly sending out cover letters and resumes to companies that are currently hiring, why not make a plan for your future? By identifying the key elements of a work setting that keep you engaged and satisfied, you will help to narrow your job search and focus in on positions that you actually want. Similarly, by outlining your minimum occupational requirements, you will also help stay away from positions that...
Read MoreThe Gen-Y Perspective
Reputation management is the art of understanding or influencing one’s personal reputation in the business realm. While in the past, reputation management has played a large role in Public Relations for the likes of companies, celebrities and politicians, the upsurgence of technology has made it important for people of all walks of life to become cognizant of both their online and offline presence. For those of us who are on the hunt for a job or career change, ensuring that your reputation showcases the best version of yourself is imperative. The ability for potential employers to...
Read MoreTop Time Management Tips
1. Spinach first. cheap levitra online pharmacy Your mom was right. Always tackle the most difficult task on your plate first thing in the morning when your energy and concentration level is at its highest. Get to the hard stuff as early as you can. where to buy levitra cheap The longer you put it off in favor of easier, lower priority matters, the bigger that mound gets (and the worse it tastes). Keep the main thing the main thing. 2. Think sprint, not marathon. We are not designed to “park it” at a desk for eight hours at a stretch and get all of our work done. Short,...
Read MoreWhat are You Worth?
What is your business worth? What are you worth? Do you know? For women business owners, the question of self-worth has a habit of working its way into business, thereby affecting pricing, profitability and sometimes even growth decisions. In addition, women often tend to be intimidated by numbers and money and are put off by having to negotiate and put a value on their services. Numerous studies and statistics suggest that women-owned enterprises tend to be concentrated at the marginal end of the business sales and profitability scale. One explanation is that this is exactly where their...
Read MoreDo You Have What It Takes?
Do you have what it takes to be your own boss? http://www.spanking-news.com/wp-content/best-research-papers.html I’ve been discount code united pharmacy self-employed in one way or another since 1989 and during that time I have come to know many self-employed people. I have been mentoring and advising them over the past several years and I see a pattern in successful entrepreneurs. Here, in no particular order, is my must-have list of personality traits for the successfully self-employed: Tenacity Self-worth A Sense of humor about yourself Willingness to do the dirty work (the...
Read More9 Reasons Small Business Fails
It is not a secret that many small businesses fail in research papers for sale the viagra cheap first five years. The question is: Why do they fail and what can I do to prevent these problems in my business? Here are 9 reasons, which might help you to determine why your business isn’t growing and thriving. 1. Is it a business or a hobby: Just because you love something doesn’t mean you should convert it into a business? here is a link to the thesis generator Businesses fail because the owner feels their passion is shared by others. Do your research and make sure your idea is viable....
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