Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from September, 2016

Fishermen Holding The Spirit of an Entrepreneur

The Entrepreneur is one of the most fundamental and important catalysts to the American economy. Without them we would not invent new things, create jobs, or start new businesses. They have a particular view of the world that makes them unique from the general population. They are rational optimists that see opportunity where others see nothing. Opportunity comes to those who can perceive it. I was on my morning walk and I watched a small fishing boat loading their fishing cages high onto the deck. A little boat and lots of cages? I was wondering how these lobster fisherman were making a living. It struck me that they fish all different types of fish throughout different seasons and this shows an entrepreneurial spirit. Fishing for a living is a hard occupation. People must work day in and day out in order to squeeze out profits. They must also comply with regulations that may help the environment but also hurt them. To succeed in this environment is nothing short of a miracle.

Evaluating the Quality of Your Marketing Methods

Selecting appropriate marketing measurements can be difficult for any company. Sometimes they are so complex they waste a lot of time and effort while still not producing beneficial data. At other times, they may be so simple but miss appropriate objectives that would help the company incorporate the information into their strategic decision making. A study of a number of companies found that solid marketing metrics should fit within the type of information offered, liability of that information, channel method and period, the mediums used and who the information is being collected for (Milichovsky & Simberova, 2015). Type of Information : It is beneficial to understand what type of information is being offered and why it is being offered. Each marketing campaign has their own messages. Careful selection of these methods can lead to greater response. Liability of that Information: All information has benefits and risks. When companies begin to brand themselves down one path it

1st International Conference on Advanced Research (ICAR - 2017)

1st International Conference on Advanced Research (ICAR - 2017) 25th and 26th of January 2017 in Bahrain. Venue: Al Manzil Hotel, Bahrain. Theme: Discover the Difference. www.apiar.org.au ISBN: 978-0-9953980-16 APIAR Scholarships APIAR is delighted to announce a competition for excellent academic papers. Entries will be judged on the quality of the paper, including the presentation. Only full paper presenters in the conference are qualified to apply. The winner will receive the cost of the air fare and accommodation for the next conference. At the same time, the conference registration fee will be waived. APIAR is also delighted to announce that registration fee will be waived for the four best paper winners to participate in the next conference.The prize is non-negotiable and no monetary alternative will be available. 1st International Conference on Advanced Research (ICAR - 2017) will be held on 25th and 26th of January 2017 in Bahrain. The main theme of this confer

Clusters that Improve American Economic Development

The American economic system is struggling and it is the time to find new methods of improving the economy and ensuring that American values stand strong in the face of global adversity. The economic system is fundamental to the reach of our commerce, health of our people, and impacts our budgets like education and the military. Clusters offer an opportunity to create greater understanding of how the economic system works and they ways to create a better platform for growth. Professor Michael Porter from the Business School at the University of California-Berkely put forward an idea that firms succeed when they are in close proximity to each other (Engel, 2014). They exist within a competitive cluster and when these clusters exert the right pressures they lead to higher states of development. Clustered firms innovated quickly and nurtured highly skilled workers. Core competencies and interactions with other firms lead to stronger innovative environments. Firms begin to seed the g

Americans Say They are Dissatisfied with Economy but "OK" with Personal Finance

A joint poll conducted by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the far majority of Americans are dissatisfied (53%) or somewhat dissatisfied (23%) with the economy. Two-thirds of adults are satisfied with their own economic situation and three-quarters are optimistic about how things are going in their own lives.  At the same time people where only moderately convinced things would be better for their kids. Why people are dissatisfied with the economy (76%) and still optimistic about their future is interesting. When they look at the large economy they feel it isn't going in the right direction but when they look at their own particular situation they seem to be just fine. There may be something going on as it relates to perception. When we look at the large economy the things people know about it are drawn from the media, politicians and government officials. It gets mixed up with other events in the world like conflict and terrorism. They blend together these co

Wealth of Character and Wealth of Objects

Nice car, nice house/apartment, fancy clothing, and a good job. It all looks great doesn't it? Most people would assume this person has everything they need. We judge people within a few seconds of meeting them and then carry this assumption throughout our relationships only changing after many alternative impressions are created. Does this outward appearance tell the whole story? Certainly it takes money and some success to buy lots of great and expensive things that help us look good. There is inherently nothing wrong will putting our best foot forward. At times this is one of the best ways to land a job, partner, or respect. However, there can be something dysfunctional when it consumes our life. Thinking logically and thinking emotionally are two different things. There are people in the world that judge everything by its outward impressions. This means they lack the substance and insight to realize that every person has inherent value.  They must understand that worldly

Learning to be a Business Guru

Business is about opportunity and then matching resources to fill the need of that opportunity. On any given day we pass hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities. The problem is that we either don't know what the opportunities are or we don't have the resources to capitalize on those opportunities. Consider both Opportunities and Capital in your learning process. Opportunities: Opportunities exist anytime there is a market need that isn't being finished. If people are willing to pay for a product then it becomes an option to find a way to service this need. People are not well trained on spotting opportunities when they exist. It is a way of looking at the world and comparing and contrasting different outcomes. The first way of finding something useful to capitalize on for business is to see "need". Find out what people want, whats available, and then determine how they can get it. For example, if your city doesn't offer methods of refurbishing o

Study Shows Student Evaluations Have Nothing to Do With Quality of Learning

Your looking at your end of course survey and find that you have been bashed by a couple of students for grading "too hard" and being "unfair in grading". With near perfect prose, which they didn't show in the classroom, they go on a long winded discussion on how poor of an instructor you are. I almost want to give them an A for the quality of their writing. With some luck you also might find an equal amount of positive comments but they are usually shorter such as ,"Great instructor!" and "Love the Class". The good news is that student evaluations have no reflection on your skill as an instructor. One could make an additional argument that high ratings doesn't necessarily mean your a good instructor. A study discussed in Inside Higher Ed helps show that there is almost no correlation between instructor quality and student evaluations. Previous studies showed only a mild correlation based on flawed research and limited examples. A rece

On the Path to Ultra Nationalism

Americans are struggling with some fears about the global economy and their place within it. Some have been displaced and many others have struggled to make financial headway. Most are living pay-check to pay-check with little respite. As the U.S. comes to grip with the rise of China and Asia it will need to consider some serious paths and consequences going forward. The people, and their representatives, will choose between greater global interaction or the charm of protectionism economics. One embraces the world and encourages the country to become more competitive while the other partially disengages somewhat from the international community and seeks to create protected industries that employ Americans. There is nothing inherently wrong with either approach but one leads to a better long-term outcome than another. There is nothing more or less patriotic in one approach over another regardless of the feelings associated with protectionism. Patriotism is that which is best for

The U.S. Fails to Maximize Gifted Education for Economic Development

Gifted people are often left out from full development and this has an impact on the American economy. Our economic development and growth comes from innovation and new product creation. Failing to develop policies that further their advancement leaves a major source of intellectual capital untapped and wasted. A study in the Journal of Advanced Academics found that description of gifted students is lacking, current students may not fit the appropriate definition, and the programs are not truly maximized (Kettler, 2016). Many students in these programs are not "gifted".  The author further makes the argument that such programs are not studied by economists in a way that encourages better policy development. The problem many educators face is that smart and gifted are not exactly the same thing. Smart people give you the answers you want while gifted give you the truest answers you may not be aware of. This means that gifted people may not actually be entering the program

Burning Calories and Socializing with Salsa Dancing

San Diego is one of those places where Salsa is popular. Likely, a result of the Spanish and Mexican influence in the area. In the area there are plenty of places to engage in salsa and free classes are usually offered before the event itself.  You can socialize and burn calories at the same time. I have to admit. I'm not a very good salsa dancer. I took some classes a while ago and then went to a salsa event recently and found that compared to these enthusiastic dancers I was poorly lacking in skills. However, people are accommodating and definitely willing to work with you. Socializing is easy. People are paired and almost everyone is willing to accommodate at least one dance. Guys can ask Ladies and Ladies can ask the Guys. It won't take long and you will meet other people who come on a regular basis and find a main partner. You can also burn a lot of calories that can be as much as 300 to 500 in an hour depending on how enthusiastic you are. I probably only burned

What is it like to do research at a University?

Reading a Journal Publication on a boat University research is an interesting and exciting endeavor. Sometimes it can be tedious and routine, especially if you are number crunching or working with data, but it can also provide great meaning for doctors that seek to contribute to society. The type of research you will enjoy is based on your personality and the type of design that suits you. There are professors out there that love....just love...love...numbers! Where I might run in the other direction and jump for the latest SPSS software they are more likely to pull out their scientific calculator and do number crunching for the fun of it! I swear they think of it like a puzzle that needs to be solved. Personally, I enjoy exploring new unique ideas that other people haven't come to full understanding about. For example, is our economic system based on financial transactions or the neuro-economic choices we make? Or something like a sociological perspective on how social cha

Harvard's Eight Point Plan for Economic Recovery

There is little doubt that the U.S. economy is running toward being a second place leader in the economy. While we haggle and engage in brutal politics the world is starting to pass us by. We could pass around the blame but we are all partly at fault for letting reason and reasonableness pass us by in an effort to score ideological points. Harvard's report highlights the fall out from political infighting and the inability to come up with strong solutions. They propose an 8 point plan for government to work on. Americans are making less money than before and are fed up with the political immaturity that hasn't gotten anything done. Business leaders are somewhat pessimistic over the economy for the next few years and don't feel their prospects are likely to grow. They are ready to invest but just need the right environment to make things happen and that means getting government on board to change. While the U.S. economy retains critical strengths in areas such as communi

When the Wind Doesn't Push Your Sails

There are times when sailing offer the great excitement of a solid wind and a good heel. You are dead in the water and can't go anywhere. There is no movement forward, no ability to steer, and no way to control the boat. Playing with sails doesn't seem to do anything. Being patient and making small adjustments might make a big difference in getting the vessel moving again. It is a lot like life. Sometimes there is just a little wind to work with and small adjustments is all you can do. Be patient because eventually the wind does return to your sails and everything comes to life again. Sailing is a fun sport that is both exciting and relaxing at the same time. Sometimes things are moving quick and you are weaving in and out of traffic trying to overcome other ships while at other times your just watching the sunset on the horizon. Mostly, your just feeling the breeze on your face and talking to friends.

Supporting Infrastructure and Alternative Transportation

Your stuck in traffic, it takes two lights to get through the intersection, while the sun bakes you in the car. Sure you can put on some great relaxing music and turn on the air conditioning but that rests your mind and doesn't fix the problem. The only way to tackle traffic is to change the entire grid work of a city; perhaps nationally. Today is the world of ideas. We are fighting a battle to rebuild the country into a competitive powerhouse. It isn't about regaining old glories but about creating new heights for other countries to emulate. This means create fundamental changes on how we do things. Transportation infrastructure is one way. We can see the ground effects of poor policy when it takes us 60 minutes to go 20 miles or when smog rises creating what looks like a fog. To fix this means we must work on developing public transportation and fixing our infrastructure to support alternative forms of transportation. Ideas I like are the use of expanded public transp

MBAcademy International Business Conference,

MBAcademy International Business Conference, Venue: Brunel University London 16-18 December, 2016. This is the call for papers for the MBAcademy International Business Conference, Venue: Brunel University London on 16-18 December, 2016. The Management and Business Academy (MBAcademy) is delighted to welcome you to International Business Conference part of Management and Business Academy philosophy and commitment to academia. The aim of MBAcademy is to bring together both academic and professional researchers, scholars and students to exchange and share their research results about all aspects of Business, Management and Marketing. In order to support and encourage interdisciplinary engagement, it is our intention to create the possibility of starting dialogues between the parallel events running during this conference. Delegates are welcome to attend up to two sessions in each of the concurrent conferences. We also propose to produce cross-over sessions between these groups. Im

What Does it Take to Get Ahead in Today's Economy?

Today's workers have a much harder time than in the past. While the economy is growing it is doing so at a much slower pace than previous recoveries. People who want to get ahead will need to make some changes that will allow it to be possible. They will need to change their approaches to the work environment and start working on their foundations. You will notice the economy shifts and changes quickly. As a person we need to continually update our employment skills. Sometimes we do well in one industry but when that industry declines we will need to consider other opportunities as well. This take a little foresight. It doesn't much matter if you are a professional or a skilled tradesman. You can still up update your skills and make sure you are competitive. Focus on the create of market value. What does your job really offer to the world? Does it have market value and are people will to pay for it? You will also want to opt to develop an enthusiastic and "go getter&

The Chaos of Economic Evolutions

Economic evolutions are ugly, chaotic but often still result in a fruitful end. Almost no one completely understands how these economic evolutions occur. Theories proposed by Schumpeter and Marshall have their own ideas but don't describe the phenomenon in its entirety. There is plenty of more room to discuss this issue. A journal article in Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik discusses evolutionary economics according to Schumpeter and Marshall (Rahmeyer, 2013). Schumpeter believed that newly established firms were agents of change while Marshall believed innovation is the side effect of manufacturing and division of labor. Both have some legitimacy in their arguments.  Along with Schumpeter it isn't hard to see that new firms, which start by new ideas, can become catalysts for market change when their ideas work and are rewarded on the market .  Unsuccessful firms die and successful one's thrive and eventually are copied by other firms seeking similar advan

Commissioned Art

I have been lucky enough to work on some commissioned art. While I believe I have learned a lot over the past few years and am improving my impressionism I am learning that different types of art appeals to different types of personality. The artistic style I am engaging in seems to appeal to people who are more the feeling type. They are not interested in exact representations but perpetuating a feeling on canvas. While I have sold a few art pieces here and there this would be my first commissioned painting. Commissioned painting means that someone is willing to pay for the art prior to it being created. The person gave me a picture and said please paint this and I will pay you XXXX dollars. They felt something when sitting on the cliff that day and wanted to have a memory of it in their home. This art I am dubbing "Seaside Memories" while the owner will likely find their own name.

The Importance of Practitioner-Scholars Deciphering and Applying Research Studies

Information is constantly changing and practitioner-scholars have the distinct advantage of applying theory to the workplace to solve practical problems. Knowledge creates new opportunities that can lead to higher levels adaptation within companies. Scholars should continue to update their knowledge by reading research studies and outcomes that further their knowledge base in their chosen fields. More importantly they should decipher these studies so that a bridge between academia and practical application is created To continue one's knowledge it is beneficial to dig through the literature and try and understand how these theories can be used to further industry advancement. It takes a little time and effort as even doctors have a hard time deciphering the nature of theoretical studies. Research can be complex and have a lot of historical literary background that seeks to synthesize knowledge. of the field to support new innovations. This makes such studies beneficial to rea

Exploring the World and Exploring Yourself through Sailing

Sailing with the wind fluffing in your face and the sun shining down on the deck as the clear blue ocean bobs your vessel up and down is a wonderful feeling. There is nothing on the horizon but open ocean and a world of possibility. As you sail the seas you also begin to learn a few things about yourself. Exploration is a matter of perspective.  The world has all types of weather. Everyday can be sunny, overcast, stormy, or have no wind. Each scenarios creates new opportunities to meet challenges and find ways to get around problems to meet your goals and objectives. Lets say the day is sunny and there is no wind. The boat won't go anywhere because the wind wont fill the sails and the rudder wont steer the ship. You are stuck! What you want to do is get to a good line, maximize your opportunities, and open your sails to catch the next wind. A little puff and everything changes. Storms also have their challenges but also maximize their opportunities for growth. Through dif

The Spirit of Justice from the Republic Book 2

Western society is founded, at least in part, from the concepts written into the Republic. In Book II Socrates is discussing the nature of justice but is having a hard time understanding the difference between what makes one just and one unjust. The just and the unjust seem to have equal consideration with the later having some advantages. In our lives we see justice and injustice mixed together. A just system can be mixed with many injustices. The same can be said for the complex nature of people and the interpretation of their actions. The structural system of a state is made of individuals and their complexity. It would seem at times the unjust have advantages because they have few values and will always seek unfair gain regardless of the damage and chaos they cause to others. The just will be bound by their conscious and therefore limited and hindered . Therefore, it would seem that the unjust should be promoted and the just should be discouraged; but, this isn't the case.

The Importance of Enjoying Each Day

Life is a journal but the enjoyment of that journey itself is as important, if not more important, than the end result. We often fail to accept life for what it is and keep our focus on the future and the past in a way that doesn't help us live fulfilling lives or encourage greater clarity to achieve higher work results. The creation of work-life balance is 95% mental as learn to enjoy and focus on each day. The creation of great results is happens as baby steps each day as people complete tasks that lead to bigger success down the road. At that moment they are working on one task and this should hold their primary attention. Maintain your performance through clarity of thought. While the tasks add up and we should have a general idea of what we want to accomplish we should not remove our focus from the present. Doing so increases our attention and improve the result. Focusing heavily on the future and past divides our attention and reduces our performance outcomes. It can be

2016 Academic OASIS – LAS VEGAS International Multidisciplinary Academic Conference

2016 Academic OASIS – LAS VEGAS International Multidisciplinary Academic Conference Theme: Promoting Academic Research Advancements and Worldwide Progress SPONSORED By: The Coca-Cola Company ORGANIZED by: International Academy for Advancement of Business Research - IAABR Jointly with Academic Organization for Advancement of Strategic and International Studies – Academic OASIS DATES: OCTOBER 16th -18th, 2016 PLACE: LAS VEGAS, USA The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV USA The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower is one of the world’s most recognizable icons, located on the Las Vegas Strip. Soaring 1,149 feet tall, our one-of-a-kind Tower defines the Vegas skyline, offering unparalleled, panoramic views of Las Vegas. The Stratosphere is a five-time award winner in the prestigious Las Vegas Review-Journal 2015 Best of Las Vegas Readers Poll, earning these top honors: - Best Place to View the City - Stratosphere Tower - B

Are You Supposed to be Eating This for Breakfast?

Eating breakfast is hugely important for health. It gets our metabolize moving and puts a solid nutritional foundation throughout the rest of the day. The question becomes what type of breakfast should we be having and how should we eat throughout the day? When we were on farms we loved to eat a big breakfast. However, in today's world we eat something much smaller and then opt for a hug supper. I think the opposite is more important. It seems to be wiser to eat a large breakfast, a small lunch, and a smaller supper. This provides more opportunity to have your energy through the busiest part of the day and then reduce those calories as you become prepared for sleep. Eating a large meal late at night might cause excess calories to deposit and raise your fat level. What you eat for breakfast is as important as the size. Consider healthy foods such as whole grains, eggs, lean meats vs. bacon/sausage, wholewheat bread and fruit.

Starting a Wine Business

A good friend invited his cohort to a villa outside of San Diego that is run as a tasting room and wine production facility. He has been working and volunteering their to learn the wine business for sometime. After experimenting with a few different sweet wines he settled on a few production recipes. He explains his journey to wine making. He has a fascination for the business and is a little bit of a hopeless romantic. He left his occupation in the past year and is pursuing his wine line with full throttle. He hopes to raise capital and move into pushing sales as much as possible. There are a few caveats he needs to learn. While the product is one of the most important aspects of the business it is the business itself that will determine success. Many people come up with a great product but don't manage the business well. He will need to ensure that he pushes his sales strongly. Without sales he doesn't have a business! It should be noted that there are also lots o

A Short Yoga Routine for Back Pain

This is a solid short yoga workout for those who have back pain. For those who sit in a chair a long time their backs will often start to hurt. Engaging in some stretching exercises can help loosen the back and create greater spinal alignment.

The Internalized Genius of Innovation and Country Patents

The lone-genius has a place in American history through individualistic underpinnings. The lone-genius is a not well understood phenomenon and their impact on society is even less understood. According to a study in the Journal of International Marketing the lone-genius makes solid contributions through innovation that contributes to firm commercialization and exports (Shaffer, Chastagner, & Umesh, 2016). Greater awareness of their process of discoveries can lead to higher economic development. Genius and innovative discovery are based in the context of society. If the environment is open to new ideas, socially accepting, and not overly critical, creativity can flourish. Inventions and new patents rise as people are willing to take risks to explore new ideas and outcomes. Some discoveries can't be easily quantified but can make a lasting impact on society. For example in Schumpeter's discussion of lone genius it is possible for them to trigger through discovery disruption

2016 International Conference on Education, Psychology, and Learning

The 2016 International Conference on Education, Psychology, and Learning - Fall Session (ICEPL-Fall 2016) is to be held in Seoul, Korea, on November 7-9. The aim of this conference is to provide a platform which focuses on certain important topics of Education, Psychology, and Learning. Detailed information about the conference can be found on the official website. We sincerely invite your participation for this event. Submitted papers will be subject to a double-blind review process. All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings, under an ISSN reference, on CD-ROM support. Conference Website: http://iainst.org/icepl/ Online Submission: http://iainst.org/icepl/submission Enquiries: icepl.fall@gmail.com Submission Deadline: September 15, 2016

Integrating Your Workouts Throughout the Day

Finding time to work out can be difficult. People work hard to make it to the gym and sometimes all that effort to get to the gym thwarts the ability to actually keep a regular fitness routine. Integrating your workout throughout your day can add up in creating a greater variety and consistency in fitness outcomes. You only need to start thinking about what adds to your fitness in ways that are practical. Let me give you an example. Many of us choose to drive our car to the grocery store to buy our products. We are missing an excellent opportunity to walk and bike. It might take you 15 minutes to get there which becomes an extra 30 minutes of working out. Perhaps you think that would be a lot of work. It is but you can now go a few times a week and can further your enjoyment by learning to cook. You are saving your time while still doing something practical. The same process can be applied to taking the dog for a speed walk, walking up the stairs at work. completing a task b

Avoiding Workplace Drama and Narcissm

Workplaces and social gatherings can be notorious for workplace dramas and issues. Learning how to avoid drama can lead to higher levels of work-satisfaction and productivity. One of the biggest career breakers is a persons personality. While some of this stems from natural social interaction others come from dysfunctional personalities. Let me give you a scenario. An employee began to repeat things that others were saying. In addition, without being respectful of private conversations he would say the horrendous things about his bosses and other employees. If you acknowledged his concerns, even out out of respect for him, he would take pieces of the conversation, twist them, and repeat them. In most cases, the things he repeated were his personal beliefs and comments that had little reflection on the actual conversation. He had a hard time recognizing the difference between his and others behaviors.  He was a high conflict narcissist that created drama wherever he went and whomeve

Self-Image and Brand

It is hard to imaging that the products we buy have both self-congruity and country of origin aspects to them. According to a study in Social Behavior & Personality consumer intention to purchase is often based on the brands alignment with culture and self-perception (Yu, Lin & Cheb, 2013). People view brands within the context of their cultures, self-image, and countries. Brands can be seen as foreign or domestic. They must still be viewed as part of the persons identity and how they view themselves. Consider that a brand is more image than anything else. It is how it is perceived in the market by those who would consider buying it. It could stand for quality, coolness, fun, sophistication, etc... The person must make a connection between themselves and the brand. You may also find that some brands don't sell well in some countries. An example, I can think of is nationalism and consumerism. Chinese may feel a sense of loyalty to buying their own brands while Americ

Management by Fire

Sometimes the best way to determine if a manager is going to succeed is to throw them into the ring and see if they can jump their way out of the fire. It isn't the preferred method but it does work when the training and support have already been offered. People perform their best or worst under direct stress in their environment. We can send managers to training, provide education and mentor them. At the end of the day we will need to test their skill in some way. This usually happens when we need them to show they can perform. The real environment is very different than the academic or training environment. It is based on actual challenges that don't have hard and fast rules. Theory becomes reality and practicality takes precedence. While some managers may fail some will also succeed. They will be able to handle the rigors and make their way through the challenge to the other end. They can use their abilities to keep calm, motivate and act to achieve their objectives.

Asian Economic and Financial Review

We would like to invite you to submit your research paper for  possible publication in  Asian Economic and Financial Review . This is a peer reviewed,  scholarly journal devoted to publishing high-quality papers with an internationally recognized Editorial Board Members. It is published on the monthly basis and covers a wide variety of topics including:  Economic Issues -  Growth and Development Strategies,  Fiscal System and Policy,  Monetary System and Policy,  Income Distribution,  Poverty,  Unemployment,  Inflation,  Saving,  Investment,  Consumption,  Human capital,  Trade Policy,  FDI,  WTO,  The History of Economic Thought.  Financial Economics -  Financial Reforms,  Finance and Investment,  International Trade and Finance,  Asset Pricing Theory,  Risk Securitization,  Derivatives and Structured Financial Products,  Commercial Insurance and Reinsurance,  Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions,  The Microstructure of the Finance Market.  Industrial Economics -  Islamic Econo

How to Start a Business in 10 Day

A pretty neat video on how to start a business in 10 days. Some solid advice about the general processes and concerns you will need to think about.

Study Says Strong Relationships with Customers Leads to Repeat Online Sales

Satisfied customers buy again, again, and again! A study in Management found that that this is true with online repeat purchases strongly driven by customer satisfaction. This satisfaction was driven by factors such as personalization, and ease of communication (Mpinganjira, 2014). It is difficulty to differentiate in the online world were customers can easily bounce to other sites. Yet the relationships you build with your customers will last a long time and could be a differentiating factor. The study does highlight how we are in a competitive world and products can look relatively similar to customers. There is no great sense of loyalty. It leaves customers service, language, interaction, and behavior as a deciding factor as to whether the customer will return to your business in the future. Consider that each of us loves to be treat with respect and have our answers handled promptly. Some websites are actually designed to turn customers away by not having phone numbers, emails, a

Learning about Business from the "Old Guys"

Those "Old Guys" have a wealth of information us younger people don't seem to understand or be familiar with. They came from a time of chalkboards and trial & error. Many live their lives and work toward their goals gaining traction even into their senior years. Sometimes striking up a conversation will open the doors to an enthusiastic person who desires to share their success and sorrows. I had the pleasure of opening a conversation with a 75 year old man with a Bermuda shirt, tennis shoes and khaki dress pants. He stood about five and a half feet tall, bald with just a touch of white hair, and a mustache that has long past its fashion. Partly hunched over his drink he was reading the news off his I phone. He looked like he should be in an old folks home but was instead running a thriving small business that supported him and his wife as well as put a couple of his grandchildren through school. Who know orthopedic shoes could be so lucrative? As he described it.

Empathy Like Shakespeare Leads to Social Influence

I read an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education entitled How to Think Like Shakespeare   that   discuss how empathy and communication skills lead to greater social influence. His communication and empathy abilities allowed Shakespeare to become very successful in his life and achieved great wealth and fame. He was able to use his social networks to create opportunities. The article discusses his great literary skills and how they impacted the way he thought. He had more ways of describing events and issues. This led to richness of depth and thought that many others do not share. He was a learned and sophisticated thinker that become more skilled at understanding. The way we think and the words impact the way we think about issues. If our words are positive, beneficial, honest, etc...they will have a completely different result then if a person is negative, condescending, rude, and aggressive. Shakespeare was able to use his literary skills to describe his world in an accur