Business Management Life

Review: Ronald Reagan’s Leadership Lessons

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Ronald Reagan was a product of America’s heartland, a kid who had a Huck Finn childhood and never lost his aw-shucks, all-American optimism. He moved to Hollywood, became a minor film star, and got involved in politics-at first on the left. But in the shadow of the 1950s anti-Communism furor, he moved to the right and began a steady rise to the pinnacle of power. Initially derided as a lightweight, a none-too-bright actor incapable of leading a nation, he proved his detractors wrong. Using extraordinary charm, conviction, communication skills, and stagecraft, Reagan became one of the most beloved, admired, and influential presidents in American history.

Of all American presidents, few could match Ronald Wilson Reagan in the art of leadership. He knew America. Ronald came into office in 1980-when the national mood was glum and the future looked problematic (sound familiar?)-and he lifted the country’s spirits on a wave of hope, purpose, and unabashed patriotism. In the years that followed, productivity and prosperity-at least for the upper and middle classes-increased at home, the Berlin Wall came down, and the Soviet Union collapsed, making America the de facto winner of the Cold War. Ronald’s policies played a part, of course, but it wasn’t just his management style that captured the heart of America. He brought something intangible to the national stage, an innate optimism that simply made Americans feel better.

New Word City, publishers of digital originals, contributes 10 percent of its profits to literacy causes.

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The StartUp Guide to DropShipping

The path to drop-shipping success is riddled with many challenges. Over 95% of start-ups in this business do not make it past their first year. Beginners love the ease and convenience of drop-shipping, which includes no inventory, no outdated stocks, and the freedom to specialize in as many niches as you prefer. In addition to these advantages, drop-shipping is a perfect work-from-home business, allowing you to set your own schedule and be your own boss.

However, you need to follow certain guidelines if you want to avoid becoming yet another statistic among thousands of failed drop-ship businesses. The hype surrounding the business makes people believe that drop-shipping requires zero investment and provides unrealistically quick returns. The successful seller is willing to learn the ropes and work on building the business. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Market Research

All serious attempts at creating start-ups require you to assess the market and find out which products are in demand. You can start by studying the most popular items on eBay and Amazon. Go through drop-ship forums to find out what people are discussing, and get a few hints on what to sell. Identify your own preferences: technical, cosmetics, fashion, collections, or electronics.

No business is complete without a business plan. A business plan often differentiates the successful seller from the failed drop-ship aspirant. Creating a business plan may look difficult, but it is an essential part of any successful venture. The plan includes investment estimates, sales strategies, and supplier projections.

Finding Suppliers

Next, see if the products you short-listed can be acquired through suppliers. Unless you have a supply of products, you cannot sell them. Good suppliers are unfortunately few and far between. Many wholesalers do not want to get involved in drop-shipping. Other suppliers charge exorbitantly, often exceeding the retail value of the product. If manufacturers do not deal directly with wholesalers, they may direct you to local distributors. Therefore, approach manufacturers directly if you cannot find a supplier for a preferred product.

Sometimes, you have to create your own supply lines. Small manufacturers or distributors are often unaware of the concept of drop-shipping. Don’t ignore them. If you explain how you can have a mutually beneficial business arrangement, they may allow you to sell products for them.

Drop-shipping scams can ruin businesses. Do not deal with suppliers you don’t find trustworthy. If possible, insist on sampling the product before placing orders. Be very careful not to invest in items that are not genuine. Discuss issues such as shipping charges, seller commissions, and return policies.

In a drop-ship enterprise, a lot depends on the relationship between the supplier and seller. This is all the more important considering there are very few reliable sellers who offer quality products at wholesale prices. Some unethical wholesalers demand fees to work with sellers; always look for sellers who do not charge anything.

How Much to Invest

You can start a business with zero investment, particularly a home-based, online business. However, building your business quickly is easier if you opt for certain paid services, such as website development and online advertising. Spend your money wisely. Don’t buy kits that promise drop-shipping nirvana by setting up your business in 24 hours and getting you the first $2000 in 3 days.

A big debate on drop-shipping forum centers is on the relevance of paid drop-ship directories. A paid directory is good only if it gives you access to existing suppliers and their contact details. Many directories are months, even years, old. Therefore, you lose money by purchasing the directory. Some drop-ship directories are available free of cost, and there is no harm in trying them.

Setting Up an Online Store

An eBay, Yahoo!, or Amazon store is very easy to set up. In the initial stages, you do not have to build an e-commerce website dedicated to your products. A blog (try free blog platforms such as Blogger, WordPress, or TypePad) is a great way of keeping in touch with customers. A regularly updated blog assures them that you are the master of your niche and you have been in business for a while.

Unlike most concrete retail stores, online stores have two functions: selling as well as promotion. When you advertise your business through blogs, articles, social networking websites, or newspaper advertisements, you will direct people to your site. This is why an attractive storefront (or layout) with plenty of information on the products on sale is important.

Most auction sites have easy-to-use features. You do not have to be a programmer to set up an online account with them. Good product descriptions and positive feedback from customers is essential for building a strong business.

Sales and Promotion

The Internet is thick with advertising platforms, paid and free. Many people use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to promote products. Build online communities, participate in forums, or comment on blogs of other industry insiders. And, leave a link to your website on each of these forums.

Using paid advertising is another way to draw customers. Facebook, Google, and many blogs run programs that allow small businesses to capture relevant customer base information at minimal cost. How much you pay for advertising depends on the product. Some keywords cost as little as $0.01 per click; others command prices as high as $6 a click.

No matter how large or small your business, customer service should be your first priority. A happy customer is the best publicity. Positive customer feedback on eBay, for example, can spell the difference between a tepid and hot start-up on the Internet. Answer e-mails as soon as possible, provide descriptive product information, and act on fair return requests promptly.

Follow these guidelines, and find yourself on the road to riches (or at least an extra income) in a few months.

Wholesale forum is the web’s American forum where you can find wholesale forum and wholesale dropshippers directory and discussions about ebay sources and wholesale bargains. Join today for eBay tips, information and much more.

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Why Board Members Sometimes Go to Jail, For Real!

There are many reasons why people choose to serve on boards. Maybe a friend, family member, or co-worker asked you to serve to help out. Maybe you wanted to share your years of knowledge and expertise with an organization to strengthen your community. However, it is highly unlikely that you joined so that you can get fined or thrown in jail! But it is no secret that board members have been fined for neglecting their duties as director and sent to jail.

But Why?

1. Some are simply are unaware of their responsibilities and roles and avoid fulfilling them which leave them and their organization at greater risk for liability issues. How can a they fulfill their responsibility if they are unaware of what is required of them? By not ensuring that your directors are fully aware of what is expected of them in their role and responsibilities the organization may be at risk for conducting itself in a manner that is illegal.

2. Some forfeit their responsibilities by not attending meetings and/or rubber stamping decisions made by other board members. Just because a board member is absent from a meeting or several meetings does not prevent them from being held liable for the bad decisions that other directors make during their absences.

3. Some knowingly put their personal interests in front of the organization’s best interests. Boards have the collective responsibility to ensure that none of the board members are working in their self-interest. How do you do this? What standards need to be established to prevent this from happening? These are some of the issues that need to be addressed to help you develop a board that is high-performing. If a board allows one or even a few other board members to work in their own self-interests, it runs a great risk of having to pay severe fines and even do jail time. The IRS and attorney generals do not take these matters lightly, so invest into laying a great foundation for your organization.

Rodney D. Walker, M.B.A., M.A., is a professional life and business coach. Visit him today at http://www.waa.bz to sign up for his coaching newsletter, coaching blog, and receive his coaching tips. Copyright, 2010, Walker & Associates

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Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (J-B Lencioni Series)

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In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams.

Kathryn Petersen, Decision Tech’s CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: Uniting a team in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni’s utterly gripping tale serves as a timeless reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight.

Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams even the best ones-often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team. Just as with his other books, Lencioni has written a compelling fable with a powerful yet deceptively simple message for all those who strive to be exceptional team leaders.

Once again using an astutely written fictional tale to unambiguously but painlessly deliver some hard truths about critical business procedures, Patrick Lencioni targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. And like those preceding it, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is an entertaining, quick read filled with useful information that will prove easy to digest and implement. This time, Lencioni weaves his lessons around the story of a troubled Silicon Valley firm and its unexpected choice for a new CEO: an old-school manager who had retired from a traditional manufacturing company two years earlier at age 55. Showing exactly how existing personnel failed to function as a unit, and precisely how the new boss worked to reestablish that essential conduct, the book’s first part colorfully illustrates the ways that teamwork can elude even the most dedicated individuals–and be restored by an insightful leader. A second part offers details on Lencioni’s “five dysfunctions” (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results), along with a questionnaire for readers to use in evaluating their own teams and specifics to help them understand and overcome these common shortcomings. Like the author’s previous books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, this is highly recommended. –Howard Rothman

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Review: The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People & Teams That Win Consistently

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“Your only job is to help your players be better.” That single idea had a huge impact on Tony Dungy when he heard it from one of his earliest mentors, and it led him to develop the successful leadership style so admired by players and coaches throughout the NFL. Now, a storied career and a Super Bowl victory later, Tony Dungy is sharing his unique leadership philosophy with you. In The Mentor Leader, Tony reveals what propelled him to the top of his profession and shows how you can apply the same approach to virtually any area of your life. In the process, you’ll learn the seven keys of mentoring leadership—and why they’re so effective; why mentor leadership brings out the best in people; how a mentor leader recovers from mistakes and handles team discipline; and the secret to getting people to follow you and do their best for you without intimidation tactics. As a son, a football player, and a winning coach, Tony has always learned from others on his path to success. Now you can learn to succeed for your team, family, or organization while living out your values—by becoming a mentor leader.

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How to Pick a Good Office Removals Company

If you’re a manager or any kind of a supervisor of an office, then you know how difficult it is to move locations. There’s so much that you have to have ready and you have to do. You can’t just move it yourself, of course. If you did, most of the office would run and not show up, and you’d end up taking your back out. Either way, you need a good office removals company. Office removals are a big deal. You are not only transferring items, but also loads of information that you absolutely cannot lose. This includes important client documents. You aren’t just transferring your things-you’re transferring your livelihood!

Which is why you might need help picking a good office removals company. So what is your best bet? What do you look for?

First of all, you want to try Google search. It might seem like a bit of a cliché, but it’s a great way to find out what’s local and what they have to offer, assuming that they have a website. Most websites also have free quotes. You are able to see how much you might end up spending before you have to spend it.

Second, you need to look up reviews of whatever companies catch your eyes. Why? Well, if not then you won’t see what you’re really getting. Keep your eyes out not only for amazingly good reviews, but also for the negative reviews. See if you can find a few similarities. For example, if Bob’s Amazingly Studly Movers happen to take lunch breaks every five seconds and you see them eating a sandwich more than moving your items, according to the reviews, then you need to kick them to the curb. If this is mentioned more than twice (after all, maybe they just got the same person and they’re the only problem), then you should definitely give them the boot. Don’t hesitate and risk hiring someone with a bad reputation. You deserve the best as far as office removals go.

Next, call and ask for a consultation. If the company doesn’t “do consultations” then there is a chance that they are scammers and you should turn tail and run. It’s not worth putting your job on the line for scammers who just want to steal your money.

Once you have found a company you trust, you can go from there. You can either have your office members pack (it’s recommended if you have a very large office) or have the office removals company pack. It’s up to you. However, make sure that everything is properly packed, labeled, and ready to go if you pack. This will save you and the movers some time later on when you all have to unpack. Make sure that any important files are in their proper places, and that all file cabinets are secured and locked. If they don’t lock, use a bit of packing tape to ensure that the drawers won’t pop open during the trip and that you won’t lose any files on the way to your new location.

Professional Removal Company offering moving and storage in London and the UK. For details visit http://www.londonremovals.co.uk

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Ways to Get New Product Ideas

Getting good product ideas is a difficult task as unless the product idea is novel or interesting it gets difficult to start anything. But following are some cool product ideas that can help you get started. The one common thing that everyone faces is problems. And your first product is here.

People have problems all the time. Nothing can be more successful than solving problems of people. All you have to do is to think of various product ideas that can provide solution to all the problems.

If this seems like too tiring a task then another idea could be to be aware of the hot and the latest trend which exists in the market. You can know that by browsing through the website or going through newspapers and magazines. Once you know what the current trend is all you have to do is create a product that is related with this current trend.

In fact a new product idea can exist from an ole product. Take up on old product, study it well and see where it is lacking. Then think of the many ways through which you can improve the old product. Then simply re-brand it with the new attributes and sell it in the market.

Or another idea could come from creating a separate niche for your product in the market. This niche will obviously come both from your experience and market study of brands. After you have created your own niche your product will easily be differentiated from competition and will also be better appreciated.

Another way is simply adding on to the existing products. For instance if you product is a face cream then add related products like a facial toner, hand cream and so on. By packaging your product well it would be easier to generate more sales.

Renovating an old product by changing its look and design completely is another way of looking at product idea. Talking to your customers can help in developing more product ideas. Customers will tell you correctly what kind of products you should launch depending on their needs.

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Decorate Your Shipments With Package Labels

While package labels for shipping were once only used by the big businesses who could afford them, thanks to the internet and advances in technology, anyone can use them. Professional labels done with advanced design tools and digital printing can be ordered online with the click of your mouse. From company logos to pictures of the grandkids, labels can be personalized for work or home.

Why Use Package Labels?
Whether you are a small business or just mail packages on a regular basis, using package labels can be of benefit. Of course using pre-made printed labels saves time, but there are many other great uses for them. When marketing and branding is essential for even the home business, even small details like using distinctive package labels can set you apart from other small businesses. Consider these great reasons to use self sticking address labels:

- Using distinctive labels can create brand identity for small businesses.
- They are a simple and effective marketing practice.
- They are very helpful in use for online sales and help buyers remember your name and quality of service.
- In personal use, they can make packages from you more identifiable.
- They can give packages a more festive look.
- The are super easy, save lots of time, and leave you more time to focus on the other things on your to-do list.
- They can be ordered in themes for special occasions such as Christmas, family reunions, graduation or parties.
- They make the package, no matter what it contains, look exciting and inviting.
- They are affordable and available in large and small quantities.

Is Printing My Own a Good Option?
The advances and availability of computer programs and home printers makes printing just about anything possible. However, printing your own labels may include one important disadvantage. In most cases, the ink used in home printers is water soluble and will run or smear if it becomes wet, making reading the address impossible. Ordering your labels from an online company is much more cost effective than printing them at home as they have equipment dedicated to printing.

How Do I Choose the Right Label?
There are so many options available to choose from, so how do you know which one is right for you? There are many suppliers offering printed shipping labels in various grades of quality, so it is important to know your purpose, type of material to which it will be applied and how many you need. There are several things you should look for when considering which one is right for your purpose. Remember these points:

- Should be sufficiently sticky
- They should stand up to the process of mail sorting
- Should be water resistant and ink should not run when wet
- Paper quality should be durable so that it can be removed from the backing and placed on the appropriate areas without folding or wrinkling
- Should not blend into the wrapping
- Should properly represent the business, company or occasion
- Should be memorable as well as functional

Since quality packaging labels are readily available and affordable, the last decision is just which ones fit within your budget.

Missing his family while on the road is the toughest part of the job for Johney Maron. His kids send him care packages decorated with package labels and pictures to make sure he feels a part of their daily lives. Colorful Images has a large selection of mailing and return address labels you can personalize with photos, monograms, and more. Anything you need to punch up your correspondence!

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Review: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

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Forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people–at work, at school, at home. It’s wrong. As Daniel H. Pink explains in his new and paradigm- shattering book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today’s world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does–and how that affects every aspect of our lives. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. In Drive, he reveals the three elements of true motivation:

*Autonomy- the desire to direct our own lives
*Mastery- the urge to get better and better at something that matters
*Purpose- the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves

Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward.

Drive is bursting with big ideas– the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live.

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Review: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t

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The Challenge
Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the verybeginning.

But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?

The Study
For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?

The Standards
Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world’s greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck.

The Comparisons
The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good?

Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness — why some companies make the leap and others don’t.

The Findings
The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice. The findings include: