Kent Blumberg

Can you describe your ideal client?

Over on Career Hub, Billie Sucher wrote about what constitutes a good client for her. That got me thinking about the same question for me (answered below), and about you.  Who is a great client for you?  I'm not talking traditional market segmentation here.  Rather, the question is, "What client behaviors do you love, and which do you hate?"  Read my list, check out Billie's list, and then figure out your list.  Please share your list in the comments section, if you like.

The Golden Rule doesn't work - at least not for managers

I grew up learning the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  In other words, treat other people the way you want to be treated.  Sounds like a great suggestion for managers, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you be a great boss if you followed that rule?

Nope.

In fact, you might be a lousy boss if you followed that rule.

How a congratulations email works

I read the "People in Business" section of the paper with great interest. My local paper puts the names in bold font, making it easy to spot people I know.

Why do I bother? Because people love to hear they have been noticed. 

Reduce your FOPP* time

Time is the only thing you cannot create, borrow, steal or buy. If you waste your time Fixing Other People's Problems (FOPP time), it's gone. Gone for good. If you own or run a business, FOPP time, time spent doing things your subordinates should be doing, keeps you from focusing on the growth you so earnestly desire. If you'd like to spend less FOPP time and more Growth time, try these suggestions.

Don't wait!

In four years, I lost three jobs…and discovered my calling.

The first 25 years of my post-college career were high speed, high excitement and high growth. At 27, I was supervising a crew of 41 men, all of them older than me. At 37, I was running a $200 million paper manufacturing plant. And by 42, I was COO of a $350 million division of New Zealand’s largest forest products company. I was flying high, living large, and certain that I was indestructible.

I spent my days striving for excellence in

my current role, and looking up the ladder at the next opportunity. When I felt any nagging doubts about my industry, or my career, I let the excitement of the moment burn those doubts away. When I wondered about my future, I remembered the retirement statement I received six months into my first job out of college. The statement told me how much money I would get each month after working 41 years for that company. In those days, 41 years at one company would not have been surprising.

I cruised along like that for a quarter of a century.

Until I lost my job in early 2002.

Paul Chaney on maximizing your marketing dollar via the web

Just a quick link to a recent post by Paul Chaney on Five Ways to Maximize Your Marketing Dollar Via the Web.  I heard Paul speak on this topic last Thursday and loved the simplicity of his approach.  Great stuff here for any business in 2009.

Air Force Blog Response Assessment

Through Twitter, I found Joey deVilla's post on "The Air Force's Rules of Engagement for Blogging."

7 alternatives to New Year's Resolutions

Everybody's talking about resolutions today.  My search of Technorati turned up more than 76,000 posts using the word.  However, resolutions often don't work, and they may even be bad for your health.  This is particularly true when we focus on trying to fix some perceived shortcoming (being overweight, for example).

It doesn't need to be that way.  Here are seven alternatives to the resolutions tradition.

Class: Networking for the shy and the not-so-shy

You have heard that referral marketing – networking – is the most powerful way for entrepreneurs and small business owners – like you – to build business. But you just can’t bear the thought of all those meetings, all those strangers, all those phone calls.

What are you to do?

Join us for a six-week teleseminar with Kent Blumberg and learn the secrets of networking for the shy and the not-so-shy. Learn why you might want to become a Comfortable Networker. Re-frame the goal of networking from Get to Give. Gain five key networking skills, learn how to bring your strengths to the party, practice spotting and using personality styles, and make it all happen in real life. Try out your skills in a safe class environment, and then put them to work out in the world. Turn your fear into Excitement about networking. Learn to Initiate encounters, rather than just respond.  Move from “could do” to “am doing.”

50 free small-business tools

In the January 2009 issue, Entrepreneur magazine lists 50 free tools to help you start and run your business.  Have a look!