Inspiring Change, Driving Growth: Do You Need a Business Consultant?
Business owners and managers are faced with challenges every day. It might be completely natural to worry about cash flow, legal issues, pending projects, and other activities of the organization, but there is help.
Business consultants understand the struggles of owners and managers and it is their responsibility to guide you through those challenges while providing valuable insight and resources. This article is designed to help you identify the role of a consultant, when one may be useful, and what to look for during your search.
Consultants should not simply provide thoughts for money. In fact, they should be much more involved. An experienced consultant may be able to assist with challenges such as streamlining operations, minimizing costs, assisting in vendor negotiations, improving morale, analyzing legal issues, and serving as a mediator in debates, among other services. Each business concern is unique and it is important to realize that there are individuals able to help.
But, when will you know? Here are a few quick signs that you may need the assistance of a business consultant.
- Immediate, short-term concerns including large buying decisions or the release of a new product may be a strain on the financial and operational operations of the company.
- Longer-term projects such as managing cash flow or project management arising from new contracts may be too much for the organization to manage at this point.
- Your business has undefined future growth and direction. In these instances, a consultant should identify the strengths of the company and individuals and help develop the roadmap.
- You’re stuck saying, “Here’s what I don’t know.” You have already accomplished the most difficult part by admittedly identifying the issues you do not understand. The experience of the consultant and their connections ought to help alleviate those concerns.
If you think you may require consulting services, there are some important factors to consider when choosing a provider. For example, a helpful consultant will have years of experience and demonstrate success in certain areas of expertise. They will produce exceptional references and display commitment to your company. An achieving consultant will confidently inspire change within your organization when required. He or she should be flexible, both in time and financially. Most importantly, an effective business consultant should exude leadership and drive growth, personally and professionally.
Global Perspective Consulting, an affiliate of The Wirt-Rivette Group, provides executive and business consulting services and programs. These are provided to clients and organizations committed to engaging perspectives and programs which will grow their business and develop their strengths in the areas of leadership, strategy, and innovation. For more information, contact Jason Case at jcase@wirtrivettegroup.com.
What Makes a “Good” Realtor®?
Real estate has been on my mind a lot lately. I just recently purchased a new home and am currently trying to sell my existing home. And yes, it is listed with a Realtor®.
I have also been actively working at providing clients with information on our residential and commercial real estate programs, which do include brokerage services.
In doing all of this I have realized that there are certain characteristics that make a “good” Realtor®. As a client and co-worker of residential and commercial Realtors®, I have seen first hand through my experiences what does and does not make a “good” Realtor®.
1. Accessibility- A “good” Realtor® is easy to reach. They have mobile email, a cell phone, office phone and even an assistant. They may not always be able to respond immediately, but still know that you are seeking information from them.
2. Reliability- A “good” Realtor® is not only accessible, but reliable in getting back to you with a response. You should not have to make several phone calls for several days in order to get a response from your Realtor®.
3. Communication- A “good” Realtor® will clearly explain how the process works and keep you informed along the way.
4. Experience- A “good” Realtor® has the experience to help predict and hopefully avoid any roadblocks that may occur through the sales process.
5. Professionalism- A “good” Realtor® exhibits a courteous, conscientious and business-like manner. Their appearance and office setting should be professional.
6. Honesty- A “good” Realtor® will not withhold information from you or keep potential clients or houses from you.
7. Sociable- A “good” Realtor® should be polite and friendly and never make you feel rushed.
8. Maximizer- A “good” Realtor® will market your home using the MLS, internet, newspaper and other forms of advertising in order to help you get the highest price possible for your home.
A home is one of the necessities in life, so each of us will probably encounter an opportunity to work with a Realtor® at some point in our lives. Hopefully this blog post provided some insight into what to look for in choosing a “good” Realtor®.
We wish you much success in choosing a “good” Realtor®! Remember to consider using Eric Finnigan our licensed commercial Realtor® for all of your commercial real estate needs. We deliver commercial results for our clients from beginning to end!
6 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
1. Review your credit report annually. It is important to review your credit report each year. Be sure the report includes all 3 major credit repositories (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian). You will want to make sure the information is accurate and that all of your debt is being reported.
Identify any late payments, collections, judgments and public records (i.e. bankruptcies). Dispute any incorrect information and have it corrected or removed from your credit report. Set up payment arrangements with creditors to settle any unpaid accounts you may have.
2. It is important to have available credit, but overuse can hurt your credit score. The best way to manage your credit is to keep your balances below 50% of your available credit limit. Always make sure to pay more than the minimum payment. By doing these things it will reflect favorably in your credit score calculation.
3. Make sure to have a mix of different kinds of credit. Mortgages and other installment loans affect your credit score more than revolving debt, such as credit cards. This is why it is important to have installment loans in your mix of credit.
4. Limit the number of people who pull your credit report. Each time your credit is pulled the score will decrease. While a few inquiries on your credit report are not harmful to your credit, several in a short amount of time will negatively affect your score.
Be careful when you apply for credit, such as at car dealerships. It is important to ask how many sources they are sending your application to. If it is more than 3 ask that they limit it to 3.
5. Ask a family member if you can be added to one of their credit cards in order to help you establish credit. This especially applies to individuals who do not currently have established credit. The family member does not have to provide you with a credit card to use, but just add you to their account. Of course, you want to be sure they pay their bills on time.
6. Check your credit card limits. Be sure your credit card limits are being accurately reported on your credit report. If the limit is inaccurate it may look like you are maxed out on your credit card and this will negatively affect your score. If you pay your balance off each month, but almost max out the card each month, you may want to approach the lender to ask for a credit increase. This will help keep your balance below 50% of your available credit, thus helping to increase your score.
Please feel free to call or email us to learn more about how you can improve your credit score 989.892.0658 or ssakon@wirtrivettegroup.com.
Are Business Cards Dying?
Think of how many emails you send in a day and compare that to the number of letters you put in the mail. How many of you now do a majority of your banking online? Twenty years ago, those numbers might have looked a little different.
Truth is certain technological advances come along that obsolete a method of communication and information sharing. Have business cards been targeted next?
There are obvious benefits, other than sharing contact information, to exchanging a business card with an individual. It allows you the opportunity to express your company’s personality. Think back to the most creative business card you’ve received. What stood out about it? Was it the color, font, or maybe shape of the card? Regardless, it made you remember the card and gave you an inside look at the personality of the company.
Business cards also represent authenticity among the business world. Presenting a card with your name and company logo is basically providing your acquaintance with a stamp of approval from you and your organization.
However, in a world where you can download an app on your phone to do just about anything, the business referral networks were not left unnoticed. In fact, Bump Technologies has created an innovative program that is available for iPhones, iPads, and Android-based phones that allows users to exchange information by simply “bumping” their phones together.
It might sound like another Google April Fool’s joke, but Bump is very real and being used by many. The sensors in the “bumped” phones literally “feel” the bump. Then, it sends the information into the Cloud, uses an algorithm to pair it up with the other phone and sends a confirmation request back to you. Visit bu.mp for more info.
These tech-based methods of information exchange, along with others like LinkedIn, are gaining momentum because they are seen as cost effective, convenient and modern.
Your preferred method, whether it’s a business card or an electronic exchange, says something about you. What do you want to say?
Do you prefer the benefits of presenting a traditional business card or the convenience and modern approach of electronic exchange?
Top 5 Facebook Apps For Your Business
After reading through Social Media Examiner’s “Top 75 Apps for Enhancing Your Facebook Page,” I decided to choose the top 5 that I know from experience work great on our page, and hopefully will help yours too.
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The first one is a Welcome Page. I feel this is a must-have for any business page. A Facebook Welcome Page can help you convert viewers to friends based on a first impression. Once the app has been added to your page, you will need to use Static FBML to add your custom content. You can find the Welcome Page application here.
Facebook Welcome – Reveal Page
If you want to get really fancy, you could try a Facebook Fan Reveal Page for your fans and non-fans. This feature will help you turn non-fans into fans more quickly, by letting the fans see a different screen after they “Like” your page. First, you must give non-fans a reason to “Like” your page. For example, you could offer a discount to an upcoming seminar, a coupon for one of your products, or a publication you have just released that would interest your audience. After the non-fan clicked “Like”, they will then view a new Welcome Page, which would include the content of your choice, but make sure you give them what you promised. If you are interested in this Reveal Page, you can view the article that taught me here. If you have any questions on how to create a Reveal Page for your business, leave a comment below and I can answer any questions.
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My second favorite is the Social RSS app. This application allows you to connect your blog to your Facebook page. This app will help with time management of your social media marketing by automatically updating your status to your new blog post.
Some other RSS feed applications:
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My third personal favorite is the You Tube Channel App by Involver. This application will add a YouTube tab to the top of your page and will post new videos for fans to view. This app comes in handy when you are recording live webinars or have video advertisements.
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And #4 goes to Selective Tweets. This application allows you to select which Tweets you would like to post to your Facebook page. You would do this by adding #fb at the end of the selected Tweet. It’s that easy! At the start of our social media adventure, I was using Facebook’s Twitter App. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this application, and felt like most of the time I would post to Facebook and then have to go to Twitter and delete the post, because the Facebook post was too long for a Tweet.
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Last but not least goes to…. Reviews. This app is very important to our business because it allows us to monitor and make changes regarding what reviews have been published about our company. This app is great to show potential clients the great things customers have to say about your business. The best part about this app is, whenever they write a review on your business page, it will get posted to their News Feed and their friend’s News Feeds, gaining more exposure for you!
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Well, those are my top 5. Like I said earlier, if you need any help with any of the above apps, or even others that I have not mentioned, comment below and I will do my best to help!
Preparing Your Company for 2011
As the end of the year approaches, we need to look forward to what 2011 will have in store for our organizations. In order to strive for the growth we hope to achieve in our businesses it is crucial that we prepare goals and objectives for the coming year.
I encourage each of you to take a moment and prepare quarterly goals and objectives for your business to reach in 2011. Of course, this will be a continuous work in progress, but it will assist you in staying on track in order to achieve the end result you hope to obtain for your business.
These goals may include revenue goals and the marketing required to achieve them. Perhaps you would like to grow your business by 5% and in order to do so you know you must advertise more. Or maybe your business wishes to relocate in order to provide better visibility. Whatever it is that 2011 looks like for your business it is important that you prepare and plan.
Ask yourself, “What do I want my business to look like in 1 year?” Then ask, “How do I get there?” It’s up to you to create the map. Creating, navigating, and continuously revising that map is a powerful learning experience. Without the necessary preparation and planning, your goals may not be achieved or may be much slower in coming to fruition.
Here are some websites that may assist you in preparing your marketing plan.
www.marketing-plan-success.com
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
Happy Holidays!
I wanted to share our holiday e-card for those of you who may have missed it!
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It’s Here…Are You Ready?
No doubt, many of you risked it all by going out on Black Friday on a mad hunt for the best possible deals. If you were one of those individuals, I salute you for your bravery. However, in the midst of the crowds of people, the flashy sales signs, the unwavering sense of exhaustion, were you able to cross everything off your list?
My guess, unless you are a “super-shopper,” is no. Luckily, I’ve decided to do my part to assist those of you who may have some people still on your list.
A popular item this holiday season for the children is the Cloud B Twilight Constellation Night Light. The soft, plush turtle projects a complete starry night sky on the ceiling of the child’s bedroom or a nursery. It sells for $22 on Amazon.com and is highly rated.
FOR THE TEENS
Can’t quite find the “cool” gift for your teens? If you really want to make their jaws drop this holiday season, a nice option might be the Xbox 360 Console with Kinect. Kinect is the new motion-sensing device that allows individuals to play games completely without the use of controllers. It tracks and traces the movement of your body, allowing your teen to become active while playing. With prices starting at around $350, it is an expensive selection, but it might just be the perfect gift for your teen.
FOR THE MEN
Another tie? A coffee mug? A power tool? How about an iPad?! Now we’re talking. The Apple iPad is “A magically and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price.” It is designed to fit the needs of businesspeople, music-lovers, movie-gurus, gamers, designers, writers, readers, and many more personality types. It is another potentially expensive option, but definitely worth the price.
Another great product this season is the Apple TV. At a much more convenient price ($97 on Amazon.com) Apple TV is a revolutionary product. It allows the user to stream HD movies and TV shows rented from iTunes, plus content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr, and MobileMe directly through a TV. At only 2 pounds and 3.9 x 3.9 x 0.9 inches, the small but powerful gadget is a great gift option for the men.
FOR THE WOMEN
Jewelry? Clothing? Chocolate? Too obvious, right? Consider an Amazon Kindle. This reading device is competitively priced and highly rated for the new ink technology. With prices starting at $139 on Amazon.com, the Kindle is a popular gift option, especially for the avid reader.
Does even the thought of reading instantly make
the individuals on your list tired? Then how about getting them a Keurig Single-Cup Coffee Maker? That should keep them awake! With various prices and model options, the single-cup coffee makers are yet another popular gift idea this season.
FOR THE TECH-GEEK
We all know one. But, what in the world do you get them? It seems like
they already have it all. But, because the tech-geeks spend a great deal of their time on computers and other technology, an external hard drive is a perfect gift idea. It allows them to store large amounts of their music, movies, school papers, data, work items, or other “techy-stuff” to a secure and portable device. A 2TB (that’s a lot of storage, so I hear…) external hard drive is priced at about $110 and would satisfy even the “techy-est” geek on your list.
I hope you found these suggestions helpful or perhaps it gave you another great idea for those individuals still on your list. Just one last recommendation…avoid the lines, crowds, and weather by shopping online!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Jeopardy & Our Role
Most of us have sat at home in the evening and played jeopardy. You know, you are given the answer and have to provide the question.
So here is the answer: global economic distress, mid-term elections, U.S. debt and unemployment, and tough choices.
And the question: What are the critical trends and realities that beckon all of us to engage the dialogue to stay informed and involved in solutions and related conversations?
With new political leaders elected and appointed from throughout the USA and as far away as China, now is the time to confirm that your voice and opinion do make a difference and do need to be heard.
Whether at the personal, political, community or faith level, I ask you to not fall prey to apathy in face of the challenges ahead. As the saying goes, “every crisis creates opportunity.”
A few examples of engaging activities that do and will make a difference are debate, letters to the editor and political leaders, volunteerism, participating in a rally and focusing on personal and professional strengths.
Our team recently engaged in a Globalization presentation and conversation that I was able to facilitate. If your organization or firm has an hour or so to receive this presentation, let me know and I would be happy to schedule it as part of what the Wirt-Rivette Group can do to support “OUR ROLE.”
Black Friday Shopping: Is It Worth It This Year?
Is Black Friday shopping worth the black eyes and runny noses? Some would say yes and some would say no.
Many stores this year are offering fantastic Black Friday Early Bird Specials. The hard part is deciding which store you are going to wait outside until 5 a.m. for (some open as early as midnight or 3 a.m.!).
Instead, try Cyber Monday this year. For those of you that have not heard, Monday, November 29, 2010 is considered “Cyber Monday.” This day is all about the online shopping. You no longer have to worry about the pushing and shoving or late nights (that some may enjoy!), and you can enjoy these great deals from the comfort of your own living room.
In the past, many of these deals have been as good, or even better than Black Friday deals. Stores that are participating in this year’s Cyber Monday include: Sears, WalMart, Amazon, Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohls, and many more!
For those of you who are interested in the online shopping festivities, you may want to consider reading Cyber Monday Deals 2010 – a DIYer’s Guide before you start your online shopping. The author refers to a great online tool called Price Grabber, www.pricegrabber.com
To get a head start on the deals, read this article: Cyber Monday 2010 Predictions: Which Deals You Should Expect, http://aol.it/glIaQQ.
Are you going shopping on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or neither, this year? What do you love and/or hate about the shopping around this time? What is this year’s “hot item” you hope to find? We would love to hear your comments!
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