In celebration of my father’s life, here are a couple of free videos for you to enjoy:

The Exact Sales Script Chet Used to Get to the Most Successful People in the World

Now that I’ve shared these with you, I’d love to know, what’s your favorite inspiring quote? Leave it in the comments section below.

With love,

Amanda Holmes

Effectively managing different kinds of personalities can help a small business owner achieve success.

When it comes to staff management, as a business owner you have to know how to deal with many different kinds of people. This is a very delicate skill that takes time to develop, but it is critical to the success of your organization if you want to have an effective workforce that contributes to the growth of your company.

Employee personality tests are helpful in identifying the many different kinds of employees that exist. But whether you use this method or not, Inc. Magazine states that there are five traits – anger addicts, narcissists, passive-aggressive, gossipers, guilt trippers – that every owner must be on the lookout for. These individuals can make things difficult not only for you as the leader of the company, but for other members of your staff as well.

However, the first step in effective management is being able to accurately identify the personalities. Once this occurs, it becomes easier to not only prepare for what these individuals bring to the table, but also in knowing how to mold them into being valuable members of the organization. Failure in this area could have serious implications for the business, but mastery of this skill will make you more prepared on how to deal with similar individuals in the future.

Employee personality traits to be on the lookout for
Of the five difficult personality traits, two could pose the most difficult challenge. The first are those who enjoy gossiping. These individuals can make a work environment become toxic very quickly. Inc. suggests not to get caught in the trap of participating in such trivial talk and instead, nip it in the bud as soon as you see it.

Not only should this help limit future incidents, but it also presents an opportunity to turn the behavior around and encourage the employee to use their gift of gab in a more positive manner.

The other type of individual to be mindful of is the one who always seems to be perpetually angry. The magazine suggests quickly informing them that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances. However, this also a chance to uncover the deeper reason for such emotional and negative outbursts, and a savvy leader can use this as an opportunity to forge a bond and a deeper level of trust and admiration between themselves and the disgruntled employee.

Don’t leave anyone out
Obviously the primary theme of this article is in dealing with difficult employees, but it’s important to understand that other staff members need to feel as if they’re important as well. The Guardian writes that it is very easy for workers to feel as if they’re on the outside looking in, so it’s imperative as an owner to know how to handle these individuals as well.

The newspaper says that there are a number of different factors that can cause an individual to feel alone inside of a workplace, and awareness of these issues can strengthen anyone’s leadership skills. Small-business ownership presents many challenges, but with the right people skills, you can develop an effective and productive staff that can help an organization grow.

Understanding the difference between a boss and a leader can mean all the difference in achieving small business success.

Achieving business success will take a lot of effort on the part of the entrepreneur and any individuals he or she hires to see to it that the organization not only survives, but also thrives. Much of this effort will occur with respect to the types of workers who are brought in. Ensuring that everyone has the same goals and collaborates well within a team environment is one part of the process that must not be overlooked. However, of even greater importance are the leadership characteristics being displayed by the owner of the enterprise.

Many people who start their own companies are likely talented individuals who are skilled in a specific craft or trade. However, in order for a business to grow beyond mom-and-pop status into a marketplace leader, entrepreneurs will have to employ help and guide these individuals in a way that ensures the success of the organization. This isn’t a task that comes easy to most people. One of the ways to address this issue for owners is to work closely with a business consultant to help him or her obtain the skills needed in order to be successful in this area.

However, it’s important for those with their own enterprises to understand the subtle differences between being a boss and a leader. Failure to grasp the distinguishing characteristics between the two can be harmful and cause the business to not reach its full potential.

The difference between leaders and bosses
On the surface, to the uninitiated, these two words may have the same meaning. However, they couldn’t be more different, especially when it comes to running a successful operation. A recent article from Inc. Magazine offered a perspective that entrepreneurs can gain from when working to drive their companies to small business success.

It’s important to remember that true leadership is inspiring. Getting people to work together in harmony isn’t easy and wielding a heavy handed approach that instills fear, such as tactics employed by bosses, will oftentimes yield negative results, Inc. wrote.

Additionally, the best leaders are those who don’t look down on others, including the staff that they may have assembled. Instead, owners with successful enterprises understand the concept of teamwork and get everyone in his or her employ to understand that one person won’t contribute to a company thriving. Success will come from the combined efforts of everyone in the group.

How to lead effectively
Being a good leader doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process, one that must be realized through trial and error. However, it is unmistakable part of business success that must not be overlooked. A separate article from Inc. highlights how an entrepreneur can be the type of person that gets others to buy into his or her vision and help the enterprise stand out in what has become an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The first step in this process is to be someone who empowers others. Micromanagement never works and in many cases, is counterproductive. Giving staff members ground to make certain decisions without your input as the company owner, will build a deeper level of trust and will inspire workers to give their all. It is also important to recognize staff members for their efforts on a job well done. Not only is the acknowledgement appreciated, but it also lets workers know that you are keeping a watchful eye on their performance. This will encourage them to strive for excellence at all times.

By understanding the difference between leaders and bosses and mastering the former as opposed to the latter, small business success can be easily realized and a company can reach great heights in the process.

A solid disaster recovery strategy should be a part of any effective business growth plan.

When starting your business, you mapped out everything you wanted to achieve and the steps to take to get where you wanted to go. Now that your company is up and running, you most likely still have a plan in place to deal with your organization’s growth. But what about if disaster strikes? It doesn’t happen to every enterprise, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen to yours.

A solid disaster recovery strategy is part of any effective business growth plan. Even if a disaster never occurs, it will give you, as an owner, peace of mind knowing that you have something in place to keep your operations running. Even though developing a disaster plan may sound daunting, all it takes is some research and preparation to create a strategy that will stand throughout any possible disaster.

Business disasters can range from natural occurrences, such as hurricanes, tornadoes or floods, to more technical issues, such as a cyber attack or data center loss. Whatever the case, getting a plan in place now means your business can recover more quickly and efficiently should an emergency happen.

– Assess the various risks: Businesses that are located in the Southeast United States may not have to worry about extremely cold weather conditions possibly disrupting their operations every year, but they do have to worry about tornadoes. Companies in every region of the country have to deal with various weather-related disasters that happen in their areas, so figuring out what could potentially throw off your enterprise for a few days is the first step to determining how you can handle them, suggests the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants.

You should also take the time to assess any technical dangers, such as information loss due to hackers, the source recommends. This will help you lay out the proper protocols for recovery.

– Create a business continuity plan: Crain’s Detroit Business states that small companies need to develop a strong business continuity plan that outlines what steps will be taken in case of an emergency. The source also recommends that you determine which staff members will be in charge of which responsibilities so that employees know who to reach out to.

– Take a look at your systems: Looking at the systems you have in place can help you poke holes in anything that could be severely impacted by a disaster, writes the Minnesota Society of CPA’s. Do your employees have a way to work if your company’s Internet is down for an extended period? What if your facilities are damaged? Is there somewhere else you can operate out of while recovering? These questions can give you more insight into improvements that can be made to your disaster recovery plan.

Whatever the disaster, whether it’s weather-related or tech-based, you need a plan to get your operations back in line should something occur. Also, having your employees provide their advice and input on the strategy ensures everyone is onboard and prepared for anything that happens.

Keeping track of emerging business trends can put your company in a very strong position.

As your company looks toward 2015 with an eye on growing successful practices and finding areas to improve, there are some emergent workplace trends that may influence how you do business.

Staying abreast of changes in the work environment and prevailing attitudes can help position your organization for success and keep your operations ahead of the pack.  Knowing how to use some of these new trends in fashion at top companies, as reported by U.S. News and World Report, may give your group an edge.

Developing young and talented hires

Millennials, those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, are beginning to make a mark in the working world. Hiring young talent is important because it brings workers on board who could stay and develop within your company for decades, are in touch with cultural trends and can help steer marketing, sales and customer service efforts toward younger populations. Incorporating young employees into breakthrough consulting sessions for your company can strengthen these positives.

Internships and proactive college recruiting are both poised to become more common in 2015. Emphases on recognizing ability and providing interns and apprentices the opportunity to have substantial interaction with high-level employees and executives are gaining popularity.

For existing employees, an added focus on professional development can keep them eager and willing to advance and learn. Mentoring and job-shadowing programs are growing at top companies, providing ways for workers to become more involved and move up the corporate ladder.

Workplace Trends for 2015

Some trends cited by Forbes as the most popular of 2015 are already predicted to continue through the new year, like increases in the hiring of millennials.  The continuing retirement of baby boomers will also likely continue, but a few trends from the past year are worth extra consideration.

Other trends worth mentioning is Mobile hiring and mobile job search as well as social media posts used to attract and retain talent.

The use of freelancers in the workforce is becoming a normal way of life and Forbes has continued  to predict an increase in 2015 as well. Companies use freelancers to both save costs on benefits and other long-term financial obligations and to successfully target specific problems and opportunities.

To help your business decide which new trends will be especially beneficial to your unique situation, look into acquiring help from a corporate consulting service.

Optimizing email marketing can greatly benefit businesses.

Whether your company is involved in selling to consumers or other businesses, email marketing is a powerful tool that offers some unique advantages.

A slight tune-up of marketing strategies or more sweeping changes as part of a plan for how to grow sales will both benefit from paying attention to the latest email marketing advice from Business 2 Community.

Necessary tactics

Some of the updates to messaging have come about because scamming and phishing emails now use strategies that once helped legitimate marketers reach prospective clients. Because the public has adapted to older concepts like personalized greetings, change is required. A study from Temple University’s Fox School of Business found that 95 percent of customers responded poorly when their names appeared as part of an emailed greeting from a business.

The negative reaction to personalized online greetings – one-on-one communication should still involve the use of a client’s name – stems from fears of identity theft and the invasion of privacy. The study specifically suggests not greeting new customers by name for this reason.

Business 2 Community recommends using collected data to point out products that they may be interested in. This strategy shows you know their preferences but avoids the personalized greeting pitfall.

Long subject lines are another area to avoid. While being descriptive is important for email marketing, going above 70 characters is discouraged because it doesn’t produce increased an click-through rate or more responses.

Refresh and refocus

A business growth plan for a company that uses email marketing as a key component should involve a review of these strategies for effectiveness. The Long Island Business News provides a checklist for growing the reach and results of your efforts.

Businesses should be worried about sending too many and too few emails to customers. While complaints and unsubscribe rates should be carefully watched, companies shouldn’t be afraid of sending out more messages, as long as they are engaging and targeted to consumer interests. More messages means an opportunity for more clicks, reads and purchases.

Optimizing email campaigns for mobile viewing should also be of paramount importance. A heavily formatted email can look good on a computer screen but terrible on a smartphone, which more customers are using to view messages. Using a design focused on mobile viewing won’t negatively impact views on standard computers. A large font is also a simple change that will make reading such messages on the smaller screens of smartphones easier.

Effectively utilize customer data to improve revenue streams.

Change is a constant, but the pace of advancement for organizations has increased as technology for businesses, clients and the general public continues to drastically advance.

Along with a lack of preparedness for change, organizational inflexibility was another major concern held by top business executives surveyed by the Boston Consulting Group and reported by eMarketer. Consider dedicating extra resources to dealing with these problems, as well as using professional consulting services to help orient your business toward success.

Changing the culture, physical operations and attitude of a company all factor into the most common challenge that businesses are unprepared for: large-scale transformation. Overall concerns about being able to adapt also apply to common concerns expressed about properly using customer data and successfully acting on digital channels. Specifically, a majority of executives in the retail and technology fields were concerned with efficiently utilizing customer data.

Customer data is not an unsolvable puzzle, however. Companies can collect a wide variety of data, especially when it comes to e-commerce, according to retailing website Evergage. Frequency of visits, method of payment and previous transactions can all be tracked by Web-based retailers.

Creating criteria to mark how engaged customers are is a good start, allowing businesses to segment and target potential and returning clients based on their behavior on a company’s website. If a customer has repeatedly viewed the same item or service over a long period of time, an automated suggestion for a similar product with a lower price point can encourage purchasing.

Combining data streams can also increase efficiency. Evergage gives the example of matching a customers overall click​streams with total transactions or website visits. When data shows that patrons are frequently visiting your website and going through various pages but not making a purchase, sending a survey asking about what they’re looking for can help identify deficiencies and drive purchasing.

Companies across the country are making plans for their holiday promotions and determining the strategies they will use to draw in customers during the year’s busiest shopping period.

The weather has started to cool down and people are packing away their summer clothes in exchange for scarves and sweaters, meaning that fall is upon us and winter is knocking on the door. While it may not seem like it’s time, preparations are already underway for the 2014 holiday season. Companies across the country are making plans for their holiday promotions and determining the strategies they will use to draw in customers during the year’s busiest shopping period.

As a small business owner, getting a jump start now on prepping your operations for the end of the year can reap huge benefits. Taking the time to develop a brand positioning strategy that includes how you want to market to existing and prospective clients can keep customers coming in throughout the holidays and after the season is over.

Holiday sales expected to increase
Over the past few years, sales from holiday purchases have been steadily increasing. This trend is expected to continue this year, as estimates from the National Retail Federation reveal that a 4.1 percent growth in retail sales is anticipated throughout November and December, accounting for a total of $616.9 billion.

The NRF points to increasing consumer optimism and recent job growth as the main reasons for higher holiday sales.

“Retailers could see a welcome boost in holiday shopping, giving some companies the shot in the arm they need after a volatile first half of the year and an uneventful summer,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Businesses can get piece of holiday sales pie
While the boost in holiday spending will be seen at larger retailers, businesses should know that they can also take a significant share of the anticipated sales growth. All it takes is a strong plan and solid preparation.

Entrepreneur offers several ways in which smaller enterprises can bring in customers and revenue this holiday season, including reaching out to existing patrons before the shopping frenzy starts. Through email, social media or more traditional marketing forms, you can remind your clients that your company is there to meet their holiday needs.

Additionally, the source suggests promoting your enterprise’s smaller size by promising customers more personalized service and experiences, which is something they may not always get when buying their holiday items from larger companies. By letting current and future patrons know their business is valuable and will be handled with personalized care can draw them in and keep them throughout the holiday season and even long after.

Having a strong online presence is also key for the upcoming busy shopping period, according to Deloitte. Going digital is now extremely important for businesses, and maintaining a website, social media profiles and Internet marketing strategies can increase your company’s customer base and revenues.

Deloitte found that more than 50 percent of holiday sales will be influenced by customers going digital, meaning that you can see ultimate business success during the upcoming months by developing your brand’s online activity.

There are many things that business owners must manage within their operations. One of the most important is finances.

There are many things that business owners must manage within their operations, the most important of which is finances. Money that flows into and out of a company needs to be carefully maintained. Even the tiniest of slip ups can cost businesses big time. Additionally, smaller enterprises don’t have the same financial resources as their larger counterparts, so taking close care of cash flow is vital for small business success.

Fortunately, there are ways that, as an owner, you can expertly manage your company’s finances. Whether it’s applying for business loans or adopting certain practices and procedures to save money, your organization’s cash flow can remain steady and grow with the right strategies.

Loans continue to grow among smaller firms
Loans are a great way for small businesses to get the money they need to keep their operations running. The recently released Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp and Pepperdine Private Capital Access Index revealed that smaller companies are increasingly applying for loans. Of the 1,251 smaller enterprises that responded, 58.4 percent applied for bank loans in the second quarter of this year, and 54 percent of that group were able to secure the financing.

More small businesses are looking to obtain loans in the coming months as well. The report revealed that approximately 28 percent of companies plan to apply for loans this quarter. These results show that many organizations are relying on financing options to propel their operations forward.

Money saving tips can do the trick
Not all businesses need loans. There are many that can keep their cash flow going without reaching out for financing. While loans are a great option for companies that need them, as an owner you can also adopt money-saving strategies to curb excess spending and keep finances in order.

There are many moving parts within a small business that typically require special software programs to run efficiently. Mashable recommends that you looking at using free or cheaper technology to get the job done. For example, using Google for email as well as calendar management can be done for free or at minimal cost. There are also customer relationship management platforms that can be downloaded for free, such as Zoho CRM and Insightly.

Additionally, the Internet is an extremely effective tool for small businesses as it gives you access to a wide range of materials to learn more about leading a small enterprise. For instance, you can search for a certified business consultant in your area to get advice on how to manage your company more efficiently.

Mashable also suggests handling marketing your business in-house whenever possible. Outsourcing this particular task can not only be expensive, but it gives you less control over your brand positioning strategy as well. Bringing it back into your company allows you to carefully manage how you are reaching potential customers.

With a little know how and determination, you can expertly oversee your small business’ finances to ensure your operations will continue to grow in the future.

How much of your time is spent making tactical versus strategic decisions?

Put another way, are you spending your time calculating the cost of pens for the office, or are you laying out a new marketing strategy? On average, leaders are spending only 20% of their time on strategic decisions. Their days are filled giving thumbs up or down on a host of lesser decisions, and then all of a sudden, they find no time has been spent on the really important ones.

What’s your decision making process like? How does it work?

An example: I took over a manufacturing business. One day, the VP of Engineering walks in and says, I have some decisions that need to be made. He went through the list – all of them were technical decisions. He asked, “So what do we do?” And I said, “Well, you’re the VP.” He answered, “Yeah, but the last boss always told me what to do.” He wanted to give me the monkey on his back – a monkey his previous boss was all too happy to take. He was wasting time making decisions he paid others to make. These leaders don’t empower their people to make decisions, and then their employees don’t have a vested interest. That’s one type of decision-making process error.

The other type looks like this: employees make a decision and the boss finds out what it was weeks or months later. They are hands-off—literally washing their hands of the repercussions. Both parties suffer in this scenario.

Responsibility must be shared effectively up and down the ladder in order for the best decisions to create real change.

How good of a delegator are you? How do you choose what to delegate versus what to handle personally?

What type of decisions should you be responsible for? That’s the first and hardest decision to make. For very small businesses, it’s typically a one-man show – but they still need a decision making process, not just a throw at the dartboard approach. For larger businesses, it’s a matter of bringing in people you trust and giving them full authority to make certain decisions – and then actually letting them make them.

Leaders who are poor delegators are typically afraid others will make the wrong decisions. They feel a deep obligation to the success of the business but are convinced that they’re the only person who can make the right choices. They also are worried about losing authority.

On the other hand, leaders who are fine with delegating often have the opposite problem: they delegate too much. They are afraid of failure but at the same time acknowledge something needs to be done, so they let others handle it without any checks and balances in place. It’s great to let others take ownership of their areas, but they need to be a bigger part of the overall process, so they understand the full ramifications of the decisions they are making.

How do you keep your finger on the pulse of your organization?

Many business owners haven’t learned how to ask the right questions or get the right feedback to make good decisions. They don’t have the right metrics to make the higher level strategic decisions. Their employees don’t understand what the goals and objectives are.

Oftentimes, business leaders end up overwhelmed by information – but it’s the wrong information. Too much input and intel. Chet Holmes talked about the problem with “got-a-minute meetings”. There’s no processes or controls on what the business leader is asked to decide. They lose control of the goals and strategic objectives.

Are you in growth mode or crisis mode?

This is apparent from a quick look at the books. Clues would be declining sales, smaller profits, lengthening sales cycles, and cash flows problems. Some business leaders are in denial. The “Yeah, but…” defensive statements pepper conversations on what to do now. After the truth comes out, the next step is to figure out why they’re in crisis mode, and it’s always about their fears – primarily a fear of failure. Operating in crisis mode sometimes looks like extreme proactivity. They’re working at a hundred miles an hour, willing to try anything. The problem is, they’re making emotional choices and not thinking them through. Fear narrows their focus requiring the need for an outside perspective.

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