Growing Your Biz in 2013 - Get Squeezed

Did you know that some folks say you should wrap bacon around your neck when you have a sore throat?   You can rub bear fat on your knees for arthritis or maybe you might eat carrots to improve your eye sight.  I even remember hearing that sugar and whiskey would stop a cough in its tracks.  Don’t know if these “Old Wives Tales’ work but I do know that if you want a healthy business, your health is a top priority.

So, forget the bacon, the bear fat, the whiskey and the sugar and let’s look at what really works.  First of all, eat as many carrots as you like, even if they don’t improve your eyesight.

I read recently that we should start our day with the juice of 1/2 of a lemon in room temperature water 30 minutes before you eat anything.  The lemon juice...

1.    Improves your digestion - it stimulates bile production which aids in preventing heartburn and indigestion
2.    Boosts your energy level for the day- it has a detoxifying affect on your  body
3.     Helps you to loose fat - it aids in removal of toxins which will increase your energy

According to Mike Geary, Certified Norton Specialist....

"The health promoting benefits of lemons are powerful. For centuries, it has been known that lemons contain powerful antibacterial, antiviral and immune boosting components. We know that lemons are a great digestive aid and liver cleanser.  Lemons contain citric acid, magnesium, bioflavonoids, vitamin C, pectin, calcium and limonene, which supercharge our immunity so that the body can fight infection”.
The winter months are just around the corner, you may want to try some mellow yellow just to keep your immune system in check.  So fill your frig with lots of lemons, forget the “Old Wives Tales” and intentionally get yourself healthy, build that immune system and conscientiously decide to get healthy before all those nasty bugs start invading our bodies.  This could work for you employees too,  Grow UR Biz with a healthy you and a healthy staff.

Carol S. Ritter, Motivational Speaker
Results Only Business Coach & Featured Writer
CarolTalks.com
610-442-4545

youtube.com/caroltalks
facebook.com/pages/CarolCoaches
facebook.com/Caroltalkscom

Watch for my new website launch coming soon.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Biz in 2013 - Jelly Fish, Sharks, and Wind oh MY!

“Find a Way,” said Diana Nyad all year long when her team would tell her reasons why she couldn't swim from Cuba to Florida.  That 64 year old woman is now the first woman to swim in shark and jellyfish infested waters for over 50 hours.  She battled the elements, the sharks, the jelly fish and swallowing all that salt water, but she did it.  This was her 5th attempt. Prior to this accomplishment, the other trips included excruciating stings, an asthma attack, sun, wind and waves.  She not only did it, she did it without a shark cage.  She repeated to herself that she was pushing Cuba away and pushing towards Florida, she sang her favorite nursery rhymes and lullabies to relax her. 

The real question is WHY?  Why does someone want to break a swimming record and, even more, what is inside of her at 64 years old that makes her still want to realize her dream?

What are the qualities she posesses that are simalar to a successful business? 

          Risk Taker - Visionary - Dreamer - Tenacity - Commitment and Talent

Many of us would say she’s crazy.  But hasn’t someone in your life said you were crazy when you decided to turn your dream into a reality.  Risk taking is the hardest for most to take on, the fear of failure is powerful and the fear of lost revenue is even more powerful.  If you have a great idea, do your homework,  build your “TRIBE” and wake up every morning working towards your goal, you will do it.  The sharks and jellyfish will swarm around you, the wind will knock you over, the salt water won’t taste good and the waves may come crushing down on you but after your 4th try, the 5th one will be the charm.

Diana, the first woman to swim around Manhattan and winning many marathons is now the first woman to swim 49 hours from Cuba to Florida.  As she recovers from the swim she wants the world to know, “you can dream at any age” and so can you and no matter what obstacles you face FIND A WAY to GROW UR BIZ!

Carol S. Ritter, Motivational Speaker 

Results Only Business Coach & Featured Writer

www.caroltalks.com

610-442-4545 

www.youtube.com/caroltalks

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CarolCoaches/194664211990

https://www.facebook.com/Caroltalkscom

 

Watch for my new website launch coming soon.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Grow Up

What did you want to be when you grew up?  Did you want to be a teacher, a chef, an astronaut, or maybe you wanted to be a movie star?  I wonder if you are what you dreamed of being when you grew up.  I’m not.  I never thought about being a motivational speaker or an executive coach.  I worked for a speaker and I remember being in the audience and thinking to myself,  “I could do that” and the rest is history. 

I follow Seth Godin, author of the Purple Cow and marketing expert.  He says, “No kid sets out to make Doritos commercials. No one grows up saying, ‘I want to go into marketing.’  More than ever, though, folks grow up saying, ‘I want to change the world.’ More than ever, that means telling stories, changing minds and building a tribe. You know, it’s marketing.”

Building your tribe is the most important piece of marketing your biz.  I tell my clients all the time, gathering a crowd will be the hardest piece of running a successful event or building your tribe of customers for your biz.  It’s easy to make a magnificent cake, it’s another thing to teach customers to love it, buy it and, most importantly, talk about it. 

This new generation of business owners just might be dreaming about changing the world but without the ability to tell your story and build a tribe nothing will change. 

Did you know....

Growing ur Tribe is key.  How do you do it?  I will give you ideas in my next article, THE TRIBE.

Reinvention is exponential - the time to reinvent is when you are growing.

“You’re either growin’ or your dyin’," CEO of Roto Rooter

Today’s version of cold calling is LinkedIn, bet you didn’t dream about that.

Remember the movie Peter Pan?  He sang the song, I Won’t Grow Up..... sing along, ‘I’ll never grow up, I’ll never grow up, I don’t wanna to be a man, I don’t wanna be a man,  I’ll never grow up, never grow up, not me.”  Sing louder!  This song is upbeat, fun and appealing to the masses, just like your biz should be, you may have grown up but there’s still time for dreamin.  DREAM BIG - DREAM OFTEN AND NEVER GROW UP.

Check out my new You Tube page at www.youtube.com/caroltalks.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog. Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Think Lucky

I’ve heard it all, the answers to the question - what makes an entrepreneur successful?  Strong people skills, belief in yourself, ability to motivate others around you, being money wise, self-confidence and the list goes on.  But, do you need luck or does luck play an important role in your business’s success?  Luck is described as success or failure brought on by chance rather than one’s own actions.  Can you be successful without any luck might be the better question?

I luckily got an email from ArtsQuest the other week and noticed that the Drifter’s, who sing one of my favorite songs, “Under the Boardwalk” were coming to the Levitt Pavilion.  I luckily had the evening free and decided to go.  It was a beautiful night, perfect seats and great friends.  There had to be 4000 people there dancing, singing and just having a good old time. At the start they announced that they would be giving away a free CD and autographed picture of the Drifter’s to anyone who completed their survey. I thought,  ‘smart move.’  I’m a big believer in surveying your customers.  The concert ended and I just about turned around to leave and I heard over the loud speaker, Carol Ritter, you won!  OMGoodness, I won, am I lucky or was it just a coincidence? YOU DECIDE!

According to Richard Wiseman, PHD, a professor at the University of Hertfordshire in England.  "Luck, it is a way of thinking and behaving." He insists that we have far more control over the element—and outcome—of chance in our lives than we realize. In fact, he argues that only 10 percent of life is truly random. The remaining 90 percent is "actually defined by the way you think."

Just maybe there is such a thing as a lucky person or maybe it’s just the fact that they grasp the wisdom of luck and they embrace it.  As a business owner and entrepreneur, are you thinking good luck today or bad luck?

Check out my new You Tube page at www.youtube.com/caroltalks

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

Carol S. Ritter
Motivational Speaker/Business Coach
www.caroltalks.com
610-442-4545



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On the Edge: What Your Facebook Page is Missing

Guest post from Kelly Joffe of Cliff Ross Design

The Facebook news feed is customized and constantly updated to show information that is most meaningful to the user. It includes likes, status updates, app activity, photos, videos, and links. The news feed is there to make the most out of the time we spend on Facebook. On average, 40% of the time people spend on Facebook is spent browsing their news feed.

Did you know that only about 10% of the people who like your page actually see your posts in their news feed? It’s true. In Facebook’s effort to improve the quality of user experience, they only show us stories in our news feed that we find meaningful. Facebook determines this based on their algorithm called “Edge Rank.” To market yourself successfully on Facebook, the goal is to improve your edge rank so that your posts show up more frequently in your fans’ news feed. Edge Rank is based on these three scores:

Affinity: this measures how strong your relationship is with a fan based on interaction. The people who are frequently commenting, liking, or sharing your posts are going to have a stronger affinity score – and they will be the people who are more likely to see your posts in their news feed.

Weight: this refers to the weight of the interaction your posts gets. For example, a share is the best type of interaction you can get on a post, the next is a comment, and the last is a like. So if your post is getting a lot of comments and/or shares it will be shown to more people in their news feeds.

Time Decay: the older a post gets, the less relevant it becomes, which means that it will appear less and less in the news feeds of fans over time. However, if you posted something yesterday and it is still getting a lot of comments and likes, it will stay fresh in the news feeds of your fans.

Producing quality posts is what it really comes down to. If you are sharing content that your fans care about, information that is relevant to them, and things they find interesting – they are more likely to engage by sharing, commenting, or liking. The more people who that interact with you, the more you show up in news feeds, and the more exposure you get! You really have to pay attention to who your audience is and what they care about. Remember, social brands just don’t share – they deliver value.

The problem that many business owners face is that they just don’t have the time to create this quality content that will boost their edge rank. What good is having 1,000 likes if only 100 people see your posts? Here at Cliff Ross, we specialize in social media marketing – especially for Facebook. We know exactly what it takes to produce quality posts with engaging content. If you are ready to take your Facebook page to the next level and increase your visibility, contact us for more information about how we can help.

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Donnie Downer

Guest blog post from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com.

I recently returned from the National Speakers Association Convention in Philadelphia.  It’s the place where speakers go to get rejuvenated, to spend time with our peers and to get filled up emotionally and intellectually.

Something happened to me that NEVER happened to me before.  An old friend invited me and a colleague to dinner.  We were catching up and a gentleman came up to our table, spotted an empty chair and said, “May I have this chair?”  I said sure we don’t need it.  He pulled the chair out and sat down!  I said, “I’m sorry but we are having dinner and he said, “So am I”.  We looked at each other amazed and just couldn’t believe a stranger would do this. We already ordered, he asked for a menu and started talking.  “Isn’t life tough?”  “You can’t make money as a speaker in this town.”  It was definitely Donnie Downer.  So we decided to proceed with our dinner and just be polite.  I called the waiter over to confirm that we didn’t know him and we needed separate checks.  The waiter asked if we wanted him removed but by then his food arrived.  He dug into his turkey club and fruit salad, listening to us and continuing with his negative babble.  I guess he was harmless, maybe even lonely, but he did lack something most successful speakers have--CHARISMA.

Did you ever work with someone who everyone wants to be around and many times people wish they could be like?  These people have charisma!  They have the ability to build long lasting relationships, they influence the folks around them in a good way.  The are really good at helping people feel better about themselves and they generally have tons of long lasting relationships.

Just because someone is remarkably charismatic doesn't mean they are successful, as a matter of fact, sometimes it means they are a great interview but a horrible performer.  If you want to “Grow UR Biz”, identifying charismatic people who can perform is a must.  Surround yourself with performers.  The best employees are loyal, charismatic performers.  The reason why?  If you love being around charisma, so will your customers.

Donnie Downer didn't have charisma. I’m not sure what he had but I would be interested in knowing what stranger he will be dining with for breakfast tomorrow.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND BETTER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com. Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia. 

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Evil Eye

Guest Blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

Just loving vacation time!  Someone told me once that if we worked as hard as we do the week before vacation we would be so much more productive.  I scrambled all week, cleaned up all my emails, returned every call, finished last minute responsibilities and left for vaca feeling like I’m ready to refresh and forget about everything except fun in the sun. 

Until we arrived!

The first day can be stressful, the heat was oppressive (just like the Lehigh Valley).  The place wasn’t cleaned, we were thirsty and hungry and patiently waiting and waiting and waiting.  It got to be 3:30pm and we decided to go to my favorite “green cafe”  Looking for a thirst quenching smoothie and a small salad, I was greeted by the “EVIL EYE.”  I walked in, stood there waiting.  Five servers were sitting at the tables folding napkins, one looked up and shot me the “EYE” again?  I stood, looked around and noticed a sign that they close at 4pm.  EVIL got up and said, “May I help you?”  I was sure I was completely inconveniencing her.  I asked to be seated and she said, “We stop table service at 3:30.” We can get you take out if you want.” All said with an attitude.” I decided to leave, thinking this shouldn’t happen on vacation! 

Next morning, my friends talked me into going back for a fresh “Green Juice.”  It’s vacation, I’ll forgive and forget and move on.  The waitress came outside to greet us, and she could not have been friendlier and the juice was fabulous. 

The real question is who is responsible for the flip flop service?  One day I get the “EVIL EYE” and the next day over the top service with a big smile.  It all begins with the top banana, the owner, the leader, and the decision maker.

Do you have anyone working for you who has the nerve, the audacity, the bad judgement to give someone who provides you with your livelihood the “EVIL EYE?” And, if you do, do you have a solution. 

1. Give them a reasonable chance to correct the situation.

2. Make them financially responsible for the customer complaints, when a customer complains about their treatment, give them a free meal and “Evil Eye” pays.

or, BYE BYE EVIL EYE!

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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NVS Hair Salon - Member of the Day

Guest blog post from NVS fx Salon in Hellertown, a new Chamber member.

With summer underway, we at NVS Salon would like to share some tips to help you care for and keep your hair looking its best this season.

Many of you will spend a large part of your summer at the pool.  Chlorine will strip the hair of its vibrancy and moisture.  One thing you can do before getting into the pool is wet your hair with tap/regular water.  Your hair follicles will absorb the water, leaving less room for the chlorinated pool water.  Any water absorbed while you’re in the pool will be diluted by the tap water already present in the follicle.  Once you’re finished swimming you should shampoo and condition your hair, or at the very least rinse the chlorinated water from it.  Without rinsing, the chlorine will make your hair brittle and can also cause discoloration – as any blonde that becomes green in the summer can tell you.

If you find that your locks have been dulled by the sun and heat, you can try a vinegar mask at home.  Apply ¼ cup of white vinegar to towel dried hair and rinse after 10 minutes.  Your locks will be shiny and full of body.

Just as you apply sunscreen to your skin prior to sun exposure, your hair also needs sun protection.  A small amount of conditioner applied to towel dried or completely dried hair before pulling it up into a loose bun is easy enough and goes a long way.  When applying sunscreen be mindful of the skin around your hairline, where your hair parts, the nape of your neck and your ears (the tops of your ears and the skin behind them).  This skin is fair and sensitive.  It will burn easily and is therefore at higher risk for sun cancer.  You can also wear a straw hat, as straw protects you from UV rays.  Do not assume that any fabric will protect you; read your labels and look for “protects against UV ray” materials when purchasing sun hats and other protective products.

Finally, there are of course many salon services and products that offer and claim to protect the hair and combat the #1 summer hair enemy: frizz.  With the heat comes the humidity; and whether you have curls or straight hair, you want frizz-free locks.  A keratin treatment is a great frizz fighting service.  Keratin will smooth the hair and repel the humidity to lock out frizz.  There are different levels of application strength, depending on your hair texture and desired end result.  Ask your stylist which would work best for you.

Moving on to products, we at NVS Salon are very happy with the results we have seen from the KMS® California TAMEFRIZZ® Hair Care System.  We recommend it to our clients and use it ourselves.  The line consists of a shampoo, conditioner, taming crème, de-frizz oil and smoothing lotion.  As per the KMS® press release for the product line, Tame Frizz “fights frizz on the inside and outside” using a fusion of ingredients (Pequi oil and Acacia) it “internally repairs hair structure” while “externally smoothing the cuticle and reducing the visible effects of frizz.”  Our styling team will be happy to guide you in choosing the products that will best suit your needs.  Any product from this line will be a great addition to your summer hair care regimen.

We hope these tips will serve you and your hair well this summer! Thanks for reading and feel free to come see us at NVS Salon, where you can schedule your keratin treatment and or purchase products from the KMS® California TAMEFRIZZ® Hair Care System.

You can find us on Facebook at NVSfx Salon, visit our website at www.nvsfxsalon.comor call us: (610) 838-2600.

Guest blog post from NVS fx Salon in Hellertown, a new Chamber member.

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#Hashtag - You're It!

Guest post from Kelly Joffe of Cliff Ross Design

Hashtags: we know that you have seen them all over the place, and maybe you use them yourself. They have played a significant role on Twitter and now they are starting to pop up all over Facebook. But what does it really mean to use a hashtag – what purpose does it serve? Far beyond #BeiberFever, hashtags are now playing an important role in online branding  for companies.

Hashtags originated as a conversation creator for specific topics on Twitter. Lets say someone was at the beach, enjoying the day with their family and posted a Tweet about it. If they used the hashtag #family or #BeachDay, it would start or join a conversation that has already been created about those topics. So when the hashtag is clicked on, you can view all the other “tweets” about that subject. Maybe other people in your area are enjoying a day at the beach with their families. Hashtags are just another way to connect people who are doing or talking about similar things. Now Facebook is utilizing hashtags as an additional way for people to connect and share information.

Recently we’ve been seeing how hashtags can play a key role in promoting a brand online. Similar to the way people use hashtags to connect with one another, hashtags can be used as a way to connect people to a brand. Lets use Red Lobster as an example. If someone is out to eat at Red Lobster and they post a status or Tweet about being there, they could use #RedLobster in their post. Now anytime #RedLobster is searched, everyone who has made a post about it will show up. This starts to create a buzz around a brand, and becomes a way for people to connect to the brand and help share the brand’s message.

Brands can also develop their own hashtags that are specific to their business. For example, McDonalds uses the hashtag #ImLovinIt – this is their brand slogan, which they have also developed into a hashtag. Now anytime that hasgtag is used, it’s associated with the McDonalds brand.

Social Media is a landscape that is constantly changing and evolving. If you are going to take part in this social environment – it’s important to stay current with the trends. Social Media will play a crucial role in business marketing in the future, just as it’s starting to do now. Hashtags aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but how we use them will certainly evolve over time.

Here at Cliff Ross, our job is to keep up with the changing landscape that is Social Media. We are happy to answer any questions and help guide your business through the world of social media marketing. Give us a call at 610-829-1333.

Guest post from Kelly Joffe of Cliff Ross Design

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Beach Bum vs. Beach Beauty

Guest blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

Oh, the sweet smell of the ocean and the calming of the beach is what everyone needs in the summertime.  I had to babysit one of my grands in Rehoboth Beach recently and, as you may already know, my customer service experiences range from Beach Beauty to Beach Bum. When I checked into the hotel the staff was overwhelmingly friendly, “we have complimentary breakfast, wine & cheese at 5pm and at 8pm chocolate chip cookies.”  Now I’m impressed, Beach Beauty!  Then she reminds me, “ We also have a free shuttle to the beach.”  You could take away all the other goodies, that shuttle to the beach is my cup of tea.  That’s where we met  Lew,  the most amazing, friendly guy.  He couldn’t wait to tell us about the city as he packed our stuff onto the shuttle and we drove by restaurants he gave us the history and then.....he told us this was something they are trying as a pilot program with bigger and better services to come, BEACH BEAUTY!  The group I was with said, “This is the best hotel I ever stayed in.”  Until the next day.........

Breakfast started at 7:30 a.m.  I arrived at 7:23 and began to get coffee and then decided to take a sticky bun up to my granddaughter’s room.  The woman in charge of the food service came storming into the room.  I said hello and got the obligatory hi, and she immediately ran into the kitchen (she was on a mission) to scold the staff for allowing the breakfast to open 7 minutes early.  It was inappropriate, unnecessary and completely over the top...all over 7 minutes.  But the real issue was me and the other early birds heard the whole thing.  She stormed out of the kitchen and pretty much ruined that glowing reputation for the hotel in about 10 minutes, BEACH BUM!  The guests began to chatter, “did she have to do that to her staff in front of us, what’s the big deal about 7 minutes, wonder if her boss knows how rude she was to us.”  “We love it here, I’m shocked by that behavior, I just might tell the owner.”  I left and came back later with my family.  When we arrived at 8 a.m., the eggs were gone, the french toast was empty and the staff pretty much was taking their good old time refilling the food.  BEACH BUM....

Here’s the scoop, for all the boss’s in the world, hire that flexible, go-with-the flow employee who might have encouraged the 5 early birds to take a muffin.

For all the employees in the world who have to listen to that rage, get a new job and don’t work for someone who is that mean

For all the guests in the world, report this stuff, don’t allow this to continue, she needs to work alone somewhere where she cannot continue to ruin people’s days

For all the business owners in the world, make sure your leadership team is trained and accountable.

Beach Beauties make the world go ‘round, Beach Bums do nothing but continue to spiral into bad customer service, bad reputation and bad performance. Who works in your business, the beauty or the bum?

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia.

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - The Little Guy

Guest blog post from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com.

So many times we forget about “The Little Guy,” amazingly loyal, consistently present but he or she doesn't necessarily bring in a lot of cash flow.  Last week I met with a new friend/colleague.  As I listened, he taught me about his business and the services he provides.  There was one thing he said that resonated with me, it’s something that you rarely hear coming from a business owner.  He stated that he is HONORED to have the trust and loyalty of his customers.  HONORED?  So many times we are honored to be in someone’s presence, or we are honored to be recognized but I've never heard anyone say they are honored that their customers trust them.  I decided to look up the word.  Webster’s says it means a good name or public esteem or the showing of merited respect.  Well, now it makes sense.  Merited respect, earned not assumed is just one part of growing your business but one big part.  He then talked about his “BIG” clients and the smaller ones.  Interestingly, both were valued on the same level even though “The Little Guy” doesn't bring in as much of the bacon.

Small businesses cannot rely on one, two or three “BIG” customers.  The risk is incredibly high and when you lose one, maybe even through no fault of your own, it hurts badly.

Here’s What “The Little Guy” means to your business....

1. Figure out how many “little guys” you need to equal the “BIG” customer revenue
2. The word of mouth epidemic you are creating  is very dependent on “the Little Guy”
3. There’s a chance “the Little Guy” will become a “Big GUY” someday
4. “The Little Guy” may be someone who can help you via advice, exchanges or possibly referrals

If you want to Grow Ur Biz, merited respect for all who walk through the door is not only an idea but a necessity.  That “Little Guy” must be treated the same as the “BIG Guy” because you never know where that business/relationship will lead or, better yet, a “BIG Guy” could be right behind “the Little Guy” with a fantastic referral.  “Little Guys Rock”

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - You've Got Mail!

Guest Blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com.

Sometimes email gets a bad rap.  The real question is, does it make more work for you or does it make it easier to communicate with your colleagues and friends?  What do you think?  For my work, I love it.  I can crank out an answer in seconds and I love crossing things off my to-do list.  Then, there’s the junk and the sales (sometimes good sales) and don’t forget the drugs you don’t need or want that they are trying to sell you. 

Remember that movie, You’ve Got Mail?  Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would rush home to turn on their computers and wait for the mysterious, sometimes humorous emails from each other.  Back then I wonder if they ever thought email would become such a BIG piece of our lives.  Even though I love it, I do have my limits.  Here are my Pet Peeves:

Carol’s 5 Email Pet Peeves - You’ve Got Mail

the fake email dressed up like it’s from a friend and it’s really from a scam artist

the emails that don’t let you unsubscribe but say they do

the class reunion emails from people I did not go to school with

the emails from someone stranded in a foreign country who needs money immediately

and the emails telling me I should join a dating site for people over 55

Now that we are done complaining, here are my ideas for utilizing email in your biz....

Make sure future customers can email you through your free social media-Facebook & LinkedIn

Have your email address on all marketing materials (make it easy to find) - I was recently at a networking event, a guy gave me his business card with no email address on it

Don’t forget to offer free stuff and specials- keep customers coming back

Collect email addresses at your place of business or through networking

I really don’t mind getting emails telling me what’s on sale, where I can get a deal or a nice note from a friend.  I love the fact that I have written documentation of tasks completed and a quick response sometimes saves the day. When it comes to GROWING UR BIZ - email is now a necessity, so turn on your computer, click on your email and see if You’ve Got Mail!

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog. Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Carol's Ten Listening Lessons

Guest blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

Sometimes what’s on the menu just doesn't work.  We all have special needs when it comes to dining out. I call it “MENU”... You know, you order regular and you get decaf, you order no onions and your salad is loaded with them, you order unsweetened and you get sweetened, or you order well-done and you get medium rare. Sometimes this is due to an honest mistake but many times it’s due to poor listening skills. I've heard more people say, “she’s not listening to me, he’s not paying attention.”

A friend of mine ordered a sandwich with no onions, clearly stating that she cannot eat them and will get sick if she does.  The waiter, not paying attention, orders the sandwich with no onions but then gives her a salad smothered with big purple onions.  Now, if she said she will get sick on onions on the sandwich a person who pays attention would know, no onions on anything, a non-listener doesn't pay attention and it feels like they just doesn't care about you, your needs or your onions.

Listening sometimes, takes thought and practice, try these lessons...

Lesson 1. Pay attention to your customer, make them feel like they are the only one in the room

Lesson 2.  Stay focused on your task

Lesson 3.  Stop Talking - you can’t listen if you are talking

Lesson 5.  Repeat back what the person just said to you

Lesson 6. Make eye contact

Lesson 7. Watch for body language, it’s another way to communicate

Lesson 8. Be emphatic

Lesson 9. Do not judge, help them get to what they need and how you can help

Lesson 10.  Don’t be distracted, the customer can easily identify your lack of interest

Listening requires concentration. Sometimes we get so wrapped up with all the distractions in life we don’t take the time to listen, learn and serve our customers based on what they want, not what we want.  So, don’t cry over onions, just listen. It may even lead to profitable relationship.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like Carol on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Shark Weak

Guest blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

If you own a business, I insist you watch Shark Tank on Friday night at 8 p.m. This amazing show hosts the worlds most famous investors. Barbara Corcoran, a real-estate mogul, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Robert Herjavec, founder of 125 million dollar technology company, Daymon John, creator of global fashion brand FUBU, Lori Greiner, the Queen of QVC, and the villain Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Leary Funds. The purpose of the show is to help struggling entrepreneurs with money, connections and mentorship.  Each week a number of wanna-be’s show up for their once in a lifetime opportunity to “GROW UR BIZ.”

The wanna-be’s walk, run, jump into the ‘tank’ and present their pizzazz. The SHARKS begin the drill, how many have you sold, what is your market, how much does it cost you to make, is there a patent pending and how much money of your own have you invested. Their answers have everything to do with whether or not they will get a deal.

How about you? Are you SHARK STRONG or SHARK WEAK? Can you answer the questions above and would these SHARKS be interested in your biz? What’s your pizzazz, your WOW factor?

A a small business owner recently said to me, “business is so slow.” I offered suggestions, he had little response. Summer is approaching, the SHARKS are ready to attack, if your biz is SHARK WEAK you may want to consider a jump into the SHARK TANK

Take more time to network, get out of the office
Hold events at your biz - bring people in 
Hold customer appreciation days - give something away
Promote your pizzaz, up your marketing 50%
Join a “Mastermind Group”  for idea sharing and problem solving

BTW, Lori Greiner, QVC, recently paid $150,000 for 65% stake in ReadeRest, a magnetic reading-glasses holder. The end of the story is $3.5 million in sales on QVC and climbing.

This wanna-be entrepreneur is now SHARK STRONG, how about you?

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog. Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - To What Degree?

I was cruising to my grandson’s Lacrosse game and listening to talk radio. The show was hosted by a financial consultant and he was talking about young people who graduate from prestigious schools with prestigious degrees and have no plan and no job. He then quoted research that stated that only 2% of MBA graduates have a plan for the future. That is a staggering statistic. I find that more often than not when I work with organizations, no plan is in place.

Do you have a plan for your business? Do you take time to plan? If you have a plan, do you have a plan to implement that plan? Or, are you just wishing and hoping?

When I begin to coach a new client, I ask where do you want to be in 3, 6 and 12 months. Many times they never thought to plan even in a short term.

Here are my 7 easy steps to begin a business plan:
1. Ask yourself where you want to be in 3-6-12 and 24 months (goals)
2. Write an executive summary (describe you biz, who are you and what do you do)
3. Think about your position in the community (Position yourself for a share of the market)
4. Design an outline with benchmarks (a sliding scale of accomplishments)
5. Look at the strengths and weaknesses of your competition (build on that)
6. Describe Inside Operations - how will your company function day to day
7. Design a budget including income and expenses

I like to use the word “action plan” instead of plan. Put this document into action, make it a living document, visit it once a month, change your course when things go wrong (and they will).

To degree or not to degree is not the question, with or without the degree, without a plan you have no idea where you are going! Think about his, “Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” Henry David Thoreau, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” ― Peter F. Drucker

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com. Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches! Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing UR Biz in 2013 - Leap Frog

Guest blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

Excuses, excuses, excuses, do they make the world go ‘round?  When I talk to small business owners, excuses for not growing your business are plentiful.  I don’t have time to attend a seminar, that’s vacation season I can’t go to a networking event, I can’t join a Master Mind group it’s during my busy time, my business will fall apart if I’m not there.  But, the most frequent statement I hear is business is slow so I cannot leave.  Well, if business is slow the good news is you may recognize it, the bad news is you may not be taking the LEAP to change that today.

Remember the game Leap Frog, a children’s game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs?  Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century. They also played this in colonial America.

The first participant rests hands on knees and bends over, which is called giving a back. The next player places hands on the first's back and leaps over by straddling legs wide apart on each side. On landing he stoops down and a third leaps over the first and second, and the fourth over all others successively. When all the players are stooping, the last in the line begins leaping over all the others in turn. Anyone could play and we had a lot of fun taking the LEAP to further yourself in the game. I’m not sure what the purpose was of the game, but we were competitive trying to jump higher and further than any of our friends.

How are you doing in the game of “LEAP frog?” Are you ‘leaping’ into solid and extraordinary cash flow? Or, do you have excuses, excuses, excuses.  If you want to increase cash flow, grow your business and take your biz to a new level, you may want to consider LEAP Frog.

First, LEAP into the “NO WHINING” zone
Second, LEAP into the learn everything you can about how to grow ur biz
Third, LEAP into training, seminars, reading, and coaching

If you don’t take the initiative to LEAP forward in the 21st century, you may be left behind in the pond with all the other frogs.

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog. Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com. Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches! Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Master It - Growing Your Business in 2013

Guest blog from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

Am I the only one in the Lehigh Valley who doesn't watch golf and the Masters Tournament?  Two golfing friends battling down to the end, then 32 year old  Adam Scott from Australia won the the tourney for the first time ever.  Some thought Adam Scott’s devastating lost in last year’s British Open might scar him for the rest of his career, but he said it ultimately helped him win the Masters.

I don’t know anything about golf. I wish I did, love the clothes, seems like there’s a lot of camaraderie, and the view at these beautiful courses is breathtaking and I would love to take a ride in one of those surreys or carts!!

How is it that a 32 year old has the wisdom to know that his loss in the British Open helped him win the Masters?  Every single time he enters a golf tournament he’s taking a risk but, more importantly, he’s willing to take the risk.

How about you? So many times we go into business with a dream of being the best in town.  Or, we love what we do so much that it’s ok if we don’t make money.  It’s time to Master it because DREAMS don’t come true without CASH FLOW and, I might add ,DREAMS don’t come true without risk.

Here’ are some Masterful Ideas....

- Join or start a MasterMind group (likeminded business leaders)
- Run risky ideas by your colleagues and teammates
- Minimize the risk by researching free marketing first
- Use Adam’s theory, he learned more from a loss than a win
- Change your thinking - a loss can be a bungle, no big deal or a glitch- not the end of the world

Everywhere I went this weekend folks were talking about the Masters, now that’s what you want for your business.  So pick up the clubs, get out on the course and you can win the beautiful green jacket.  To learn more about MasterMind Groups email Carol at tellkids@aol.com

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - Colossal Olives

Guest blog post from Carol Ritter at CarolTalks.com

I need black olives for my salad, I love black olives. In fact, I love all olives. So you wander on over to the olive aisle or maybe the olive bar and look for the perfect olive to put in your salad. If you are in the olive aisle, your choice is small, medium, large, or colossal. If you are at the olive bar your choice is bright green, red, black, purple, dark green olives. You might even get a little crazy with olives stuffed with garlic and hot peppers.

My question for you is, ‘Why would anyone buy a small black olive when a colossal olive is available?” A colossal olive has confidence, it knows who it is and it’s ready to offer you not only a delectable taste but an appearance of confidence. That olive has swagger!

What about your business? Are you colossal or just standing in the background wish-in and hop-in someone walks in. Are you marketing your business with confidence, are you spending a nice percentage of your time marketing or are you sitting in the small olive can wishing and hoping someone buys you.

Wishing and hoping doesn't work, it’s way too risky and way too unintentional. I was talking to someone over the weekend who is thinking about changing jobs. She said, “It’s a risk.” My response was “everything in life is a risk.” And if you think about it, it is a risk to take the job and a risk to not take the job.

Well, it’s time to market with swagger. It’s a risk to market your biz and it’s a risk not to, so let’s do it.  I’m going to assume you already have a vibrant service or product so the ROI (return on investment) is of value.  Here are some ideas.....

* Create the Colossal offer, at the very least offer your customers something heavily discounted or free weekly or monthly

* Give your customer lots of choices, red, green, purple or even olives stuffed with garlic and hot peppers

* Reach out beyond the olive bar - look for that new customer and give them a welcome gift

* Get your name everywhere in the community, become the first thought in a customers mind

* or email me for my 14 GrowURBIZ RECHARGE IDEAS...tellkids@aol.com

If you just can’t make changes in your business, eat COLOSSAL Olives!

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.
Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND TER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches! Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia.

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What's in Your Leadership Toolbox?

Guest blog post from Amy Burkett/PBS39 Station Manager -AmyBurkett@johnmaxwellgroup.com

First,  I must admit I am not handy.  I can't fix anything broken around the house.  I don't use power tools.  I don't own a tool belt or a toolbox.  However, when it comes to leadership, I've packed that imaginary toolbox full of all the knowledge I've learned from my experiences in leadership, reading great books, attending incredible seminars and living a life committed to professional development.

It's shocking to me, but research shows about two-thirds of people won't read a book after they graduate.  I find that heart-breaking and can't understand why people don't enjoy learning.  I'm committed to being a life-long learner.  I suspect years of working for PBS had something to do with that.  I've been encouraged through that programming to grow personally.  Then, I have to ask, "What good is knowledge if you keep it to yourself?"  My quest to improve my own leadership lead me to want to share what I've learned with others.

Ask my husband what it's like to be with me when I'm reading a new book.  He'll tell you he doesn't have to read it, because I stop every couple of pages to share what I just learned.  Ask my friend Kim what it's like to sit on the beach with me while I'm reading what I consider to be a gripping new leadership book?  Better yet...don't ask them.  I realize my excitement may make me a bit of a geek, but over time I've learned I was created to share what I've learned with others.

So here are 10 of the greatest things a leader can put in their toolbox.  I didn't create them.  They come from leadership guru and NY Times bestselling author John Maxwell.  He's written over 70 books and I've probably read over 25 of them.

1. The leader's greatest victory---VICTORY OVER SELF! Followers tend to think of themselves first, while leaders put others ahead of themselves.
2. The Leader's Greatest Asset---CONFIDENCE! This is the cornerstone of successful leadership.
3. The Leader's Greatest Weight---  FINAL RESPONSIBILITY! Leaders don't play the blame game. They take responsibility.
4. The Leader's Greatest Discipline---TAKING TIME TO THINK! Our lives today are a result of yesterday's thinking.
5. The Leader's Greatest Handicap---PRIDE! Prideful leaders push others aside to seize the spotlight. 
6. The Leader's Greatest Opportunity---TODAY! Yesterday's gone and none of us are promised tomorrow so we need to take advantage of today.
7. The Leader's Greatest Mistake---PUTTING SELF BEFORE OTHERS! If you want to be an ineffective leader than go ahead and be self-absorbed.
8. The Leader's Greatest Prayer---WISDOM! Wisdom is worth more to you than all the gold in the world.
9. The Leader's Greatest Loss---HOPE! Hope keeps us going in the tough times.
10. The Leader's Greatest Joy---ADDING VALUE TO OTHERS!  Trophies eventually collect dust. But adding value to others never gets old.

That last one means the world to me.  I love teaching people how to make great television and how to grow people to meet their potential.  I've had the chance to sow seeds of success in all the freshmen in the Bethlehem Area School District this year and right now I'm teaching two groups of incredible students at Penn State Lehigh Valley and Lafayette College.  I think they know how much I love working with them, but if they didn't, they do now.  Here's another source of  joy for me:  Watching CBS3 in Philadelphia on weekday mornings to see two of my former reporters, Nicole Brewer and Katie Fehlinger.  I gave them both their first jobs.  They had so much talent and ambition.  They just needed a chance to learn, grow and hone their craft.  My heart swells with pride every time I watch them from my comfy couch.

My Friends, it's time to load up your leadership toolbox and keep it handy, so YOU can make a difference in the lives of others.

Amy is an Emmy Award winning producer who's passionate about developing people.  She is a John Maxwell certified leadership trainer, speaker and coach.  Like me on Facebook at Amy Burkett Sucess Seekers, 610.814.0610 Amyburkett@johnmaxwellgroup.com

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Growing Your Business in 2013 - You Are My Sunshine

Guest blog post from Carol Ritter of CarolTalks.com

You are my Sunshine....My only Sunshine.....You make me Happy.....When skies are Gray, You’ll never know, Dear.....How much I love you....Please don’t take my sunshine away!  

I was working in Philadelphia this week and was privileged to hear a national known speaker and comedienne.  She spoke on change.  She began her talk by singing, “You are my Sunshine, pause, My only Sunshine, pause, You make me happy, big pause”.  We were on the edge of our seats wondering where she was going with this song.  It was the pause that created the curiosity, mystery and anticipation.  After completing the first verse, she launched into a story about old Johnnie Mason and how every Satuday night he would dress up in his plaid sport jacket, his striped slacks and his polka dot tie to take his wife Sadie dancing.  Once they hit the dance floor he began to sing, “You are my Sunshine”.  After years and years of singing and dancing, Sadie passed away.  But every Saturday night, Johnnie would still dress up in his Sunday best to remember those good old days.  She asked Johnnie, “Why, why do you continue to dress up on Saturday nights?”  “Because, in life we all have to adjust and change when we are dealt a bad hand.  You have two choices, you can sit back and be miserable or you can adjust to the change and celebrate the future.” 

I ask my audiences all the time, how do you feel about change?  Most say they hate it, many say it’s hard to escape and only a few love it.  How does your business adjust to change?  What happens to you when the economy tanks or business is seasonally slow? What about when Congress passes a new law that affects your bottom line?   Or better yet, how do you adjust when business is through the roof and you might need more staff and product? I think we all know that we can’t hide from it and it will come around the corner sometimes when we least expect it.  So, why not prepare for change. 

Here are some ideas: 

Keep yourself in the know, keep up on buying trends

Follow the economic trends and current events

Become an economic ‘prepper’, save for a rainy day

Track your sales and, if you can, your competitions sales so you can better plan for the future

The other night dear....When I was sleeping..... I dreamt I held you in my arms...You’ll never know dear.....How much I love you....Please don’t take my sunshine away. 

No matter how well you plan your SUNSHINE may be taken away!

Carol serves as a featured writer for the Home News and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Blog.

Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s creative  leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND BETTER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com610-442-4545 tellkids@aol.com  Like me on  Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches!  Carol S. Ritter, Immediate Past President, National Speakers Association Philadelphia

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