Capitalist or Socialist? What's your business style?

You are doing business or you want one..
How do you feel about it?
What's the reason behind?

Are you acting like Capitalist? or Socialist? [and don't confuse the socialist by the USSR or the communism]

Are you Capitalist?
Do you want to maximize the profit? Find the cheapest resources in the market? even outsource to overseas?
Do you want to get your employees work 12 hours a day weekend included? Don't pay them annual leaves?
Are you doing everything to get more money for your own? And fire the guy who want's a raise?

Or Are you Socialist?
You decide what's the best for the whole company, and the employees benefit?
Do you give loans to employees who are in difficulties?
You do offer them free days to feel comfortable and relax?
Do you care what employees feel about the company? And how they are attached to emotionally?

WHAT DO YOU CHOSE?

My arguments are making socialism kind of perfect while capitalism as an evil.. But I would like you to give me your arguments and point of view!

So, what's your model??

I think what I wanted to show and compare to the pure liberal capitalism in the business level is not to the socialism that we often hear about, but something like Democracy in the business! That would be different, and means that everyone would have his word to say and not considered as a slave!

Do managers have to be busy?

What a strange question!!

I really mean it, and the real question is:
"Should a manager deal with huge number of email? reading email during the night and during weekends and holiday??"
One day I get an answer from somebody: "Yes he does, that the price to pay to get a privilege to be Manager"

What the HELL!! Believe me that's true!!

What you think yourself about this? Is it necessary to be busy?

Let's sum up the thing

Why we have managers? I think that because we are so focused on our tasks to not have a clear vision on the whole system! so managers are here to have a larger vision and make the right decisions to lead the work of the team!

Do you agree?

If yes, than, I guess managers should have free time to think and to observe.. than make the right decision, because a busy manager will never bring a new to the team, but will deal of a day to day tasks

And that's against the target of having a manager.

What's the solution

I think the missing point here is that managers want to show that they are not lazy, they are always involved, they are in the action.. This why they keep control of the situation.

What if this manager will be sick and in hospital for 3 days? probably the whole business will stop, only if there is wireless access in the hospital .. Grrr

The solution is to delegate, not tasks only, but positions.. and give power of decision to others.

DO YOU AGREE??

What mean for you doing Business??

Actually this is a question I'm asking..

Most of the time that seems obvious, very obvious.. FOR MONEY

But I think that if you think closer, you'll have a second reply like, don't wanna a Boss, Wanna freedom.. and may be few others.

This because the main reason to keep a business running, is money, profit and cash flow are both in relation with money. Without those, you'll die in business. But not if you're not free to decide or you're not doing perfect work.

So the real reasons are: to be rich, to feel free to decide, to realize a dream..

• For the first, I'm tell you now, if you want to be rich, and this is your motivation, better go for gambling or play lottery! You have no future in the actual business world.
• If you want to be free, think twice, you'll work twice as if you're working at other's businesses. Also you'll be responsible for your employees tasks.
• Finally, if you are motivated by realizing a dream, make your ideas real.. Than, probably this will be the reason for you to run a real, successful business.. and you'll end up RICH!

The flow is working in the opposite sense than what most want.. Dream will lead to Money, not the opposite way!

So, what is you business motivator??

Raising children to be future Entrepreneurs

World is changing fast changing and getting together. That means that human resources are easier to get. That also means that if you want to be a simple worker, that will be over for you, if it's already that make it

happen in a different way for your children!

Do you prefer security than challenge?
Do you prefer continue revenue than by-task-reward?

If you're replying by yes to both question, than you're the perfect traditional worker. And soon, you'll be useless because there is somewhere someone who can do the same thing that you, but for less money!

If the case, than the one who will win in the game will be the one who employs you and the I-can-do-it-for-less guy. And for me, I'd prefer to be the owner who give others work rather than being at others mercy.

The difference in that thinking is that we used to live the classical way of finding a job, doing good and getting a paycheck at the end of the month.

Let's change, and give the best to the next generation

In order to be effective and chance the sense of work for our next generation, we need to help them think differently, as per example:

• Don't give you child a monthly or weekly pocket money, give them by task
• Let them focus by the result, not the task that is important but what it worth
• Teach them to be effective, and don't want to stuck to the system
• Not to fear from poverty
• Don't save money, but how to get more revenue
• Think for the long run

Those are few points, is there others that you think can help raise future entrepreneurs?

Are you keeping the manager position in your startup?

Startups needs Entrepreneurial spirit and imagination, something that we miss usually in big corporate environment.

Now, how if your startup passes the startup phase and things are going just find, you're hiring more people, getting new customers, suppliers are coming to your door. At this time you may feel that you're OK. Your entrepreneur task is over (waiting may be for future moves) and now you need more a manager to keep things turning around.

YOU CAN NOW THINK ABOUT TWO OPTIONS

Wear the Manager hat

This may be the most obvious choice as you cannot think you're giving away wait you built by your own (or with your own team). Probably you're the kind of guy who knows more about the secrets of your business.

Check out the E-Myth Revisited book, and you'll see it clear that Michael E. Gerber encourage you to build your own system. Put in a model that all the business will work on. This requires a continuous work and improvement, but it will guarantee that you'll keep enjoying your business without depending on it.

This way you will be the master of your business and the trigger of your success, that's not what you run a business for?!

At one time, you may feel limited with your capacity and your ability to do things by your own.

Or,
Bring external Manager who already proved skills


The second option, is the corporate way thinking. Don't know how to do it, hire someone. Don't learn accounting, hire an accountant!

Richard Branson, one of the well know and the most successful entrepreneurs. Said one time (I guess it was on the Entrepreneur Mag) that when building Virgin, He said that at one time he found that he will not make a good manager, so he found out a good one and hire it.

Pretty easy solution to put all the commands on somebodies hands, you trust him and his skills. But be sure that he will not do all the times things that you like and you agree on.

What to chose?

To chose one of the ways, first you have to know what you want really from your business? a small successful? or big with changing the world?
I guess you have the reply!

How is your career trip?

A professional career is different for each one, some will think of it as getting a job at a big company, and becoming one day an executive.. others will see it as working on a start-up even if it stills small during all its life!

What's the difference??

LET'S COMPARE THIS TO A TRIP..

You want to go by TRAIN? or take your CAR??

If you go by train, you'll relax and enjoy seeing the nature.. if you're travelling during the day.
Even if you don't know how to get to your direction, other are there to drive you.
If you sleep, you read a book.. you still tracking your path in your smartphone, the train keep going..

In the other side, going by car is much tough!
You have to know the directions, some times you have to make a U turn.. you can miss to turn.
If you know that road, after a while you'll starting enjoying.. stopping to take pictures, eating, or sleep at a motel.
You're free to do what you want as long as you know your path.. and it's easier now with GPS and Google Maps.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY..

It's up to you if you want to relax and keep others thinking about your future.. OR move on and enjoy your own life.

IT is the engine of your startup

What role the IT is using in today businesses? We agree that it's very important reducing costs, saving time and more..

But what's the case for startups where money to invest on IT is limited? No time organize the IT?

Startup is a business with few people working usually at the same place, everything is shared manually, woking around the same table.. so few computers is all your IT.

But think closer, startup guys need sometimes to be working else, having different work hours frame, than you better think about automatize  you work and keep it in a well-share.

I talked before about tools that you can use like Google Apps, BOX, Dropbox, Apptivo.. and many more. And depending on your nature of business, you may need one or more of those, with a really reduced costs and sometimes for free.

Google Apps
How if you work with Google Apps? It's $50 per year per account.. and it will enables you to work in the cloud, work everywhere and never loose a document or a meeting (Google Calender with notification by SMS). What's very important too, is that your computers needed will be cheaper are no powerful devices are needed.

Apptivo
Apptivo is a suit that I compare to an ERP for small businesses. You're very flexible, so this tool will help you much for free (some options a not free which requires tiers-part). And even if there is some special option that it's not supported.. Don't forget, you're flexible, and you can adopt a procedure of work easily..

Remote team members
I already read on a book called ReWork.. a team working in a startup where member are not in the same state, sometime not in the same country or a continent. How that could be possible without IT systems??

remove all obstacles for you to be flexible, and enable all your potential with an effective IT system..
But don't keep the IT leading you.. inverse it, you should lead it to help yourself.. Heavy IT procedures are the enemy of flexibility and innovation.. NEVER FORGET THAT

Why you are are not going to leave you jobs?

Many people want to be FREE, build a business and make challenge, and getting a financial freedom. But only few, very few of them can really do that and really DO THAT!!!

So WHY NOT??

Many reasons can prevent someone of leaving full time job, and flying independently, and run a business.

The reason you're doing that
Are you really the person who wants to build a business? or you want just to do it because other did it and they became rich? If you want just to get the fruits, win more.. Than probably it's not the best choice for you because most of successful entrepreneurs are not ambitious by money at first but by the success!

You've been conditioned
You have a fixed schedule, start at 9 a.m and end at 5 p.m. so you have a full day.. Days are coming, and your idea still there! waiting for you, and following your schedule, you'll never do it.
And I learned from Tim Ferris (4 hours work week book) he mentioned that he think that the better thing can come to you is to get Fired!! And I agree! This will be the trigger to get out from the loop of routine.

You're afraid to lose money control
You have a fixed revenue monthly, leaving a job may disturb that, if you're paying back loans? You could be ruined if you fail! But not everyone can manage to leave a job and work part time until his start-up will get him money. For this, getting fired form previous jobs would be also a motivator.

I'll wait few months until I'll be ready
You have 3 years of experience, may be more, but you still saying that I'll wait until I get more experience with management, financials, human resources.. the list is long.. and my reply is.. Do Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg waited for that?? You are getting it? You'll learn with your business.

ALL WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS, NO TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME TO RUN A BUSINESS.. BUT ALL TIME IS.

Being your own Brand builder?

When lunching a business, you should not have enough money to spend on media, and Ads.. But still having your time, and your effort that can work on your side.. as much brands starts first from mouth-to-ear.. why not for you?

Your product will speak for itself.. but you too can do..

I learned much from the presentations gurus, and of course Steve Jobs.. That wouldn't be difficult, just go too Youtube and search for "steve jobs"..

What you should learn from him and others is focusing on:

Being popular, Being social
You reply to all emails, comments, requests and treat people as you're talking to your close friends. They will feel comfortable talking to you later, and if the conversation is public, that others may join if they found that you're welcoming them.

Being simple, reachable by everyone

Saying simple words, simple expressions will let everyone understand your message with less effort. And specially not annoying.

Check Fog Index, which is an index used to measure the complexity of a text.. you should get minimum index possible, and not exceed 10. (check this)

Show your ambition, and your passion

Do you feel OK to buy in a store where the guy inside is feeling asleep? bad lightening the area? not cleaning the floor? I don't think so.. And if you compare it to a place where the guy inside is smiling, showing you why you should buy something and making some demonstration to you?

That shows the ambition, so be Ambitious to attract people. We all are attracted by motivated persons.

Reduce your business software bill with Apptivo

I discovered by chance a new software platform that will be the center of most of small business owners.

You usually was trying to find out what kind of software or tools you should use to mange your products? track your expenses? manage payrolls? manage your warehouse? and more, and more.. and sure the biggest problem is how to put that in one direction and make all work the same way!!

Big question and I was very happy when I saw that with Apptivo!!

If you want, specially if you are already asking the previous questions, don't continue reading and go take a look, you'll never regret it.

If you still not convinced, I'll explain to you why I'm so excited talking about this even that I don't like making Ads but only because I'm finding it very attractive, and almost free.

This application is cloud based, so you have to be sure that all your employees will have Internet connection where they are supposed to work. And Apps are classified in categories:

Project Management
A project management tool that can manage tasks, milestones, team members. It's not very powerful as PM tools, but believe me, as a small business you'll enjoy it as simple and integrated with all other Apps.

Human Resources
HR needed tools as recruitment, candidates, payroll for employees and holidays dates. Pretty attractive for a small business with only one not so well experienced or even no HR-guy where not yet hired one so you have to do the job. Easy tools to keep track of everything.

Marketing
Tools for Ads, promotions, surveys. I would appreciate if that can include kind of social media marketing where you can automate your tweets or Facebook page. You can easy than spread the word about any promotion, reply to customer questions.

Sales
You can manage customers, contacts, sales reports and even more with many applications. It can be a way to attribute applications by department. as each profile will enable the App that he want to use, and disable the others.

Financials
Great tools are available, and same as all, integrated with others. You can find Apps about customers payments, supplier payments, employees expenses and invoices App.
Some Apps can belong to other categories as employee expenses that can be HR also.

Product management
You can manage your product list and details and check inventory.

Customer service
The cool thing that I found here is the RMA where shipped goods can be returned and an App will manage that. So no problem to keep your inventory correct and up to date.

Supply chain
Managing shipments and freight. And all is related to warehouse, customers and expenses.

Sourcing
Apps that works with suppliers, and manufacturers.

Website management
You can integrate it with wordpress. And also can be used with your website, domain or even Google checkout integration. Sounds great, and I'm eager to test this tools. (I think that it would be much more interesting if it can be with PayPal too).

Fundraising
Mainly about dealing with your investors and communicating documents with them.

Innovation management
Contains cool Apps about how to create and track new ideas internally, than getting patents and manage all.

Asset management
As it sounds, you need this App to manage your assets.

Employee services
You can find here Apps that manage payroll, vacations, employees evaluation and more Apps.

More
There some other payed services as eCommerce hosting, shipments and payment gateways.

After seeing those tools, I think that as I did and will do, don't look for tools that would help me or try to do mines with hundred bugs software.

What I noticed that the whole Apps would need speed enhancement, but it stills not bothering you if you are not running a big business as it saves you thousands of dollars! I would just hope that it would be little more optimized.

CAN WE FOCUS ON THIS FOR THE LONG RUN??

It's the real question I was asking from the beginning as no one want to put all his effort to use those tools to find out one day that it will stop to develop because some failures of the company building it!!!
And the reply is related to Apptivo itself if it's able to keep business running, and if its business model is going to succeed.. So you'll be sure of making the right choice.

Without looking for much details about it, I'm guessing.. If I'm using many of the free application with Apptivo and I would require an SMS gateway to notify customers of shipments for example? Would I buy a service from other than Apptivo? Same for web hosting and development, banking services, shipment and the list is long.. It's up to them to find out what value they can add so the customer is willing to pay for it rather than looking outside.

Use Social Networks effectively

We hear more and more about social media and networking. And for many business owners specially start-ups, this is a non-expensive way and also a very effective to expand and do business.

'Social Media' is a name that don't agree with as it may be more than a media! It's a complete life style, a Way of living!

Any definition to use, the Social Media Networks are actually having a very great impact on everyone's life. And for sure, businesses are using this tools to reach a maximum of customers' niches. And if you are thinking about running a business, I bet that you're including in consideration going online.

Few years ago, it was about getting a domain name and being present there. Now without even thinking about a domain, you'll think about a Facebook page or a twitter account. Actually Logos are so important as names, sometime more.

WHAT IS GOOD WITH SOCIAL MEDIA?

What's great, is that all the social media is almost free. You can advertise something, talk about your product for free (email and web are too, but it's comparing to the old TV and Magazines media). So small business and big ones are at the same level. You can compete with a billion dollar company even if you are working from your mom garage using your brothers laptop!

This is opening a new dimensions of marketing and positioning on almost every market.

WHAT PROBLEMS YOU ARE FACING?

I said that the Ads and reaching the customers is not expensive and in some cases free. But, remember! if you were able to reach people easily than other will be able to do the same. The competition is getting bigger.

This is the challenge of Social Media and mastering it is key to the success of your business using those tools.

Social science specialist are using their tools and all what they read years ago, and no one was interested in. And they are putting all that in an applied form on Social Networks.

Take a look at Klout. Actually I find it a great tool that you can use to see more in depth how you are using social networks. If you are a person or a business, it will help you see your social impact with Internet.

It's not the only tools that you can find but getting there will give you a very good ideas about how to deal with social media that most people new know about.

KLOUT, WHAT THAT ABOUT?

It's a tool that analyse your Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and more social networks accounts and calculates based on your public activity:

The reach
It based on the people are getting your post. People included are from your direct network and the network of others who are broadcasting your post. This will calculate the number of people who sees your post even if he is in your network.

Amplification
It's how much your post is impacting people so they broadcast it. If someone do that means as both you are doing that your are doubling the effort. And the same if others are sharing. So the more people are sharing your post the most it's amplified.

Impact
Is the effect that you are making by your posts. You have more impact if people are reacting more to your post, commenting, sharing or doing something.

As you can see, the number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers can help but it's not a target itself. So, after seeing your profile and how you are affecting your networking you can see if you need to make a higher quality posts, seeking more followers or focus more on a segment of people.

Klout also offers a way to see on what topics you're more likely to influence on others. So use this wisely in order to focus on your business related topics.

Social Media Network is opening great doors to everybody, so, stay focusing to not loose control. And excel in something would help better than getting few from everything.

Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant

I want to talk today about something recently is becoming not limited to executives and very busy guys. PERSONAL ASSISTANT, in a virtual way.

You may or may never imagined that you'll need somebody to help you, if you have the habit to work, mean that you are a technician in your field and you are working in an already established company, you are used to do things by yourself, or let it to the one who is supposed to do.

In the case of your personal life or entrepreneur business life, things are different, because you are the one who tells what to do and who will do it. In the simple case, You Will Do It.

SO, WHY NOT HIRE SOMEONE TO DO FOR YOU?

That's not so far as you may imagine. Not so expensive. And saves many time and stress.

NOW, you can hire a personal assistant for long time contract or per task. Thanks to the low outsourcing in India and the whole region.

You can know get help from someone starting from $1 per day! Yes that's true. Sure that it will depends on the tasks you're requesting, the skills required and the quality that you want. Starting from filling out forms, checking and classifying email to do business plans and project management.

If you want to check all that, you can see on Freelancer (picture bellow) where you can do both, working for others or hiring someone. Where now we are focusing on hiring. You can see on the first page all the skills list that you can get.

This website and some others similar are peer-to-peer linking which means that you'll ask for a freelancer, than you'll get replies and you chose the best one where you are responsible for the decision. (you have some tools as feedback from previous recruiters or some test scores that will help you see if the guy is able to help you really).

Others are a business that provides VA or other kind of help as BrickWork India OR Your Man In India which attributes to you a person to do the task. The good thing that you have the guarantee of the company, and if you're not satisfied with one VA they will find you another, or in case of someone is sick, they will find you one.

OK, BUT HOW CAN THIS HELP?

Sometimes you see that you have to do just the time you have, so no need for anybody that you pay!

But take a look, you are payed $20 per hour in your job and you have to book for a restaurant, check emails, make a reservation for your holidays.. and more. So why not hiring someone who can do that for you at $5 or less??

You'll save few time, and it depends on your vision of life.. You may see that you are saving $15 per hour while you'll not doing boring things! but you're hanging out with your friends, or having ice cream with you child?!

HOW ARE YOU SEEING THIS??