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Success is a team effort

2009-01-23T23:00:00Z

Change is in the air and greatly needed. Everyone knows the crisis we’re facing as a nation and that it filters down to every corporation, small business and individual. But the news shouldn’t be a deterrent to action. In fact, action is the solution to all our problems and the journey to a brighter tomorrow.

The New Year also signifies change for many, a new start fueled by renewed energy, but this year’s concepts of change should be more all encompassing than many years in our recent history. President Obama catapulted into office from an innovative and high-tech driven, grassroots campaign and will continue to inspire us through his extended social arm, Organizing for America. As anyone in business can tell you, success is best achieved through team effort so don’t try to survive this recession alone. Discover your goals. Identify your methods. Join others traveling the same path and determine to succeed together.

Today we heard that California’s unemployment rate for December 2008 jumped to 9.3 percent from November’s 8.4 percent - sad news for the 72,800 Californians who lost their jobs in December. In all, 1.7 million Californians are now looking for work, an increase of 166,000 since November and up 653,000 since December 2007. This means that now, more than ever, businesses can find qualified and eager workers to strengthen their companies and increase their successes. Cost cutting efforts should be carefully weighed in favor of retaining premium intellectual equity to tackle economic solutions by implementing diverse and innovative solutions. It will not only help your business but will benefit the economy as well. It’s been said that most millionaires were made through the Great Depression and the tough years of the Savings & Loans. I attribute this in part to attitude, focus, and a burning determination to win. Adopt an attitude of prosperity, regardless of the external climate, and it will propel you forward towards greater success.

The beauty of beginning change at the bottom is that the effect on everyone is more obvious fueling greater incentives to succeed. The difficulty is that gaining initial momentum takes more time than riding the wave of success in the months and years after the movement becomes better established. Yet, without the commitment of the initial few such power and human energy would never congeal to achieve the greater results possible by organizing for success.

So, today is the day to grab hold and connect to whatever cause you see as viable in your future – your business and your life. Be a joiner but for the right reasons. Following your passions and convictions will make the work more pleasant. Benefiting a group will be more rewarding than pursuing selfish goals. Finally, don’t be afraid to lead. Doing what you believe in will draw those of like minds to you and your combined successes will be greater than your wildest dreams.

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AnzaBusinessCenter.com is dedicated to promoting local merchants for providing better online exposure of their products and services to the local community residents. Visit our website to see a map of our location and the communities we serve. Join us in promoting your business as either a local merchant or affiliate company.

How to become a customer magnet

2008-12-14T17:54:00Z

Remember playing with a magnet in the dirt as a kid? It always amazed me how that little red piece of metal could find all those metal filings in the dirt and just pick them up without glue or tape.

How cool would it be if you were a customer magnet and could reach out into the world and snatch up all those “perfect customers” for you business? You know they’re out there. If you could only find them and then satisfy their need for whatever whatchamacallits they were seeking at that very moment!

Well, we don’t have such powers but we do have plenty of tools to work with that can help us attract customers. As business people, we all know about advertising and marketing and the importance of consistency and repetition. But I’m not going to write about these tools.

We also know the power of sales, using an effective script and addressing all the objections before they appear in the prospects mind, but I’m not going to mention these tools either.

Instead, I’m going to tell you what really works for me. I call it “padded value”. It’s kind of like “added value” but more. I really like thickly padded couches! You know the type. When you sit down on one it’s so cushy that you can hardly stay awake. You just want to kick off your shoes, curl up with a fluffy pillow or under a warm blanket and take a nap. When the time comes to leave you really don’t want to go. That’s “padded value”. Here’s how it works for me.

From the moment I meet a new prospect, I investigate his or her desires… what do they want or expect that I can offer them? I’m a great negotiator! I add a little more to my service, take a little more from my price, and pay a little more attention to detail. The cushier the deal, the more willing the customer is to savor the goods. This doesn’t mean to need to lose all your profit but you do need to mention ALL the benefits of what you can offer over everyone else. Therefore, know your products and services as well as those of your competitors so you can underscore how yours is the best deal around.

There are lasting advantages to giving your customers padded value. They not only come back for more but they talk. They tell others about the great deal they got and then you get to reward them with discounts and more padded values for the referrals they bring to you. It’s all about giving and, as we all know, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

So the next time you think about becoming a customer magnet, envision the value of having all your customers’ magnetism and how they’re attracting more customers for you. Then smile. It’s really your business that getting padded!
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Contact Anza Business Center to see what kind of padded value is available for you.

Faded dreams can regain their luster

2008-12-14T04:06:00Z

Once upon a time you had a dream. You envisioned discovering the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow or at least attaining the lifestyle we've always wanted. If you hadn't caught this vision and believed that the illusive butterfly could indeed be captured, you probably would have canned your dream before you even began. But you grabbed hold and decided to "give it your best". You either carefully strategied and planned for sometime to be sure you went about things the right way or you simply plunged forward with the mindset and determination to never to turn back and to make it happen. Your greatest asset at that time was your belief in yourself and your dream.

Now things have changed. Reality has come home to roost and the golden egg seems farther away than ever. The world isn't what it was when you started your business and now the economic downturn rains thunderous grief upon your dreams with relentless torents. You dodge the storm anyway you can but can't help but wonder... what happened to my dream?

Have you ever noticed how clouds can make the prettiest scenery seem cold and uninviting? Nothing on the ground has really changed. The only change was the light. The sun becomes blocked by the cloud cover and the contrast between illumination and shadows faded to a dull gray. On days like this, we're encouraged to hunker down in the warmth of our friendly houses, where family and a blazing fireplace offer shelter and laughter to mask the cold of the weather outside. Regardless of what happens on the outside, there is peace and safety within. If you think about it, we can also apply this to regain luster for our faded dreams.

Where can we find a shelter for our dreams? The greatest power we possess for destroying the economic storms and injecting our dreams with new life, is within our minds. We must refresh our minds about "why" and "how" we came to this place in life. The meaning and purpose of our once invincible dreams must be revisited often, and particularly on a day like today. Just because the news shouts negative venom of doom and gloom doesn't mean our dreams have changed. We can't allow our minds to consider defeat on account of a little rain. Here are a few weapons you can enlist to inject new life into your dreams and fight back the threat of doubt and defeat.

1. Remember the first day you launched your new business, the excitement you felt, the plans you laid, the enthusiasm you demonstrated to friends and family as you shared your dream with them.
2. Most new business owners unearth nay-sayers who offer a world of reasons why "you shouldn't" or "you can't" do what you hoped to do with your new business. What were your answers to them or the logic you used to dismiss their negative comments? Write them down and reconsider them in light of the present.
3. Who is your biggest fan when it comes to believing in you? Talk to this person or persona and ask for their most positive input regarding new ways to improve your business, regardless of anything except the ultimate goal of your dream. Look for new people to excite with your ideas and project success is everything you do regarding your business.
4. Consider where you want to be in 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, and write down the steps to achieve those goals. Modify them if they need it and let action drive you forward in a positive direction. Soon your vista will change and the luster will return to your dreams.
5. Decide today to "BE" what you want to be in your business. Let the law of attraction draw that existance into your reality as you pursue your intended goals.

Dismiss the negative and embrace the positive because your dream hasn't changed. Only the light you once threw on your plans faded behind the clouds of your current perception. The dream is real and tangible if you let it live within you. Strike a pose to succeed move forward. Your prize is waiting for you to claim!

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Let Anza Business Center help you take action. We're here to help build your dreams.

Welcome

2008-12-13T00:01:00Z

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.