While It wasn’t the original purpose of the article, I found an interesting business lesson in an article by Stephanie Nolen in the Globe and Mail on coffee.

See the article here

Nevertheless, a typical Ethiopian coffee farmer still receives less than 1 per cent of what Canadian consumers pay for their lattes. (The farmers sell red cherries for 1 birr, or 11 cents per kg, it takes six kg of cherries to make one kg of green beans, 1.2 kg of green beans to make 1 kg of roasted beans, and each kilo of roasted beans makes 60 cups, sold for an average of $3 each, or $180.)

That makes me think. When we’re examining the business potential in our work, how much is there that we purchase for which we don’t know the margin? If Starbuck’s price margin was more generally known, would competition and price wars start up? Perhaps it’s just idle speculation on my part, but I love learning how things work. As a child I would take apart toys, and now as an adult I take apart economics. Not only does this outlook help me find opportunities, it also helps me find savings. So, next time you’re out buying something, just ask yourself how much of that is cost, and what’s the markup?

In an office environment, it’s unfortunate, but we often form impressions of people (and they of us) that might not be correct. One bad day can define how everyone else in the office will see you, and undermine months or years of hard work.

So, given this difficult environment, what can you do if you have that bad day? How can you dig yourself out of that hole? Is there a way out?

Yes, there is a way out. It’s not easy, but you can change those bad impressions of you.

Well, Askmen.com has a great article to read on that topic. Check it out.

Click here to read the article

The search for the best business to enter into today is on. Many people are no longer content with being an employee, especially the rank and file personnel, who usually resort towards entrepreneurship on a specified budget to satisfy all their needs and gain that sense of accomplishment for them.

Getting into a business is no easy task. I always liken this to gambling since getting into such practices is indeed a make or break situation. There is no question that most people would always want to reap profit immediately and their patience for losses will not be tolerable at times. But true businessmen should note that in businesses, losses, especially in the initial years depending on the type of business, will be encountered. This is the trial stage and with the proper assessment and decision-making practices, they will be able to enhance and apply the needed corrections to make a business click.

Market attractiveness is another thing to consider prior to engaging in business. There is no doubt that people will consider a business that only shows promise. Another thing is considering the number of existing players in the market. An overcrowded market leaves lesser space for growth, and this is a reality that most entrepreneurs should consider above anything else.

Some Useful Sites:
Determine the Viability of Your Target Audience BEFORE You Begin Marketing
Key Steps to a Sound Business Purchase Structure

People, even if they are already in a good position, will always explore opportunities to be able to grab at any moment. This is precisely why resume submission to various companies are always done by employees, a practice that most of us do in our search for the best job that can fit our satisfaction as far as career development is concerned.

For some however, it comes to a point that they are already satisfied with their job, and the need to update their resume becomes pointless. In any case, occasionally updating anyone’s resume would be not requiring much effort, and in a world that is totally unpredictable, anything can happen at any given period. The key here is being prepared for anything despite sitting pretty in any position they may currently be. Who knows, a better offer with a broader range or responsibilities and compensation may be available for them?

Some good related site:

Get Help to Update Your Resume
Truth or Consequences

What does it take to look forward to going to work everyday? This is probably one of the most common questions employees would consider when they wake up each day and have to go to work. This is usually typified in two classes, one of which is the people who love their work and people who simply want to sustain their daily needs.

While the first one needs no further explanation, their career path will always be on the right track, implying the attitude of wanting to grow and attain a certain goal and stature. Thriving for perfection will always be there and such attitude will certainly bring them places.

On the other hand, people who simply want to work for the reason that they need to earn a living may have a tougher time. The commitment is not there and the proper identification of their place in the organization, no matter how defined will never be achieved. The most common results from such is that they will forever be in that position or following the usual scenario, will eventually end up leaving the company and work for other organizations.

Further Reading:

The Stuff of Work: Ethics and Assets
Employee Motivation, Recognition, Rewards, Retention

Dave Lorenzo has an interesting post about how being bold can lead to workplace success.

You may feel that if you are not 100% certain of your direction, you can’t afford to be bold. The truth is you can’t afford not to be.

He’s right. Few people who stutter, stammer and apologize manage to advance in their field, no matter how skilled they are.

Time and efficiency are two common terms that most organizations take seriously. The existence and operations of the company will notably depend on them and all companies will exhaust all means to produce an efficient and worth business to gain profit after a certain period of time. Through proper assessment using annual financial and management reports, an organization can properly evaluate and address the corporate performance and see if the current performance meets the expected output of the company as far as its outlook is concerned.

The management team and the type of management style that they implement is also another key factor that can make or break a company. It is no secret that different management styles will entirely depend on the proper orientation and implementation that people who have been hired to perform the job and meet the demands of corporate owners. Ironically, most people foresee this a matter of being able to professionally write and express opinions and mix their various ideas for the sake of convincing and impressing management. The management teams of today can be measure through the success of the business, not by word but by actual figures that can be seen in all the management reports submitted for the overall performance of the company.

Links and References:

Management Agility
Creativity and Business: Why combining creativity and business is not just the preserve of ‘weirdos’
Management Strategy: Semco and the lesson of integrity

As a busy, overworked employer, it is easy to take employees for granted. If you’re having a terrible day, you might never dream of snapping at a customer. In fact, no matter how difficult that customer is, you probably paste on a smile and are extra polite. However, what happens when that customer finally leaves the building and your employee does anything in a less than perfect manner?

When I was attending college, I had a part time job with a boss who treated employees so badly that he was practically a legend. That little company had an incredibly high employee turnover because anytime he was frustrated about his business or his customers, the boss would take it out on his employees. The sad thing is, we all really loved the business and were devoted to the customers and hated to leave. He would have had a very low employee turnover if he just treated his employees like human beings.

The next time you’re having a rough day, count to ten before you speak to employees. You may find that you were over-reacting and the employee in question didn’t actually do anything wrong. To relieve your stress and frustration, try squeezing a stress ball, leaving the building for lunch or putting a tread mill or exercise bike in the office instead of snapping at your employees.

While many of us try to be pessimistic and expect the worst so that we’re not surprised, is this in fact causing us to achieve the worst?

Psychology professors at Seattle Pacific University and University of Washington did a study with some interesting results.

Read about it here!

While we all realize on some level that happiness is related to success, it’s often good to remember that it’s ok to be happy before succeeding. In fact, this article suggests that happiness might lead to even more success!

Check it out!

Click Here