Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Begging Your Trust in Africa

The syntax is tortured, the grammar mutilated, but the message - sent by snail mail, telex, fax, or e-mail - is coherent: an African bigwig or his heirs wish to transfer funds amassed in years of graft and venality to a safe bank account in the West. They seek the recipient's permission to make use of his or her inconspicuous services for a percentage of the loot - usually many millions of doll. . .

The Self-Appointed Altruists

Their arrival portends rising local prices and a culture shock. Many of them live in plush apartments, or five star hotels, drive SUV's, sport $3000 laptops and PDA's. They earn a two figure multiple of the local average wage. They are busybodies, preachers, critics, do-gooders, and professional altruists.Always self-appointed, they answer to no constituency. Though unelected and ignorant of lo. . .

Narcissism in the Boardroom

The perpetrators of the recent spate of financial frauds in the USA acted with callous disregard for both their employees and shareholders - not to mention other stakeholders. Psychologists have often remote-diagnosed them as "malignant, pathological narcissists".Narcissists are driven by the need to uphold and maintain a false self - a concocted, grandiose, and demanding psychological construc. . .

The Wages of Science

In the United States, Congress approved, last month, increases in the 2003 budgets of both the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. America is not alone in - vainly - trying to compensate for imploding capital markets and risk-averse financiers.In 1999, chancellor Gordon Brown inaugurated a $1.6 billion program of "upgrading British science" and commercializing its pro. . .

The Morality of Child Labor

From the comfort of their plush offices and five to six figure salaries, self-appointed NGO's often denounce child labor as their employees rush from one five star hotel to another, $3000 subnotebooks and PDA's in hand. The hairsplitting distinction made by the ILO between "child work" and "child labor" conveniently targets impoverished countries while letting its budget contributors - the deve. . .

Give Yourself a Boss’ Day Gift

Become a better boss and reap the benefitsAnother interesting study was done. One that should really catch our attention. It reveals that employees who are happier and treated well, produce better results than those who are unhappy. And most frontline workers are unhappy and are looking elsewhere for work. No, it shouldn’t surprise us. But somehow it does. It surprises us first, because we ar. . .

Give yourself a Boss' Day Gift, Part 2: Are you the posit...

Are you the position or the person? Bosses can lose their own identity sometimes. It’s easy. It happens a lot. The results are devastating to both the workers and to the supervisor. When we are the boss, there are many dangers in becoming you the ‘position’ instead of you the ‘person’. There are many reasons why supervisors morph into being the serious, alienated, distracted, unapproachable bo. . .

Truth or Consequences: How to Give Employee Feedback

In the bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins discovered that, "the good-to-great companies continually refined the path to greatness with the brutal facts of reality."And, in his recent autobiography, Jack Welch reports that he spent about half of his time on people: recruiting new talent, picking the right people for particular positions, grooming young stars, developing managers, dealing wit. . .

The Ecology of Environmentalism

The concept of "nature" is a romantic invention. It was spun by the likes of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century as a confabulated utopian contrast to the dystopia of urbanization and materialism. The traces of this dewy-eyed conception of the "savage" and his unmolested, unadulterated surroundings can be found in the more malignant forms of fundamentalist environmentalism.At the other ex. . .

Bankers in Denial

Denial is a ubiquitous psychological defense mechanism. It involves the repression of bad news, unpleasant information, and anxiety-inducing experiences. Judging by the German press, the country is in a state of denial regarding the waning health of its economy and the dwindling fortunes of its financial system.Commerzbank, Germany's fourth largest lender, saw its shares decimated by more than . . .

The Narcissist in the Workplace

To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary Sources of Narcissistic Supply. Their role is to accumulate the supply (in human speak, remember events that support the grandiose self-image of the narcissist) and to regulate the Narcissistic Supply of the narcissist during dry spells (simply put, to adulate, adore, admire, agree, provide attention and approval and so on or, i. . .

DAIRY MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR 2004

“Two years ago the phone rang off the hook with recruiters calling all the time, it has been a long time since I had a call from a recruiter, but now they are starting to call again” said Linda Wetzel, Quality Control Manager of Inland Northwest Dairies, Spokane Washington. In an industry that has experienced two years of mergers, downsizing, and plant closings nationwide, research. . .

Are You An Expert At What You Do?

One of the most common refrains I hear from people is, "I can’t create information products…I’m not an expert!" Yet what is expertise? Many organizations have tried to pin down the exact criteria that make an expert. They talk about university degrees earned and awards won and how much you’re quoted in the newspaper. But I think there’s a much simpler way to look at it. Can you teach another pe. . .

Information Products: A Business Owner's Best Friend

We live in a post-industrial age where information is the coin of the realm. Knowledge is the most valuable asset that a business owns. For most businesses, that knowledge exists primarily in the heads of the people who work there. For entrepreneurs and sole practitioners, what’s in their head usually is the business. That’s both limiting and dangerous. Let’s take the example of a successful ma. . .

Wanted: A Dictionary-Perfect Leader

Answers are often before our very eyes or in front of our noses - particularly if we read the American Heritage Dictionary!Explore with me how some of the multitude of definitions for the word "leader" actually serve as a performance standard for leadership.Leaving behind the standard definition of "one who leads or guides", consider the second definition: "one who has power or influence". Hav. . .

10 Lessons for Every "Shoestring" Entrepreneur

Starting a business requires adequate capital. However, many entrepreneurs are finding that capital alone is not a guarantee for success. Some businesses start out with millions in the coffers, yet end up in the dumps. While a few businesses with shoestring budgets eventually grow to become extraordinary successes.How can this be? Success in entrepreneurship is not necessarily a contest of havi. . .

20 Ways to Advance Your Career

To survive and thrive in today's competitive environment, it is not just what you know. You also need to be competent. You must stand out from the crowd - be memorable, impressive, credible, trusted and liked. "Success is never a destination - it is a journey." align=right- Maya Sullivan1. Exceed expectations; deliver results on a or head of time. 2. Manage your time effectively. 3. Create a c. . .

Managers and PR Genius

The real public relations geniuses might be managers. You know, managers who pursue their objectives by reaching, persuading and moving those outside audiences whose behavior most affect their organizations, to actions those managers desire. Their “secret” is probably a PR blueprint something like this one: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable . . .

Say It With Humor

When you own a business, you may find yourself in situations that may be a little tricky to handle. Dealing with customers who steal is one of them. A few years back we were faced with the problem of how to handle our free water cups. It seems some of our customers were filling them with the fountain drinks instead of water. This was, of course, was theft - pure and simple, but we felt conf. . .

Foolproof Customer Service Strategies (that only a fool w...

Ever notice how customer service varies from store to store? You walk into some stores, and before you can say "Buzz off!" a salesperson asks "May I help you?""No thanks.""May I help you?" asks another."No thanks.""May I help you?" asks a third.When the store runs out of salespeople, you get to see the merchandise. This is called "in your face customer service"Other stores take the opposite a. . .

Something "New" For Managers?

A new public relations blueprint could be a good idea if you’re a business, non-profit or association manager who’s not getting the important external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives. You know, behaviors like more people interested in your services or products, or more capital contributions coming in the door, or more corporate membershi. . .

Juggling The Day With A Deal

Doing deals with sellers is why you went into lease purchasing. Again, using organization and time management is very important here.We find the biggest problem beginners have is that they spend too much time going out to look at property. We teach our students that you do not leave the office unless you are certain there is a deal. Remember, you are not a Realtor. You are not getting paid to l. . .

Juggling It All

As we have mentioned in other articles, having a trigger to start your day is very important. One of the major problems with people running businesses from their home is starting the work day. For many of us seasoned home based business owners it's a trigger. A trigger can be making a cup of coffee and taking it to the office, getting the kids off to school, after your morning jog or workout; i. . .

Various Aspects Of The Lease Purchase Business

In a previous article, we wrote why we believe that Lease Purchasing is the perfect home-based business, here we want to briefly touch on some of the actual aspects of operating such a business, the pluses and minuses and why Lease Purchasing represents a win-win situation for the seller, the tenant/buyer and just as importantly, you, as the business owner.One of your goals in operating a Lease. . .

The Best PR Has to Offer Managers

How cool is this? You’re a business, non-profit or association manager. You decide to get serious about your public relations and shift the spotlight away from communications tactics. You implement an action blueprint that (1), helps you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking. And then (2), helps move them to take actions that lead to your success as a department, divis. . .

Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit or association manager, you’re too focused on communi- cations tactics and not on a workable blueprint for dealing with those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect your department, division or subsidiary. If this sounds familiar, the blueprint I refer to provides the tools required to persuade those key external stakeh. . .

Managers: Are You PR-Fit?

Can you honestly say that your business, non-profit or association’s key outside audiences behave in ways that help lead to your success on-the-job? Or, have you pretty much ignored the reality that target audience behaviors can help or hinder you in achieving your department, division or subsidiary’s operating objectives? Truth is, your unit’s public relations effort can never be truly fit unt. . .

SWOT Analysis

If you’ve ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing, you’ve heard him mention the idea of a company’s moat. The moat is a simple way of describing a company’s competitive advantage. A strong competitive advantage, or a wide moat, gives a company sustainability, which, as investors, we’re highly interested in.In this article, we review a popular tool for evaluating competitive advan. . .

7 Top Home Business Time Wasters

What I call "Time Wasters" is any action interfering with running your home based business.What Are The 7 Most Common Time Wasters? Check Out The Following!1. Email.Email is without a doubt a very important factor in operating your Online business. After you've mastered sending and receiving email, there's no limit to the people or organizations you can reach at the press of the send button. Th. . .

How To Take The Pain Out Of Performance Reviews

The Painful ApproachFor many years, "performance management" was of an annual event dreaded by both the management and the workforce. For a week or two every year the manager would virtually isolate himself and ponder the stack of review forms staring him in the face. Chances are there was very little data tracked, so he'd try to rack his brain for the past year so he could "evaluate" his emp. . .

Developing Multiple Streams of Income for Your Home-Based...

Many home-based business owners have a single service or product they provide. They may sell e-books or crafts or speech-writing services. Specializing in one area is good for many reasons. For one, it makes marketing easier and helps that business build a solid reputation in one area.Although specialization has its benefits, businesses who derive all of their profit from a single area are over. . .

Balancing Home & Work: The Challenge of the Home-Based Bu...

With the holidays around the corner, you may find yourself struggling to keep your home-based business and your home life separate and running smoothly. And you're not alone.Operating a home-based business has many benefits as you already know, but its main drawback is that it often causes the line between your work and your personal life to become permanently blurred. Unlike those individuals . . .

10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs

Running a one-person business is a creative, flexible and challenging way to become your own boss and chart your own future. It is about creating a life, as it is about making a living. It takes courage, determination and foresight to decide to become an entrepreneur. From the relatively safe cocoon of the corporate world, where paychecks arrive regularly, you will be venturing into the unchart. . .

Waiting For the Official Job Offer

At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, “Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR.” Helene breathed a sigh of relief because her job search of six months was finally over.Helene went straight home and waited by the phone all day. The phone never rang. As the week drew to a close, Helene began to get nervous. She h. . .

Take This Job and...Re-staff It

Deciding to leave a job isn’t easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today’s soft economy when the unemployment rate has reached 6.4%. However, in a tight job market, some people consider leaving their jobs without having another “lined up”.When after a careful evaluation of emotional and financial considerations you determine that leaving your job is your best option, y. . .

Three Steps to Writing Your Own Resume

While most professionals hire a professional resume writer, some draft their own resume. People who write a lot for business usually have more success in putting together a sharp, focused presentation; still, anyone can learn the basic steps to prepare his or her own resume. There are three major differences between a "strong" resume and an "o.k." resume:1. FORMAT AND PRESENTATION DETERMINE WH. . .

Get Outsiders on Your Side

Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose job success depends in large part on the behaviors of their key external audiences. I refer to behaviors like inquiries on the increase, new waves of specialized employment applications, more and more followup purchases, new levels of membership queries, a substantial boost in capital donations, or more frequent comp. . .

Prospering with Mutual Funds: How anyone can “Afford” an ...

Recently I was invited to appear on a live CNNfn television show to discuss my article “How to evaluate Load vs. No Load Mutual Funds.” (You can read that article on my website http://www.successful-investment.com/articles21.htm)As the producer and I were working out the logistics of my appearance, she mentioned in passing that “most people can’t afford an investment advisor.”While that wasn’t . . .

No Load Mutual Funds: Investment Hype vs. Investment Help

With the internet such a huge part of our daily lives, many investors have access to a wide range of instant investment information.Whether you’re into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures or options, there are tons of electronic investment newsletters offering to turn your small stake into a giant fortune. All you need to do is subscribe and watch your portfolio soar. Yeah, right! As a practic. . .

Review of Ezine Article Creator V2.0

By now most entrepreneurs realize that the most cost effective method of promoting their business and services is writing and distributing articles to e-zines, newsletters, magazines and web sites.Many people have no idea how to get started with writing an article for an e-zine, newsletter or web site. They plan on writing articles and generate lots of enthusiasm for the technique but get stump. . .

Virginia Workers Compensation for the Injured Worker

What to you do in Virginia if you suffer an injury at work?First, you should report even trivial injuries to your employer immediately and make sure a written accident report is filled out and sent to the employer's insurance company. Second, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim with the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. If you have medical bills or lost . . .

Customer Service and Call Center Outsourcing, What's The ...

The buzz is all about customer service and call center outsourcing, also known as BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). According to Gartner, the outsourcing market in Europe has grown with over 6%, BPO with 10%. The market for offshore outsourcing (to low wage countries) is growing with a whopping 40% this year! However, the subject of outsourcing is not without controversy. So what's it all abo. . .

Five Tips for Analyzing an Income Statement

In today's article, we’ll be looking at the income statement, which is the most deceptively simple of the major financial statements. I say simple because it’s just a list of all the revenue, minus all the expenses, to calculate what’s left over in profit. It’s no more difficult than putting your family budget together, right? That’s where the deceptive part of the description comes in. The ite. . .

Managers, Start Your PR

There’ll never be a better time for a manager working for a business, non-profit or association to ask this question: “Am I getting the public relations results I’m paying for -- the really important external audience behaviors I need to achieve my department, division or subsidiary objectives?” If the answer is no, better get busy and rebuild that public relations engine. Best place to look fo. . .

Walt Disney Is Coming To Town

In 1923, twenty-one-year-old Walt Disney arrived in Los Angeles fresh from the disappointment of his first cartoon studio going bankrupt in Kansas City. He went to see his twenty-nine-year-old brother Roy in the Veteran's Hospital were he was recovering from tuberculosis. Roy, a former bank teller and navy man was concerned about his brother's skinniness. "Hey kid, haven't you been eating? I'm . . .

Stretch Wrap Or Shrink Wrap

The majority of our customers who order stretch wrap call it shrink wrap and these are people who use the product daily. What hope is there for those who are not regular users of these products? And for that matter, who cares? Well if you need one or the other, you should care and just about every industrial, commercial or distribution company uses these products. The last thing you need is . . .

Story Telling As A Tool For Trainers

Story telling as a tool for trainers - Imagery at its best............................................Once upon a time…………."Yeah right, don't tell us a story, we are not kids"............................................."If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive." - Barry Lopez.......... . .

Don't Overpay for a House, Even in Today's Market

If there's one thing American investors love, it's an over-inflated market. Which is why they keep buying houses and new ones keep coming onto the market. According to the latest data, housing starts rose an annualized 3.4% in September, matching a 17-year high. Whoo-ha! Go, baby go.I wonder if the people buying these houses, for ever-rising prices, are the same people who couldn't get enou. . .

The Six Most Common Barriers To Sales Success

There are a variety of reasons and excuses behind poor sales lead management because the $10 to $2000 companies spend to generate each business to business inquiry largely go to waste. I call them Barriers To Sales success. Here are six of the most common which plague businesses today. 1.SENIOR MANAGEMENT DOES NOT CARE Paid to lead the organization in the big picture issues of market strategy, . . .

What To Do When Your IT Project Is Late, Over Budget, and...

Here’s a scary statistic. According to four prominent research firms, only around 20% of all IT projects are finished in a timely manner. By “timely” the researchers mean without loss of quality or being over budget. They go on to say the average project runs approximately 200 percent late, roughly 200 percent over budget, and contains only 2/3 of the original functionality.Failure is the no. . .