Do you ever wonder if Steve Jobs’ mom let him watch TV before he did his homework? Or did Mark Zuckerberg’s dad ever let him eat popsicles for dinner? When you become a parent you don’t necessarily have a parenting strategy as you typically would with your business, and if you do it gets thrown out after 20 minutes.
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Archive for the ‘Personal Development’ Category
Raising Steve Jobs
July 19th, 2012 by Nikki Thompson
Common Office Do’s and Don’ts
July 18th, 2012 by Crystal Smichura
4 Tips for Common Sense Customer Service
July 4th, 2012 by Crystal Smichura
As someone who has grown up in Grande Prairie, I have watched my city go through its share of economic ups and downs. I’ve seen people lined up for job interviews as well as 3 people trying to do a 10-man job. Throughout all of this, I have also noticed trends in the customer service area. With Grande Prairie on another cusp of a boom, I thought I might point out a few things that seemed to escape us last time.
How To Grow Your Business When You Can’t Take On Any More Work
June 15th, 2012 by Richard Podsada
Most marketing articles focus on how to cure the problem of having not enough work. But here in Grande Prairie, business owners have a unique problem: They have too much going on. To the point of it being unhealthy for their business.
It seems crazy that a small northern city would have this problem. But although our population is approximately 60,000, our service area includes about 300,000 people in the surrounding communities, making us a regional hub for tourism and business in the north. We’ve been declared Canada’s Most Entrepreneurial City in 2010 and 2011 by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Trust me, it’s busy here.
In the midst of all this entrepreneurial frenzy, businesses are actually scared to do any more sales and marketing. They can’t keep up to their current clients, let alone any new ones. Everything feels out of control.
Yet, they still need to grow to achieve their goals. How do you grow if you can’t keep up with the work? This article will teach you a simple process to do just that.
Take this Quote and Post It
October 14th, 2011 by Richard Podsada
Steve Jobs quotes to inspire and make you smile
From designing circuit boards to the wonder of Pixar’s Toy Story to world of Apple, Steve Jobs left his mark on history as a true icon of the tech industry.
Steve Jobs was a visionary and a creative genius who inspired us with his list of accomplishments and innovative spirit. But he also left us with words of wisdom—as powerful as any of his products.
Today we leave you with 10 memorable Steve Jobs quotes. Write each quote on a post-it, stick a new one to your computer every day, and let some of these “lessons in wisdom” motivate and inspire you.
The Secret Ingredient That All Great Business Leaders Have
September 20th, 2011 by Richard Podsada
I have always looked up to and admired the business greats of our times. People like Ray Croc, Sam Walton, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, Phil Knight. People who started businesses which are not only enormously successful, they have shaped the world and even our culture.
Reading these stories, I was inspired by how they started their businesses in garages and built them into international empires. But underneath my fascination and enthusiasm, there was a much quieter voice speaking to me. A quiet, dark voice that said: “These people had special advantages you do not have. You will never do what they did.” And whether I spoke those words aloud or not, I secretly believed them.
What I Wish Somebody Had Told Me Before I Started My Business
June 1st, 2011 by Richard Podsada
Dating all the way back to high school, I have been running a website design or graphic design business of some kind or another. I started off as a sole proprietor. I later registered as a corporation, and eventually merged that corporation into what is now nine10 Incorporated. During this long and winding road, I learned many lessons about business. Some of them took me a long time to learn, some I learned quickly, but most were taught at the school of hard knocks. Had there been someone to share insight with me, things might have been easier, right from the start.
Now, understanding both the struggles in starting a business and now being on the successful end, I have a desire to share what I learned along the way with those that are just starting out. My hope is, that by sharing what I have learned, I can minimize and reduce the business struggles that so often accompany new business startups. The following is a small collection of key insights I wish I had known from day one.
Networking Secrets: Why Face Time Still Matters (Part 2)
March 14th, 2011 by Richard Podsada
Networking Secrets: Why Face Time Still Matters (Part 1)
March 4th, 2011 by Richard Podsada
In an online world where with the click of mouse you can gain a friend, acquire a fan, or even get people to “like” you, it’s easy to forget the value of meeting in-person, face-to-face.
When staffing is tight—and often budgets and time as well—the convenience of sending a message through social media or by email (which is as easy as pushing “send”) might seem the sensible way to manage your schedule and resources.
How to Be More Competitive… by Focusing Less on Your Competition.
August 11th, 2010 by Richard Podsada
Do you spend a lot of time worrying what your competition is doing? Do you toss and turn at night wondering if they have some secret weapon up their sleeve? That customers will run away in droves because of their latest promotion or product release?
If so, here’s a simple but powerful thought for you to ponder: