Home Wealth Project

How is your vocabulary? It’s a vital tool, certainly. Do you know these words?

a, after, and, as, die, eternal, first, gets, gun, have, in, is, job, life, me, mouth, my, pushing, saying, step, that, the, to, Tyler, waiter, you.

How about these?

a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.

The first list contains every word in the opening lines from Fight Club, the second is the entire word list from Green Eggs and Ham. Of course, neither you nor I wrote either of these, regardless of how well trained we are in what the words (the tools) mean.

Knowing about a tool is one thing. Having the guts to use it in a way that brings art to the world is another. Perhaps we need to spend less time learning new tools and more time using them.

View full post on Seth’s Blog

insight, Tools

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Oct 22nd

Nothing good ever happens after you hear the words, “Can we talk?” or “I need to talk to you about something.” At that moment, you know you’re about to have a crucial conversation.

Crucial conversations are often spontaneous and can come up when we are unprepared and vulnerable. They trigger the same primitive part of our brain that was reserved for dealing with mastodons and dangerous environmental situations rather than human interactions. There are really only three ways of dealing with a big conversation:

Deal with it well
Face it head-on and fail
Avoid it altogether

Which one are you? I’m an avoider. This is why I was so excited to dive right into this book. My goal in reading it was to be able to identify when a crucial conversation comes up and then learn how to effectively deal with any situation.

Crucial Conversations is a powerful book for people committed to leadership

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High is powerful from the first sentence. And apparently 2 million people agree because the book has sold that many copies since its first publication back in 2002.

I had completely missed out on this book the first time around, and it’s a good thing for me (and maybe you too) that the publishers sent me a review copy of an updated edition.

The authors make some “audacious claims” for what this book can help you do, including:

Improving your relationships
Improving your personal health
Standing up to a colleague or boss when you disagree or are disappointed
Addressing family tensions during the holidays
Talking to a rebellious teen with candor and respect

The authors are a team of professional communicators

Crucial Conversations is written by the same folks who brought you these New York Times bestsellers: Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success, Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations and Bad Behavior, and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything.

Authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler (@VitalSmarts) are all accomplished speakers and developers of training programs and change initiatives for major corporations. The four are also co-founders of VitalSmarts, an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance.

The authors didn’t start out by researching conversations; they actually started researching effective people. Over 25 years, they interviewed over 20,000 people and what they found was startling: It turns out that the most successful people were those who were skilled at having crucial conversations, assertive enough to get their point across and yet respectful of everyone involved.

A 7-step primer on managing crucial conversations

Crucial Conversations teaches a 7-step process for managing these conversations:

Start with heart. Ask yourself what you really want and what’s at stake.
Learn to look. Always be asking yourself whether the conversation is defensive or a dialogue. If you or the other party strays into defensiveness, simply say “I think we’ve moved away from dialogue” or “I’m sorry, I’ve been trying to force my ideas on you.”
Make it safe. Another way to deal with defensiveness in difficult conversations is to create a comfortable situation by apologizing, asking a question that shows interest in others’ views or even taking a time out.
Master your story. Focus on what happened that made you feel a certain way. Think through your emotions and then choose the appropriate way to respond.
State your path. Share your facts and conclusions so that the other party can see where you are coming from.
Explore others’ paths. Find out what the other person is thinking. Make sure that you understand each other and look for areas of agreement.
Move to action. Come to a consensus about what will happen. Document who will do what by when and settle on a way to follow up.

Crucial Conversations contains useful tools and resources

This book is based on years of research that are covered in detail on the book’s companion website. There you will find research summaries that will help you with 33 different crucial conversations–anything from talking about drugs with your teens to discussing holiday spending, politics and working for a jerk.

Who will benefit most from this book?

At the risk of being too broad, I’m going to say that everyone will benefit from this book, both personally and professionally. However, the people who will benefit the most are those people who are committed to becoming the best leader they can be.

Business owners will benefit by upgrading their conversations in a way that will eliminate fear and intimidation among their teams. The authors’ research shows that companies with leaders who communicate using the Crucial Conversations® skills covered in this book are significantly more productive than those who don’t.

Sales and marketing professionals will learn how to put customers at ease and negotiate more profitable deals.

Human resources professionals will learn skills that will make employee communication and conflict resolution go smoothly.

The bottom line

What I learned from Crucial Conversations is that most of us are letting our emotions and past experiences and stories drive our actions. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for rational or strategic thinking at times that matter most.

Use Crucial Conversations as a tool to help you prepare for that next big conversation. In fact, you may want to start practicing each chapter a week at a time so that you’ll be prepared the next time someone says “Can we talk?”

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

conversations, Crucial, high, Stakes, Talking, Tools

How Online Tools Helped a Family Farm Get New Business

Oct 19th

1 comment

How can online tools help your small business get new customers? I experienced a real-life case study of this principle recently. Together with a few of our friends and family, my family went to Crumland Farms in Frederick, Maryland, recently and had a great experience and perfect weather. We used a combination of online tools to make the decision to visit Crumland Farms even though it was farther away than another nearby farm.

Here are the online tools we used to decide on visiting Crumland Farms:

Discovery: Daily Deals Email: We discovered this offer on Crumland Farms through a niche coupon site called Certifikid, which is a daily deals site that focuses on families and kids and a partner of Washington Parenting Magazine. Certifikids was a discovery by my wife, whom I consider more grounded in offline information than I am.

Validation: Business Website: The competition was a LivingSocial deal at a nearby farm which had fewer activities for kids than Crumland Farm. The moms went to the websites of both of the farms to take a look and compare activities and pictures.

Social Presence: Multimedia YouTube: We watched Crumland Farms’ YouTube channel to get a good idea of the activities and discovered that the farm also has a Twitter ID @crumlandfarms. They also have a Facebook page where I saw a recent post asking if food was available on the farm.

In the end, we were more comfortable with our decision to visit Crumland Farms because of the validation from its different online properties, the content that we saw, and the deal they placed on a niche site (which we got in an email).

What are the takeaways for other small business from our experience with this farm?

Be easy to find online with a website
Have good content, pictures and videos of your business online
Try out niche daily deals sites
Have a social presence

Are you a small business owner who has tried out niche daily deals sites? Or a consumer who used a deal recently to visit a small business? Either way, I’d love to hear from you. Please comment below.

How Online Tools Helped a Family Farm Get New Business

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

business, family, farm, Helped, Online, Tools

13 Tools to Help You Become a Master Marketer

Oct 11th

4 comments

Last year, I spoke to author, Entrepreneur.com writer and social media expert Starr Hall. We discussed who the best people were to target and how to use all of my platforms and relationships to get the best coverage and promotion.

In talking about people to target, Starr said:

“Make sure they are master marketers.”

That really got me thinking about people in my networks who have a great brand, credentials and credibility, degrees and accomplishments–but aren’t engaged in their own self-marketing and promotion. They are not taking the lead on branding themselves through online communities, email marketing or at least a Facebook page.

In today’s business paradigm, combining the two worlds (in-person and online) and all of the platforms that afford us free access to people all over the world is a must. With so many solopreneurs, businesses of one, consultants, authors and trainers out there, being a master marketer is about the most important skill you can have in your toolbox as a businessperson today.

Here are 13 tools I have used to become a “master marketer.” These are proven ways to your build brand awareness and credibility and grow your relationships with your personal and professional communities.

LinkedIn is the professional platform with unparalleled potential to introduce yourself to and interact with top people in your field or related fields.
Facebook is the most diverse platform for engagement and interactivity.
Twitter can be a “real time” communication tool.
Blogging is the best way to build Klout and authority in your area of expertise.
Email marketing can help you grow relationships with your permission-based community.
Article writing, either on your own blog or for other key blogs and websites, builds your credibility.
Texting used properly can also be a “real time” marketing tool.
Video is the best way to show people your vibe, personality and how you present yourself.
Workshops brand you as an expert in your field and also give you a platform to present yourself.
Volunteering is the side door into many opportunities and align you with things you are passionate about.
Networking online and in person can open up amazing opportunities with people all over the world or right in your community.
Google+ is fast becoming another diverse tribe and community building platform.
Blogtalkradio podcasting has opened more doors for me than just about any other platform.

All of these tools can greatly impact your brand awareness, sales, customer service, customer retention and your overall professional success and advancement. Many of these tools can be used in a very integrated way. You can start with a few key platforms and make them work for you, then add more as you get comfortable.

Hire a consultant, take a class, pay your kid to help you – but get going on making the commitment to become a master marketer for 2012!

Here are some “master marketers” Ad Age chose as great examples of this in action, who have built strong brands, consistent branding and big buzz. Who are some of the master marketers that you emulate?

Image from Ivan Montero Martinez/Shutterstock

13 Tools to Help You Become a Master Marketer

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

Become, Help, marketer, Master, Tools

13 Tools to Help You Become a Master Marketer

Oct 11th

4 comments

In talking about people to target, Starr said:

“Make sure they are master marketers.”

LinkedIn is the professional platform with unparalleled potential to introduce yourself to and interact with top people in your field or related fields.
Facebook is the most diverse platform for engagement and interactivity.
Twitter can be a “real time” communication tool.
Blogging is the best way to build Klout and authority in your area of expertise.
Email marketing can help you grow relationships with your permission-based community.
Article writing, either on your own blog or for other key blogs and websites, builds your credibility.
Texting used properly can also be a “real time” marketing tool.
Video is the best way to show people your vibe, personality and how you present yourself.
Workshops brand you as an expert in your field and also give you a platform to present yourself.
Volunteering is the side door into many opportunities and align you with things you are passionate about.
Networking online and in person can open up amazing opportunities with people all over the world or right in your community.
Google+ is fast becoming another diverse tribe and community building platform.
Blogtalkradio podcasting has opened more doors for me than just about any other platform.

Hire a consultant, take a class, pay your kid to help you – but get going on making the commitment to become a master marketer for 2012!

Image from Ivan Montero Martinez/Shutterstock

13 Tools to Help You Become a Master Marketer

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

Become, Help, marketer, Master, Tools

Small Business Tips and Tools for Success

Sep 29th

2 comments

Small business success need not be a matter of luck. Techniques and tools can help along the way. Read the stories of some successful small business entrepreneurs then learn the tips and tricks that can make your venture a success.

Startup Success

What fueled the beginning of your small business dream? These brief profiles of seven successful startup companies show that anything from unemployment to job dissatisfaction and more can fuel the entrepreneurial urge. So what was it that started you down the path of wanting to start your own business? Yahoo! Finance

Overcoming hardships with small business success. Read the inspiring story of how Jenny How overcame hardship to create her own business working online and today a brand aimed at helping others do the same. Don’t let hardships overcome you while creating your small business. BizSugr Blog

Tech & Training

10 cool new tech ideas to help you market your business. Marketing technology has changed dramatically over the last few years and the pace of change appears to be on the increase. The small business owner must be willing and able to effectively use the new tools for marketing. Check out some of these new tech ideas. Inc.com

Mastering distraction in 18 minutes. Small business owners have an additional challenge that those who work for at a larger company. This is even more difficult for the person who works at home. Focusing on what are the priorities is difficult for many people. We are encouraged to examine what matters, what’s working well, what’s neutral to us, and what alienates us. Then structure our work life accordingly. Inc.com

Management Basics

Is your business operating efficiently? Here are six signs it might not be. Getting use to monitoring your small business can be a key to making it more successful. Do you know how to tell where your small business is and where it should be? Learning to evaluate your small business effectively can be a first step to success. Site Prebuilder

Small business health-care plan debuts. Providing health care for employees in a small business has been difficult because of costs. There is no group discount like that offered to large companies. This does hurt small companies in competing for talent. In South Carolina they initiated the Small Business Health Plan, wherein small businesses pool together to buy coverage at lower rates. GreenvilleOnline.com

Marketing Moves

Marketing your small business on the cheap. Marketing your business and letting other people know what you do can be vitally important. There’s no greater task than getting your message out to those customers who will appreciate your products or services. But whatever else it is, it does not need to be expensive. Open Forum

Making sure of your marketing message. Though getting your message out there is important, it’s also important to be sure that message is right. Sending the wrong signals to perspective customers or those who might create referrals won’t bring your small business the customers you need and might result in unintended consequences for your brand. Kevin Webster

Winning Edge

Linking your way to small business success. When creating a winning Website for your small business, of course lining is important. But don’t forget some of the simplest linking of all, internal linking on your own site. It’s a an important tip that could help your business site stand out. Small Business Bliss

Building great customer experience. The importance of creating great customer experience is a no brainer when it comes to small business. That experience can be a valuable commodity for your business long run when especially in terms of repeat and referral customers. But just who are you creating the experience for? Partners in Excellence

Small Business Tips and Tools for Success

View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends

business, Small, Success, Tips, Tools

Internet Marketing Tools

Sep 15th

Posted by Home Wealth Project in Marketing Tips

Promote software that helps you make more sales and drive more traffic to your sites!
Internet Marketing Tools

internet, Marketing, Tools

5 Tech Tools to Help You Manage Your Small Business From Home

Sep 2nd

My wife and I were recently blessed with our first child, which is not only a very exciting addition to our family, but also means that frequently working from home while the rest of my team is at the office has become a necessity for me. Managing a small business from the home office (oh, wait, my the home office is now a nursery; I mean the kitchen table!) is challenging.

Thankfully, technology makes moving things forward when you are out of the office easier than ever. Here are some of the tools I use to help my team stay productive when I’m working at home.

Yammer – Yammer is like a private Twitter for your office. It’s a great way to post updates and let the team know my status – i.e., when I have to step away from the phones, if I need someone to look into something, or when I’m ready to talk about something. Yammer can work on your desktop and politely lets you know what’s going on without interrupting your work. There is a free version of this service, although my company pays $5 per user.

Skype – Skype is a great way to actively interrupt/ping someone with a question when we are not in the same office. I can see when they are online and ask a question quickly. We also use it to transfer small files directly with each other. The beauty of Skype is also the downside – like a phone call, it interrupts you. Thankfully, you can adjust your status to “away” or “busy” to keep coworkers from getting in the way when you’ve got important things going on (like changing a diaper). Best of all, basic Skype is free.

FaceTime –Apple’s video chat service is free, and it’s been really helpful for me to have face-to-face conversations with my team. It works only on the iPad, Mac and iPhone, so each party needs one of these pretty pricey devices to take advantage of it. However, I find FaceTime is just as easy as making a phone call and more reliable than other video chat programs. When I need to have an important conversation with someone and want to see their reactions and facial expressions is when I find myself using it the most.

Google Docs – I’ve been sharing basic spreadsheets with coworkers over Google Docs for quite some time, so this fits nicely into my work-from-home situation. I find Google Docs especially useful for collaborating around potential contracts or proposals that we are sending to our clients. Quick note: We still use Word for final formatting. Google Apps business plans start at $50 per year per user.

GoToMeeting – For larger internal meetings we use GoToMeeting. This allows us to have phone dial-in, Web voice meetings and screen sharing all at once. We used to use Skype for these purposes, but it became too unreliable for group calls, so we switched. GoToMeeting isn’t cheap at $49 per month, especially when competitors offer similar services for free. However, I feel it’s better to pay for a meeting service rather than having my employees wait around for a virtual meeting that is delayed because of technical issues. That’s a loss of money! I see GoToMeeting as a must-have as I try to keep the company moving forward from my house.

Phone and email – Two bonus tools that we all use! While working at home, I’ve made a serious effort to be available by phone and email at specific times during the day (of course, my newborn didn’t exactly get this memo). I bundle both email and phone times, since it’s easy to pause what you’re doing with email to answer a call. I also delegate email – forwarding an item to a team member and asking them to take care of it while cc’ing the original sender.

Have you managed and grown your business from home? What tools and tactics did you use? I’d love to hear what worked for you. Do you have any ideas that would help me become more efficient as a businessperson while I do my duty as a new dad?