Getting traffic to your website or blog is the only way to make it pay, but not everyone who launches a website or blog has the money to spend on promotion. Good news. There’s a promotional method that really works for attracting site or blog traffic and it’s free, free, free. It’s called article marketing and it is a sure way of raising a site’s profile.

Step 1: Find An Article Directory
To get started, find a suitable article directory. Article directories are sites that have hundreds and thousands of articles and there are new ones emerging every day. Some are all-purpose, covering everything from family issues to healthcare, while others have a niche, such as computer advice or art. All of them are hungry for content.

With so many to pick from, choosing an article directory can be a minefield. To make it easier, look at the directory to see:

• how many authors there are - if only a handful, forget it and move on.
• how many articles there are - ditto; come back when they’ve got some content
• can the site be found on Google, Yahoo or MSN - if you can’t find many links to the site, then no-one will find your articles either.

One of the best and most effective article directories I have used is EzineArticles.com. EzineArticles is easy to use and articles published on the site appear in the search engines very quickly.

Step 2: Start Writing
Once you’ve decided on the right article directory or directories, write an article. Bloggers will find that blog posts are a good starting point for a web article. If you’re not a writer, there are plenty of writers who will whip up an article for a few dollars. Some will even help you get it published. The article you write or commission can be about almost anything related to the site, blog or business you are promoting. The ideal article should be short (say 300-600 words) and error-free, so remember to proofread and spell check.

Many article directories vet articles before publishing. Stick to the guidelines that are published on every site and approval should be a formality. Most article directories prohibit self-promotion in the body of the article. Direct promotion of a site, blog or business is reserved for the resource box.

Step 3: Work That Resource Box
The resource box is where article writers can put all the self-promotional information. Readers who have found the article useful are likely to click on the links to see what else a site, blog or business has to offer. Article directories typically allow up to three links in the resource box. A good resource box has the name of the writer or the person being promoted, the name of the business and the keywords that the site or business owner would like to promote. See the resource box at the end of this article for an example. Other resource boxes may link to a sales letter page (with the product name highlighted) and include a short elevator pitch and call to action.

Step 4: Submit Like Crazy
Once the article has been submitted to the directories the site owner has chosen, it’s time to move the strategy to the next level. Article submission services extend the potential reach of an article, giving another opportunity to boost traffic. Like many article directories, article submission services allow people to upload articles for approval. Once the articles are approved, these services send them out to article directories, article groups, ezine publishers and website owners to be considered for publication. Two options for article submission are Article Marketer, which has free and paid options and Isnare, which is a paid service. There are also free and commercial programs to automate article submission.

Pros And Cons Of Article Marketing
The big question, of course, is whether submitting articles to hundreds of directories counts as duplicate content. It’s hard to tell. Some of them end up in the sandbox after a while; others don’t. Staggering submissions is a good way to avoid this. However, in my opinion, the advantages outweigh the potential disadvantages. With article marketing, sites can receive hundreds of inbound links in only a few days or weeks and thousands of people will be visiting the site that’s being promoted. That can’t be bad, can it?

Do you ever reach the point when you become exhausted with replying to the endless amounts of emails you receive day-on-day? Then you are ready to learn about how autoresponders can save you hours of valuable time.

The problem with email is that those sending them expect replies instantly, whereas you’ll probably feel that this is very tiring when you have 101 other things to do with your day. So what do you do? Work continual twenty-four hour shifts to answer any incoming emails, or hire staff to do this for you? A better solution is to use an inexpensive program called an autoresponder.

Autoresponders can be used in a number of ways to help you online, and one of these ways is to automatically respond to incoming emails as soon as they are received.

As you will probably already realize, emails are a primary method of communication throughout the internet, which makes them essential to your business. One very important feature of emails is the ability for visitors to provide feedback on your website, products, and service free of charge. However, if you spend hours upon hours replying to these emails, how are you expected to run your business?

The answer really is very simple, but it is amazing how many websites will not be aware of the use of autoresponders.

Besides automatically answering emails, autoresponders have many other good reasons to use them. For example they can provide a perfect opportunity to send out information about your website services or products, any special offers that you would like to offer, and any articles or advice that you can offer to your prospects. They are a very good way to build stable relationships with your customers.

Autoresponders can be in a variety of formats, from software that runs with your email program or scripts that run on your web hosts server, to autoresponder service providers. There are several companies that offer autoresponders free of charge, but you will want to read what features they offer before deciding on any one provider. Alternatively there are others that charge a small fee so take a look around before deciding.

A great feature of autoresponders is their ability to send out an unlimited number of follow-up messages at set intervals. This provides an opportunity to send out an e-course for example. What better way to keep your visitors happy than to provide them with an informative e-course, that educates the readers on a subject, captures the visitors email address for further contact, and provides information on your service and products at the same time!

These e-courses can be as long or as short as you choose, but make sure the reader can keep track of the course. For example, when they sign up, let them know what they are signing up for. An example title “A Free 10-day E-course On Wedding Planning” will of course inform the visitor of the duration of the course, and what it is about. Your first email should always be a welcome message to your site visitor along with an explanation of what to expect from the e-course. Make this message enticing, whilst getting the point across that you are offering free, high quality information that will benefit the reader.

Email is an excellent marketing tool, but autoresponders has taken the power of emails to a new level, allowing you to make contact with thousands of potential customers, several times, automatically. I have given a quick intro to autoresponders here, but there is a lot more to find out.

The use of autoresponders is an interesting topic, and a highly recommended resource to find out more information about automatic responders is at www.autoresponderinfo.info. For information on autoresponders and many other topics, also check out www.articleblotter.com.

Life is about changes. We dread change and embrace it at the same time. This article is about closure and making room for new things in your life. It will help you pack light as you continue throughout your life’s adventures!

Our identities, how we perceive ourselves, and present ourselves to others, stem from life as we know it now. The job we have, the way our family life is made up, and the homes we live in are all extended parts of our psyche. So are moods, emotions, even how we relate and talk to ourselves, these are all part of who we are in life at this very moment.

Whenever we are faced with any sort of change, whether it’s a job, or home, or inner/self changes, we have to let go of something old first. That also means releasing our identity created from that thing we are looking at leaving. Sometimes we think “Good Riddance” and are very happy to leave whatever it is we’re making the change for and the part of us that was related to that thing. We move on easily and never ever look back. More often though, we have become entrenched with that part of us that we are leaving. Usually it’s the security and familiarity of what we are leaving, more than the thing we are leaving that is hardest to let go of.

Taking some time to put away what you are leaving behind can allow you more freedom for opening your heart to something new. There are a million books and articles about getting over a relationship break-up. Let’s look at some of the other break-ups that happen in your life.

Let’s look at the chance that you are leaving your job or career. Update your resume right away while the duties and responsibilities are still fresh in your mind. Or, if you are retiring, burn your resume; you’ll no longer need it! Request a special lunch on the last day to effectively say good-bye to your coworkers. Even if you will be socializing with them on a personal level later, making this special time will help you say good-bye to work as you know it and the routine you were used to when you were there.

Even if you are leaving work with bad feelings, perhaps you were downsized or fired, there still might be coworkers that you can make sure and thank for whatever they did to make your work environment better for you. Keep your head up and bite your tongue about anything that is not in your best personal issue to address. You don’t want to have anything haunting you when the initial feelings of hurt and anger begin to cool off. Leave the job and close the door. This part of your life is over.

Now, if you’re moving, you might want to thank your neighbors if they were good neighbors for you. Clean the house or apartment thoroughly to remove the energies that have lingered from your time within the walls. Complete change of address forms before you move; you can pick those up at the Post Office, or buy a nice set of note cards for this. That way you’ll get used to attaching yourself to your new address and begin to leave your identity with your old address behind.

What if it’s an inner change? Maybe you want to move on from old harmful patterns such as negative thought patterns or playing the victim of your life’s circumstances. (Congratulations for finding things that no longer serve you and your willingness to replace them with healthier habits!) Please note that the habits you are letting go of are habits you chose because something about them served you in your life. Take some time and write about what you are letting go of. Write about how the negative habit impacted your life, what lessons you have learned from it, why you are letting it go. Then take the letter and burn it as a final farewell. Please make sure you are safe about burning it.

When you have effectively put away and said good-bye to what you are leaving behind you are free to move on to new life’s adventures! Keep your eyes forward and take your time acclimating to what is new in your life. Even the best of life’s changes can be scary or stressful and might seem overwhelming at times. It’s okay to feel all of those feelings. Make sure and talk with others and take it easy on yourself. Give yourself small treats and breaks along the way towards whatever change it is that you are making. Soon that change will be “old news” and you will be looking at another new change. Life is a wonderful adventure that way!

The last tip I’ll leave you with is never underestimate what your tomorrows may bring. Remember this when you are faced with leaving other things behind, you might be more than pleasantly surprised! If you need help letting go of things, or would like tips more specific to changes you are making in your own life, please email me at anytime!

Tracy Togliatti is a Registered Reiki Master through the Global Reiki Association and an Energy Psychology Practitioner. Tracy is also acting Director of http://www.happyher.com, where she offers a Free Advice service and free email Reiki lessons. You may contact her anytime here http://www.happyher.com/advice/contact.shtml

Many seniors who have signed up for the Medicare Prescription Drug plan are shocked to find out that they are already hitting the dreaded gap in coverage known as the “doughnut hole”. During this gap in coverage, between $2250 and $5100 in prescription drug spending, Medicare Part D participants lose coverage, must continue to pay their monthly premiums and are 100% responsible for paying for their medications themselves. Once they hit the doughnut hole, this massive jump in monthly medication expenditures makes it very difficult for some Plan D participants to cope financially.

In a recent Business Week article, Bruce Stuart, director of the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy & Aging at the University of Maryland, estimated that about 38% of Medicare beneficiaries are at risk of hitting the doughnut hole this year. This estimation means that 7 million to 10 million participants could hit the doughnut hole and lose coverage for part of this year.

“Seniors were expecting to receive a benefit that would help them save money all year long and now they are getting slapped with massive monthly medication bills part way through the year.” says Jeff Uhl, president of Universal Drugstore, a Canadian mail-order pharmacy. “Our customers are really angry about having to pay full U.S. retail price once they hit the doughnut hole and they are rushing back. People are realizing that they can save much more filling their prescription with our pharmacy once they hit the doughnut hole.”

At an average savings of 42% less than U.S. retail prices, individuals can find substantial savings filling their prescriptions at a licensed Canadian Pharmacy once they reach the doughnut hole. The $2850 worth of medications that individuals have to pay for personally while in the coverage gap would cost an average of 42% less in Canada. That means that instead of paying $2850 for their medications while in the doughnut hole, an individual could purchase the exact same medications, in Canada, for about $1650.

As an example, someone ordering Lipitor 20mg through their Medicare Part D plan while in the doughnut hole would have to shell out $348 dollars for a 90 day supply. The same 90 day supply of Lipitor 20mg is a much more reasonable $195 at Universal Drugstore. That is a savings of $153 dollars or 44% less.

“U.S. seniors need to be told about this option,” Uhl urges. “Seniors who hit the doughnut hole but are not going spend enough to come out on the other side of the doughnut hole are being duped if they buy their drugs through their Medicare plan while experiencing this gap in coverage. By purchasing their medications from Canada while they are in the doughnut hole these individuals can truly maximize their savings.”

A recent Los Angeles Times article reported that the gap in coverage could change next year to between $2400 and $5,451. This would mean an even bigger gap in coverage next year and therefore more money out of Part D participants’ pockets. How big the coverage gap will grow in future years can only be speculated.

Although purchases at Canadian pharmacies do not count towards an individuals out-of-pocket expenses Medicare Part D participants may want to consider using a Canadian pharmacy. Using a Canadian Pharmacy in the right situations can provide substantial savings to seniors. Some people suggest that seniors use a Canadian pharmacy when a drug is not covered by their plan or when they reach the $2850 gap in coverage but will not reach the other side of the doughnut hole where they can take advantage of the catastrophic coverage portion of Part D.

With all the confusion with Medicare Part D plans it is difficult for seniors to know what is their best course of action. For many Medicare-eligible individuals using a Canadian pharmacy as a part of their annual prescription drug purchasing game plan is something they should seriously consider.

Copyright 2006 Jeremy Cockerill

Jeremy Cockerill is a licensed pharmacist and the co-founder and pharmacy manager of Universal Drugstore. Mr. Cockerill graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba with Honors in 1998. Mr. Cockerill is the recipient of the 2005 Manager of the Year award from the Manitoba Customer Contact Association.
http://www.universaldrugstore.com

Last week, one of my clientswe’ll call him Rickhad a demo scheduled with a prospect. The standard “show up and throw up” they typically did early in the sales cycle.

Trying to shorten the sales cycle, I asked naively, “Why does the customer want to buy? What are they trying to accomplish?” Rick couldn’t tell me. I asked if he thought the salespeople knew. He said no. I gave him an assignment: he had to find out “Why,” “Why now,” and “What’s it worth.” Otherwise no demo.

In other words, no compelling reason to buy…No demo.

So Rick took a risk, and is rapidly moving to a fully-paid trial implementation.

Sure, long-term objectives and plans still matter, but I’ve been getting more and more inquiries focused on “what to do now.” Entrepreneurs and executives alike are demanding help on how to improve revenues and profits right away.

How do you make the quickest difference? Focus the bulk of your energy on revenue generation. In other words, sales! And don’t do it the same old way either, because — as you may have noticed — it isn’t working that well.

Here are five ways for your sales force to bring in more business in short order. There are no magic bullets, but just last week I taught one of these techniques to a client (#2) and he used it to close a deal the following day! Use one or use them all. Each technique will have its own effect, and each will multiply the power of the others.

1. Sell return on investment, and sell it to the CFO.

Sales people are complaining that while the pipeline may be full, the deals are taking too long to close. Perhaps that’s why the pipe is so full! What are the reasons for this? Companies have money, and in many cases they have needs. But many people are so scared THEIR customers aren’t going to buy THEIR wares, they are loath to spend any money themselves. The result? They are only willing to spend money when they absolutely see near-term financial payback, and the CFO is killing many deals.

The solution? Sell the return on investment. Sell the payback. And sell it to the CFO. Arm your salespeople with two things: A series of case studies that document the returns from using your product, and a well-defined ROI process worksheet. Work with the CFO to build the ROI case so that he or she owns it. This is the only way they come to believe it. Make it their idea and instead of killing your deal, they will help you close it.

2. Forget USP. Determine your Usage Cases

Instead of focusing on why your product is the latest and greatest, clarify the ways in which potential customers will use your product to solve specific problems and produce tangible results. Then, instead of touting the “benefits” of your product–which often fall on deaf ears, anyway–engage your prospects in conversations about what costly and quantifiable problems they now have, and how they might use your product or service to alleviate those.

And, as sales guru Mike Bosworth says, don’t tell them your offering IS the solution. You’re a sales “guy” and they won’t believe you. Instead, ask them if your possible solution might help them. If they believe it does, they have accepted your solution as truth. Then get them to tell you, in real dollar terms, what fixing that problem is worth.

3. Increase Sales Training. Use the 10% solution.

But don’t expect any one salesperson–even your superstars–to be 100% at every part of your sales process. They almost never are. But there is a way you can raise the level of every person in your sales organizationimmediately.

Use this process adopted from W. Edwards Demming’s principle of optimization. Break your sales process into as many discrete–but meaningful–steps as you can.. Cold calling. Letter writing. Setting appointments. Identifying pain. Writing proposals. Presenting. And so on. Find out who in your organization excels at each step, and have those reps explain their methods and mindset to the rest of your sales force. Do all the steps at once in a marathon session, or one step at a time. Either way, the results will be amazing.

4. Use the 80/20 Rule. And get rid of the bottom 20.

There’s no room in today’s world for mediocre producers. Hold each member of your team accountable for reaching two kinds of performance benchmarks: results measurements, which include not only revenue, but perhaps new accounts and repeat business, and action measurements, which might include prospecting calls, appointments, and new contacts.

Not every sales person will be a superstar, but every one should pay their own way–and then some. Salespeople who aren’t producing not only cost you money, they drag down the performance of your whole organization. You may not pay them very much, but why pay them anything? I suggest you do both yourself and them a favor, and let them go. Don’t worry about having an empty desk: that warm chair was an expense your company doesn’t need.

If you feel it isn’t fair to “dump” them, or if your sales cycle is too long to measure short-term revenue results, give the problem reps a 30-day plan to increase their level of activity in specific ways. That’s long enough to see an improvement if there’s going to be one.

5. Track your results and work harder

Most entrepreneurial sales organizations fail to analyze their efforts. They have no idea how much effort–or money–it takes to create a new customer. The only indication they have of whether salespeople are “doing enough” is based on the revenue numbers. The answer? Track both activity and results, and use the statistics your garner to quickly raise performance. Break your sales process into a series of meaningful steps, counting each time a rep completes one. Calculate averages and set a benchmark. And while you’re at it, analyze the percentage of deals that close whenever you complete that step. That knowledge can dramatically improve your sales forecasts.

Once you establish benchmarks–this one’s a no-brainer–RAISE THE BAR. Yes, that’s right, because the fact is, revenue isn’t coming in fast enough. Do everything discussed above to improve your sales effectiveness–then do more of it. Just working smarter isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to have to work harder as well. And anyone who doesn’t want to? See number 4 above.

I’ve developed a unique Sales Audit Process based on the work of W. Edwards Demming. This program is guaranteed to produce an immediate 10-25% improvement in your company’s sales, or more. If you’d like to find out more about how you can increase sales right away, call me at 858-951-3055, or visit http://www.paullemberg.com/contact.html and send an email with details about your company’s sales situation.

Business Coach and Strategist, Paul Lemberg is the President of Quantum Growth Coaching, the world’s only fully systemized business coaching program designed to create More Profits and More Life for entrepreneurs.

When you need help with your mlm business who do you turn to? Are there people above you in your line that are successful at what they do. It may not be the person directly above you do do not be afraid to look several levels up. Find the one that appears to have the most mastery of multi level marketing and use them as your mlm consultant. Politically, it is best to work with and through the person that brought you into the mlm plan rather than around them. While you want the best advise possible you do not want to alienate anyone in getting it.

When we were actively involved in multi level marketing there were always seminars being offered by people above us that had created a successful business. After attending several of these we were able to pick out the ones that were successes based upon what they had done and those that taught classes based upon what they had learned that should be done. When we picked the mlm consultant we always picked the one that had been there and done it. What they did, did not always work for us, but it had a least been successful for them and we could learn from it.

By a show of hands, how many of you grew up as a kid saying to yourself, “I can’t wait to grow up until I become a salesperson”?

Why do people go into sales? Here are some reasons people have given to me and sales managers when they apply for a sales position:

• I don’t know what else to do in life, so I might as well sell.

• I’m tired of my present job of (you fill in the blank), so I guess I’ll go into sales; anybody can do it.

• It’s for the money.

• It looks like fun and you get a lot of time off.

• I like people.

These people don’t understand what selling is all about and will not make it in sales.

What do people who are not in sales think about salespeople? They see them as:

• Sleazy.

• Obnoxious.

• A con artist.

• One step above a politician or attorney.

No wonder we have such a bad reputation as salespeople.

Colleges and universities offer marketing classes and but rarely do you ever see any classes in selling. (Could it be because professors are theorists and don’t have a clue about selling?) After all, marketing is at least respectable and you don’t have to get your hands dirty.

A friend once told me that “If I was meant to sell, I would have been born as a salesman”. Babies sell their parents and grandparents on feeding them when they’re hungry. On changing their diapers when they’re wet. On giving them baths. On rocking them to sleep. On taking hours out of each day to play with them. On giving up a lot of their activities so they can spend them with the baby. On teaching them. On taking their pictures to show to their friends later. Case made.

You were born to be a salesperson. You just don’t realize it. You had to sell your parents on why you were out late last night. You had to sell your friends in school on accepting you. You had to sell the professor on giving you a higher grade. You had to sell your sweetheart on marrying you. You had to sell your boss on hiring you. You have to sell your customers on accepting terms of payment or shipment. You are always selling. Just don’t forget it.

Let’s look at what a true salesperson, a professional salesperson, really does for a living, and let’s see now if it’s not a more respectable job than you ever imagined. A professional salesperson:

• Wakes up every day unemployed and starts looking for work.

• Is looking for problems to solve.

• Learns how to be creative in solving those problems.

• Is always available to their company and their (many) customers.

• Is the customers’ advocate with their own company.
• Helps both their company and customer profit from their relationship.

• Is a leader.

• Makes decisions that affect fellow employees and their customers’ companies.

• Has unlimited courage and fortitude.

• Understands what belief and faith really are; and must practice it.

• Faces fears, rejections, problems, mistakes, and failures every day, but finds ways to overcome them.

• Learns more about herself because of her trial by fire every day.

• Understands and deals with the most difficult objections anyone can throw at them each day.

• Is optimistic when others see only failure.

• Has a “can do” attitude, and will keep working until the job is done, and done right.

• Is well educated and is learning some new skills and techniques from every person they talk to, every book they read, and every seminar they attend each day.

• They care.

You are a professional, just as a doctor, attorney, or architect is a professional. You help people solve problems, employ workers in industries, and make profits for companies. Be proud of what you do. Few people have your abilities, skills, and drive. Keep up the good work.

Jerry Hocutt, founder of Cold Calling for Cowards® seminars has trained over 150,000 salespeople, business owners, and entrepreneurs on how to find, sell to, and retain customers. For a limited time you can get a FREE 60 day trial (instead of the normal 30 day trial) of his nTouch permission email postcard marketing program that will increase your sales through referrals, cross-selling, and customer retention, if you visit http://www.youvegotcontacts.com and enter the Promo Code WNL05. You can also download his ebook, Rx for Sales, free at the same location.

Bit Torrent is a new file sharing technology that has taken the internet by storm. The bit torrent file sharing technology is unique because it requires that those downloading share files while uploading. This results in higher download speeds than those provided by most P2P software programs, and appears to solve the problems related to “leechers” (those that download but never upload).

The technology has been around for over a year now and has continued to pick up speed as of late as its popularity continues to grow.

Typically bit torrent files are larger than what you might find on a standard P2P network. On a P2P network it is commonplace to download relatively small files such as a single song for example. Alternatively, the bit torrent technology is usually utilized when the file size is larger; as in the case of a movie or a full CD.

Bit torrent also makes use of client side software such as BitLord or the standard software on the official bit torrent website. A user then visits bit torrent websites in order to locate a .torrent file. Once the file is found, the user downloads this small file that contains the information necessary to begin the download. This small file is then opened using the bit torrent client and the download begins.

The speed of the download will depend on two things; the number of other users sharing the file and the number of other users downloading this same file.

Interested in the bit torrent technology? There is a list of bit torrent sites on the about torrents website. This site also has links from which bit torrent clients can be downloaded.

The U.S economy continues to grow and corporations are enjoying large profits, but the majority of Americans still struggle with finances. This is one of the main reasons many people are looking into the benefits that a home-based business can offer. There is no stressful morning commute, extremely low overhead, fewer restrictions, and few or no employees. Many laws don’t apply to small businesses with no employees or only a small number of employees. It has been estimated that 95% of home based businesses are successful their first year with an average income of over $50,000. The general benefits of starting a home based business are many when you consider the tax advantages, money making potential, and savings on transportation and clothing.

Small businesses, including home-based businesses, receive numerous tax advantages. They can deduct their home, spouse and children (if you employ them), business vacations, cars, and business meals. You can even set up a pension plan while operating a home-based business. In addition, any losses you incur can be tax deductible and may even be refunded by the IRS, depending on your particular circumstances. To make your home-based business a success, you need to determine the factors that make one business succeed and another identical business to fail. Taking the incorrect actions can mean a failed home based business. Wanting the benefits of a home based business but taking no action at all surely means failure as well.

The fact is, most people who start a home business do so without the proper knowledge. The need for a continued cash flow forces them to quit before they can acquire that knowledge. The best way to succeed in your home-based business venture is to benefit from the experience of others. This is much easier than trying to learn the hard way and then giving up in frustration.

Starting a home-based business is an excellent financial opportunity. The tax benefits alone can make starting a business from your home the best financial move you’ll ever make. The degree of success you have in your business is directly related to the amount of pleasure you get out of the business and the amount of work you put into it.

Choose a home-based business that you enjoy, that you can comfortably finance, and a business in which there is a large market in need of your service or product. Will your business require you to invite clients to your home? Do you need extra insurance coverage to operate a business from home? Will you need an extra office or workspace to conduct your business?

What about a second phone line, fax, or Internet connection? Some research and planning done ahead of time can save you time and money after your business is established. The benefits of starting a home based business are many, but be sure you have the time and energy to devote to your business so that you’ll enjoy the financial and personal freedom you are searching for.

Keep in mind that you may have expenses for bookkeeping unless you plan to keep your books yourself. Keeping accurate, up-to-date records is critical in operating a successful business. With adequate research, common sense, and a passion for your job, you can enjoy the many benefits and potential profits owning a home-based business brings.

About The Author

Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips Newsletter:

http://www.home-business-tips-newsletter.com/.

For A Home Business You Can Believe In, With Benefits Click Below:

http://www.eliteteamireland.com/

Everyone Necessary, Nobody Extraneous

The goal is to make sure everybody who can contribute to the problem-solving effort is appropriately involved. The key word here is appropriately. There are many different ways of involving people in the effort, making best use of their skills and time available and satisfying management’s need to know what is happening. The more political and visible the problem, the more important it is to manage everyone’s participation.

Start by developing a list of key players: all the people who should participate in the problem-solving effort in some way. Then define the most effective role for each. Typically, there will be a small group of people who have specific skills that you need intensively, and who can and will actively participate in the whole problem-solving effort. These should be the members of your core team.

In addition, you will have stakeholders who need to be informed of progress but won’t directly contribute to solving the problem. You may also need technical experts who can contribute to understanding the problem causes or to identifying solutions, but don’t need to participate in the entire problem-solving effort.

For stakeholders who need to be informed of progress, develop and publish a communication plan. Tell them when and how they will be kept up-to-date with regular progress reports as well as if anything goes wrong. These stakeholders do not like surprises, so give them what they need to be confident that you and your team are on track and that they’ll know with plenty of warning if you’re not. If they have this confidence, they’ll tend to leave you alone to do your work.

The more political the problem, the more likely it is that some of these stakeholders will try to attend team meetings. Generally, this is a very bad idea: their presence tends to disrupt rather than contribute to progress. If you have this situation, the best way to keep them out is to develop a strong communication plan and follow it, thus demonstrating that their attendance is unnecessary as a way of finding out what’s going on.

Technical experts tend to be in high demand, making it hard to get their time. Use these people only where you really need them, which generally means they don’t belong on your core team. Invite them only to specific meetings where you really need their expertise, such as to a session where possible root causes are identified or where you are analyzing the merits of possible solutions.

Only have the people on your core team who will contribute actively to solving the problem and who are truly needed for the entire problem-solving effort.

Copyright 2006. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.

Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients
solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational
disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are
excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving
Problems Permanently. Now also an ebook, find out about it and get more free information on
problem solving at her web site: http://www.sawyerpartnership.com/.