Business

It's no secret that what you wear says a lot about who you are, your self-esteem, and your professionalism. Additionally, your work clothes "brand" your image on the job. So if you want to be taken seriously and be successful in your career, you have to dress accordingly. But you don't have to wear stodgy stuff or be endlessly confined in panty hose. As Mark Twain said, "Clothes make the man." They also make the woman!

Job stability seems a rare promise these days. Downsizing and resizing companies continues to be a predominant sign of our economically-challenged times, and there is plenty of worry about the axe falling when you least expect it. However, on the other side of the coin, you may be hanging onto a job that is actually doing you more harm than good.

When it comes to running a business, there is so much to think about. Organizing and keeping on top of daily operations, marketing, bookkeeping, customer service, employees, vendors, etc. It all pretty much takes up a business owner's time. These are definitely important areas to focus on, but when have you (or have you ever) made a point of literally stepping outside of your business and into the shoes of your customer to see how your business is perceived?

What gets your employees, contractors, or freelancers charged and ready to go? If you don’t know you should find out because the very success of your business could depend on it. And besides, why wouldn’t you want to work with a group of people who are raring to go, bringing you tons of customers, making you huge profits, and eagerly spreading your message?

So what can you do to keep the spark alive? Listen to what motivates them. Here are the top 5 things that motivate your closest allies:

Finding the right mentor can mean the difference between struggle and progress. Why reinvent the when wheel it comes to the ‘know-how’ of the ins and outs are for you particular profession, career or strategy. To get in the game find the best mentor that fits for you. Here’s what you need to pay attention to.

Every person has either experienced or witnessed when a business relationship has gone wrong. Most of the time it sneaks up on us without any warning. Like when your business partner says he is leaving because he found something better somewhere (and with someone) else. Or how about being accused of not working hard enough when you are already putting in 70 hour weeks?

But are there warning signs? Signs that were there all along but you just didn’t notice?

Here are 5 signs (alarms) that the business relationship you thought you had has gone wrong:

Being predictable is often considered a negative. It’s not. Being predictable can lead you to great success. For instance, if you discovered a formula that works, why not use it every time? Now, being predictable isn’t about staying the same year after year. It’s about knowing which behaviors to exercise once you’ve discovered their success at each stage of business growth.