How often do we step into the Abyss? Do we ever know what’s around the corner? The answer to this question, is quite simply NO!

Ok, so we all have to begin at the beginning!  Any new business has to start somewhere. Planning is essential.

Business Coaching is pure and simple, it is all about Questioning.

Socrates, in my opinion, was the first documented Coach and a great one at that!  If I could have sat in the shelter of an olive tree, from the intense Greek heat and listen to Socrates teachings, I would give my right leg to have that privilege. Plato was a genius to document his teachings. Socrates was a genius and his most loyal student Plato, recognised the genius!

‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’ ~ Buddhist Proverb

Questions enable us to expand our minds and to seek within us, the Solutions to our Challenges.  We are the experts on ourselves and our business ideas, no one else can provide us with the Solutions to our Challenges. We are the Experts on ourselves the Coach enables you the Expert to set goals and seek the options and opportunities available to you. We have all of the solutions locked inside, we just need someone to come along with the key.  The key, is Questioning.

Some Valuable Business Development Questions

•    What do you want to achieve?
•    Who is your target audience?
•    Is there a niche you can target?
•    Do you have specialist knowledge and skills in order to target a niche market?
•    How are you going to get noticed?
•    Where do you see yourself in five years time?
•    How are you going to get there?

We all have a passion

•    What is your passion?
•    Does your passion reflect the service you are selling?
•    Could this passion direct you toward a niche?

Time to ponder me thinks!

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
~ The Buddha

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an
act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

“The only good luck many great men ever had was being
born with the ability and determination to overcome
bad luck.” ~ Channing Pollock

“The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles
can be developed, if one will only take the pains to train
the mind to think.” -Thomas A. Edison

“The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominating
thought.” ~Earl Nightingale

EnJoy

Reverse Mortgage
If you’re 62 years old or above and you own a home which is your primary residence, then you can qualify for a reverse mortgage loan. You can use the proceeds of a reverse mortgage loan for paying down different loan obligations. The proceeds can be utilized for home renovation, tax payment or debt settlement by depositing it into a special purpose account.

Using the Proceeds of your Life Insurance Policy
If you’re insured by a life insurance policy that has cash value, you can use its proceeds to eliminate your debts. When you terminate your policy, you receive the cash value which is basically a dollar amount. You also have the option of obtaining a loan against this investment account. If the policy is in place for quite a number of years, then you can certainly gain from a higher cash value.

Go For a Home Equity Loan
If you’re not deemed eligible for a reverse mortgage loan, a home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC) can be another option for you to alleviate your debt burden.

Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy should be considered as the last resort for debt-struck people. Retired persons don’t feel confident about filing bankruptcy. If you qualify for bankruptcy, you can have a clean slate and your finances can be reorganized. The filing requirements under the new federal bankruptcy law are stricter. You also have to go through a credit counseling session prior to filing for bankruptcy.

Remember some important advices. You have to stay within your means, which implies you should spend less than what you make. Know how your debts can be managed more efficiently. Try to pay down your loans quickly. If possible, go for debt consolidation. Use all-inclusive savings plans like setting up a Roth IRA.

Despite the fact there are different techniques to get rid of debt when you attain your retirement age or have already retired, it is always wise that you don’t allow debts to pile up once more. This would ensure that you get the cash that you need to tackle contingencies or severe illnesses.

Author: Robin Williams

During a presentation to some senior managers on time management the trainer said “OK, it’s time for a quiz.”

He then put on the table a large wide-mouthed jar.  He set this next to a plate of  large rocks.  “How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?”” he asked.  After the delegates had made their guess, he said “OK, let’s find out.”  He set one rock in the jar…then another…then another until the jar was full. He then asked, “Is this jar full?”.  All the delegates looked at the rocks and said, “Yes”.

He then said “Ahhh.”  He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel and then poured some gravel in and shook the jar and the gravel went in all the spaces left by the big rocks.  Then he grinned and said once more, “Is the jar full?”.  The reply back was “No”.

He said “Good” and grabbed a jug of water and began to pour it in.  He got something like a pint of water in that jar.  The he said, “Well what’s the point?”  Someone said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you work really hard you can always fit some more things into your life.”

“No, that is not the point.  The point is this; if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

The ‘big rocks’ are, of course, a metaphor for the important things in your life and that if you don’t consciously make room for the important things, they will be overwhelmed by the less important things.

What are the ‘big rocks’ in your business?  Your customers, your marketing, your employees?  Whatever your ‘big rocks’ are, do make sure that these are the things that you prioritise and put into your schedule first.

Carole Davidson is an Executive Business Coach

We all have to accept change and learn to manage it effectively, but in troubled times it is imperative that change is managed sensitively.  Organisational changes tests leadership qualities to the full.

Once the need for change has been identified, we will be faced with the prospect of implementing the change either personally or within our businesses.

Sticking to the following three steps will ensure that the implementation is as trouble free as possible.

Step 1  Analyse the gap

It is all very well identifying the right changes, but implementing them can appear to be a formidable task.

List the main differences between where you are now and where you intend to be.

This list is essential in the effective management of change.  Without this information there will be two potential areas of trouble.

The first problem is likely to come from staff who may feel their needs are not being taken into account.  If they feel no one cares about the differences the change will make to their world they will not care much about the company and its attempts to move forward.

The second obstacle is operational.  You alone cannot be expected to identify each single difference that change will make to your business, but a co-operative effort could.  Those closest to the job will be able to view the changes form a different angle, and perhaps spot unforeseen difficulties or opportunities which you may have missed.

Step 2  Plan the route

The quickest and most effective way of getting anywhere is to work out the best route beforehand.  Plan a route which breaks the journey up into manageable chunks.  This helps to make the process seem far less formidable.

When planning the route local knowledge is very valuable.  That knowledge is usually locked up in the head of your staff, so consultation is not only vital in terms of their involvement but essential if you wish to avoid difficulties.

Step 3  Manage the process

Unless you manage the journey the grand design may fail.  What may scupper it is the human factor.

Carole Davidson is a qualified life and business coach based in the UK.

Did it live up to your expectations?

Are you worried about 2009?

This will be a challenging year for everyone in business.

Remember however, that it is your passion, belief and aspirations for your business that will inspire your clients and retain their confidence to continue to do business with you.

You can hardly ignore the news stories and headlines about recession, depression, inflation, stagflation and various other financial and credit-crunching buzz words.

Although you may not be able to ignore them, you might also feel that there is little that you can do to change them either. It is the need for reminders that, whilst it is uncomfortable to be between a rock and a hard place, there is always something that we can do. We can examine and, if necessary, change our own attitudes, opinions and approaches as we consider actions that might alleviate uncomfortable situations.

An important component of coaching is to honour our talents, achievements, skills and capabilities and of course, those of our clients. These values provide firm foundational bedrocks regardless of fiscal factors, global politics and bad news days. Go ahead now, write or think of 5 things you are good at. Now be grateful for these things and for the new year where you can share this quick activity.

Business Planning for 2009

Follow your heart and do something different and make your dreams a reality.  Consider the following key words and write down your actions for 2009.

Business Clarity
Take time to finally decide exactly what you want. Write it down, tell your clients, colleagues and employees about it.  Make the commitment and go and get it!

Business Focus
If you are clear about what you want, focus on getting it.

Business Strategy
Make the plan and then re-visit the plan until you get there

Teamwork
Take your people with you, encouraging and coaching them.

Communicate
Communicate, communicate, communicate!  It’s a zoo out there, make sure you are communicating like a zookeeper.

Carole Davidson is a qualified business coach living in Dorset and working internationally with clients.