Thrilling Thursday - Business Plan is Done, Now Follow It

Thrilling Thursday - it is thrilling to work the plan you have created.

Each Thrilling Thursday for the past five weeks, this space has been dedicated to creating a business plan. The posts business plan creation from start to finish.  have covered the purpose statement, executive summary and business information, personnel and organization,  marketing information, current financial information and financial projections. This Thrilling Thursday and each of the others in December will be dedicated to what should be done once the business plan has been completed.  We will look at the following areas:

• start following the plan
• what to do when the plan needs adjusting
• where to look for help when carrying out your plan

photo credit: Marwa Morgan via photopin cc                                                                                                               Thrilling Thursday, business plan, start, operate, move, action

This Thrilling Thursday, we are looking at the idea that once the business plan is complete, you must start following the plan. It is often the case that people gather information in order to make decisions. Then they gather more information and more information and more information. After that is done, they gather still more information. All that information gathering keeps the person from having to actually do something with the information gathered. The actually doing something is perhaps one of the most crucial steps in the business planning process.

Once your business plan is done, it is important for you to read it, review it, get familiar with it and then put it down and start doing what the plan says do.  If your plan says you will be in the office from 9 am to 5 pm. You need to be at the office and working before the clock strikes nine. If you plan says you will be getting your supplies from Kansas, then you must get on the phone with the supplier in Kansas and start placing orders and making arrangements for delivery.

It is important for you to understand your business plan is not the end of the line. Instead, the business plan is the start of the line. The business plan is the first step on the road to profitability and success. Always look at the business plan as a tool, something you use to get a job done. When you plan to build a house you do not look at a hammer as the end of the line. Instead, you look at the hammer as a tool, something that will help get the job done. That is how you should look at your business plan. So, the question for you this Thrilling Thursday is how are you going to work your business plan?

Wonderful Wednesday - You're Out of Work So Network

Wonderful Wednesday - it is wonderful to let your network know you are looking for work.

Each Wonderful Wednesday throughout the month of December will dedicated to dealing with what you should do if you find yourself out of work unexpectedly. Last week I wrote about adjusting your budget once you and your employment are separated. Future Wonderful Wednesdays will be dedicated to exploring other options when you are separated from employment including:

• starting something new
• staying positive and focused

Today's Wonderful Wednesday article is all about using your networks both in person and social to find new sources of employment.  If you are serious about finding new employment, it is important to use all your resources to find new sources of income. This is not a time to be shy. Instead,  shout your accomplishments to the roof tops and let everyone in your circles know you are looking for employment. You may be surprised to find out the resources that people put together for your benefit.

photo credit: qthomasbower via photopin cc                                                                                                        Wonderful Wednesday,  network, job search, friends, employment, Golden Rule, unemployment

I am dealing with this issue personally now.  My business is slow at this point so I started looking for employment in order to earn extra income until things picked up. I told my friends in the real world and several of them asked for copies of my resume to pass on to people they know. I told my friends on various social networks. Several of them have referred me to different opportunities. One fellow blogger offered me a way to earn income while blogging. It was fun because it gave me an opportunity to work on an advertising campaign with comedian Kevin Hart and Verizon. While this opportunity will not make me financially stable by any means, it was some extra income for my family that I would not have received if I had not told my friend I was looking or employment.

If life happens and you find yourself in need of employment, reach out to your networks both in person and virtually to get help looking for work. Tell your friends you are looking for work.  This is important because they may have friends who know about openings that may be of interest to you. Let your Facebook and Twitter connections know you are looking for employment and ask for leads to opportunities. Used your LinkedIn connections to seek opportunities and advice.

When speaking with those in your network about potential employment opportunities be gracious, sincerely gracious. Do not get upset if you seek employment with someone and it doesn't work out. I had one Facebook friend tell me to ask another one about a position in her company. I contacted the Facebook friend who was a woman I had met once and respected. After two weeks I still had not heard anything about my interest in the position. I sent the woman a message asking about the position and told her that even if I was not the person she ultimately chose to fill the opening, I wished her and the successful candidate every success. This was not idle chit-chat. I actually hope that she finds the perfect candidate to meet her needs and help her take her business where she wants it to be.

wonderful  Wednesday, job search, network, social network, employment, job hunt

It is important for you to have that type of attitude. Every job opening is not the perfect job for you, but you must still be gracious and kind to those who do not hire you. Why? This is because you reap what you sow. If you want people to be kind and gracious to you, then you must treat other people the same way. In addition, once you find satisfactory work and the job search is over, you will want you networks to remain in tact.

It is wonderful to have a network of friends in both the real and virtual; worlds who can help you find employment if you find yourself out of work.  But in order to have your networks want to help you, you must be a friend to those in your networks. So, the question for you this Wonderful Wednesday is  are you the kind of person people want to have in their networks?

Magnificent Monday - Get Information and Take Action

Magnificent Monday - it is magnificent to get all the information you need and then take action.

Each Magnificent Monday throughout the month of December will be devoted to taking action. Upcoming articles will deal with the issues of:

-     you failed before, but still take action

-      you have a full plate, but still take action

-      use your accountability group to help you take action

Today we are exploring the idea of getting information and preparing to take action.

photo credit: Luz Adriana Villa A. via photopin cc  magnificent Monday,  action, get information, prepare

Many people have grand dreams and plans, things they want to accomplish. Unfortunately for some, they are afraid to take action and their dreams remain dreams for ever, never becoming something more. While we need to take action to accomplish our goals and make our dreams come true, it is foolhardy to take action without gathering information and making a plan for action.

Before taking action, spend a few moments to make sure you have the information you need to take action. for example, if you are preparing to leave home to drive to work, arrange your morning routine so that you have time to check the local traffic report. The time you spend gathering this information is invaluable if it helps you avoid traffic congestion and get to work on time.

If you want to exercise and get in shape after long periods of inactivity, it may be wise to consult a physician to find out if there are any limits on the type of exercise program you should undertake. Taking the time to get this information is invaluable if it helps you avoid a hospital stay.

While it is good not to be afraid to take action, it is not smart to take action without gathering sufficient information to work smart, instead of merely working hard. So, the question for you this Magnificent Monday is what do you to take action with all the knowledge you need?

Serene Sunday - Lessons - Get All You Can, Can All You Get

Serene Sunday - it is important to teach our children to get and retain knowledge.

Each Serene Sunday throughout the month of December will be devoted to exploring lessons for our children. I am sharing some lessons I learned and am passing on to my children. I hope by doing so you will get some useful tips and then share some of your own in the comments.  Last week's article shared the idea that we must teach our children it is okay to fail because the can get up and keep moving forward. Future Serene Sunday articles will share the ideas that:

• Be a friend to yourself
• Don't get ready, stay ready
• One monkey don't stop no show

The special idea for today is one I got from my husband learned from his mother as a child, "get all you can, can all you get."

photo credit: Super*Junk via photopin cc

The idea behind the notion of get all you can and can all you get is that you should learn everything you can possibly learn, then save that knowledge because it is precious treasure.  Since my teenie bopper was a baby, I have taught her to get all she can and can all she gets. I did the same thing with my son and now with the twins.  It is a cute saying and easy for the children to learn and memorize. This saying is one of the first things they intentionally put into their cans.  The little twin pictures brain full of cans. The big twin sees herself as having just two cans.

There are so many pieces of information that we come across each day. Most of it goes in one ear and out the other so to speak. We read things, hear things on the news and have conversations that are full of pieces of information that we hear and then promptly ignore and put out of our minds forever. Imagine how our lives would be better and richer if instead, we held onto more of those little pieces of data we get and then had them at our disposal when we needed it later.

It is wonderful to learn, to discover and to experience. I think we should all strive to get all the information we can and then strive to can or keep as much of that information in our possession as possible. So the question for you this Serene Sunday is what do you teach your children about information retention?

Wonderful Wednesday - You are Out of Work So . . . Adjust the Budget

Wonderful Wednesday - it is wonderful to know you can make it after unexpectedly being out of work.

Some of my readers are old enough to remember the old Clinton saying, "It's the economy stupid."  In today's economy many people are finding themselves unexpectedly out of work. In many cases it is through no fault of their own, it's the economy. However, no matter what the reason, out of work is out of work. The Wonderful Wednesday articles for December will be exploring the topic of what to do when you find yourself out of work unexpectedly.   Future articles will look at:

• using your networks to search for a job
• starting something new
• staying positive and focused

photo credit: SvobodaIT via photopin cc     wonderful Wednesday, fired, unemployed,  adjust, budget, life, move on

This week's article is about adjusting your budget. In a previous article, I advised that everyone should have at a minimum, a  six month account. A six month account is a readily liquid bank account that has sufficient funds to cover your current lifestyle for six months. My accountant husband read the article later and told me that under the current economic conditions the six month account should be a minimum eighteen to twenty-four month account. What my own experience with being "between opportunities" has taught me is that even with  a twelve month account and unemployment insurance, one of the first things a newly unemployed person should do is make serious adjustments to the budget.

Our elected officials in Washington, D.C. are going back and forth deciding whether to increase or decrease the number of weeks of unemployment insurance that will be provided to workers.  The elected officials seem to want to decrease the number of weeks to be provided at the same time it is taking even longer to find new employment for many people. Often it can be eighteen to twenty-four months before a person finds a new job. With all these things being true, it is important to reserve whatever income you as and to treat it as a precious resource.

If you find yourself, unexpectedly out of work, adjust your budget. Cut back  on expenses where you can now. Some treats will have to go. Instead of a weekly mani-pedi appointment you may need to cut back to once per month or switch to doing these services at home. A similar paring knife should be taken to hair salon appointments, shopping trips for fun and optional entertainment activities. If you start cutting back as soon as the unexpected separation from employment occurs, you will spend less money. If less money is spent the nest egg or unemployment insurance funds will go further and last longer.

wonderful Wednesday, fired, unemployed,  adjust, budget, life, move on

This is not to deny a person all treats and comfort, but the reality is, if you are out of work, it makes sense to cut back on salon appointments, shopping for fun and new vacation trips. If you do this early in the process while the bank account is at its zenith, you will still be able to go to the salon six months, twelve months and eighteen months down the road. By amending your spending patterns early by choice, you will not be forced to alter your spending and lifestyle patterns later out of necessity.

Becoming separated from employment unexpectedly happens. So, the question for you this Wonderful Wednesday is what is the first thing you would do if you found yourself unexpectedly out of work?

Terrific Tuesday - Why Use Technology When It Fails

Terrific Tuesday - it is terrific to have technology that helps us keep our lives in order.

Recently, for no reason at all, through no fault of my own, the hard drive on my laptop computer decided to stop working and I had to send my computer back to the manufacturer for service. I used that computer to write my blog, run my calendar, keep track of business matters and keep up with my children. I am proud that when the hard drive died, I remained calm, did not cry. I was okay because I had backups in the cloud, on CD, SD card and flash drives. Each Terrific Tuesday throughout the month of December I will be exploring what to do when your technology fails. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be looking at what to do when the following pieces of technology fail

• computer
• smart phone
• tablet

This Terrific Tuesday is all about why you should use technology even though it fails in action.

photo credit: jurvetson via photopin cc  Terrific Tuesday, technology, day planner, lost, break

This is an important topic to master because the truth of the matter is that all technology fails sometimes. When technology fails, the results can be tragic. I got the idea to do this series listening to my husband and the death of my laptop hard drive.  I saw a bunch of problems I had to figure a way to solve, my husband saw a blogging series. Apparently he really does pay attention to what goes on here at Janeane's World.

I am a technology nut. I mean I really enjoy having a bunch of pieces of technology to play with, I mean with which to do my work. I used to organize my life. Throughout the year I would get catalogues from the Franklin Covey company and drool over accessories, extra organizing forms  and new calendar sheets. Near the end of each year I would skip over to the Franklin Covey store at an area mall and pick out a whole new everything. It was pure joy. Then I would meticulously use the day planner to plan out my year. Each day I would get a huge amount of satisfaction by crossing off some tasks and moving others to another day. It was wonderful. Until . . . until the day I could not find the day planner on my way out of the house to go to court.

I was on my way to meet a client at bankruptcy court and I could not find my day planner. I tore the house apart but could not find it anywhere. I was so upset! My calendar for the year, my notes about meetings, all my phone numbers were in that book. I made pocketbook decisions based on what could hold my day planner.  The day I lost that day planner and had to go off to work without it I knew I had to find something else. For me the something else was an electronic PDA that could fit in my pocket and sync up with my computer. That way even if the PDA  got lost, all my info was on the computer, it was not gone forever.

Terrific Tuesday, technology, day planner, lost, break

To me, people who refuse to use technology to organize their lives and stick only to the pen and paper stuff are like people who won't use a microwave, a computer, or electricity. Those are cute ideas in the abstract, but really keep you out of touch with the modern world. Technology dies, this is true. But, pens run out of ink, pencil points break and day planners get lost into your children's toy boxes for three weeks without your knowledge. All these things are facts of life. So, the question for you this Terrific Tuesday is what technology do you use to keep your life running smoothly?

Magnificent Monday How to Take Action - Be Scared But Move

Magnificent Monday - it is magnificent to be scared, but still take action and move.

Each Magnificent Monday throughout the month of December will be dedicated to different ideas on how to take action. I will be exploring several different ideas on how to take action including:

• Get information and prepare to take action
• You failed before, but take action
• You have  a full plate but take action
• Use your accountability group to help you take action

Today, the Magnificent Monday conversation is - you are scared, but still take action.

In life, almost nothing happens without action. Everything starts with a first step, number one on the list, Plan A. However, most people find it hard to actually get around to taking the first step. One of the most common reasons why a person does not move forward and take action when necessary is fear. Fear is a paralyzing emotion that has been felt at one time or another by almost every human being.

When we experience fear, there are a variety of actions we can take:

• accept that we are scared and that it is justified and let the fear paralyze us
• accept that we are scared and find a way to put on our big girl panties and take action in spite of the fear

I have a few friends who are not taking action because of fear. One friend is starting a business and she has never had her own business before so she does nothing. Day after day, after day, she sits and thinks about starting her business. She never starts trying to meet clients, she never works on her business plan, she never and she never takes any classes to get better at what she wants to do. Every day she tells me she wants to run her business and tells me all the things she is scared will happen. Every day I tell her she should suck it up and get moving, that she cannot let fear keep her from following her dream.

When you have action you need to take and fear starts to set in, don't ignore it, tell it hello and goodbye.  When fear comes my way, I tell it to go away. I literally say "Fear go away, you are not welcome in my life, my home or my mind."  I often think of the words from the CeCe Winans song, "I Want You Out."  In the song she talks to her enemy and tells her enemy to get lost and to have nothing further to do with her.  Here are some of my favorite words from the song:

Get out

Get out

Don't want you on my porch no more

Stop looking in my window pane

'Cause you my enemy and not my friend

. . .

Don't want you on my radio

Don't want to see you on my TV screen

Don't want to read you in my magazine

. . .

And when you go

Please stay away

. . .

This is what we should say to fear, get out, just get out. In order for us to get where we want in life we have to kick fear to the curb and just move forward. It is okay to be scared, but you cannot let fear stop you from taking action and doing what needs to be done. This Magnificent Monday, tell fear to get lost! The question for you this Magnificent Monday is what do you do when fear threatens to keep you from taking necessary action?