Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Growing a business is a lot like farming.
First you have to pick the right seeds and plant them at the right time. This is the phase where you develop your vision, value proposition, products, services and strategies. Then, when the climate is right, you plant your seeds.
The next phase requires a lot of nurturing and love. You nurture your business with care and shower it with activities that stimulate growth.
Perhaps most important during this phase is that you actually allow the seeds you’ve planted to root. If you are constantly digging up them up, nothing will grow.
Of course there are many factors beyond your control. Similar to the weather, there can be unexpected storms and conditions that can affect businesses.
The key to growing a successful business is having a clear vision for the future of your business and the strategies required to reach your goals before you start.
With proper planning, commitment and confidence, you will reap the rewards with a wonderful harvest.
© Tamara Smith, DemGen Inc 2013
The following three have nothing to do with business but since all three had to do with moose and were so entertaining, they have been included in this list.
In Alaska:
…a moose may not be viewed from an airplane…
…it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a moose…
…it is an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane…
Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
Images courtesy of themoosestore, entertainyamania
This social media spec guide for content designers provides the only dimensions you need to know when designing for social media.
Job stress can have serious costs. Our virtual team is here to help you reduce stress, have more free time and achieve results!
Image compliments of Top 10 Online Colleges
Life is magical. Amazing things happen every day, but in the hustle and bustle of daily activity, we can often loose sight of our super powers.
The truth is, magic only exists to the extent we allow it to.
Exercise Your Super Powers
You will only ever get as much back as you put in.
It may sound like a cliché, but we are really all here for a reason. We are unique and beautiful snowflakes.
You already know, deep down inside, what you’re meant to do. If you’re not already on your path, it’s time to ditch your secret identity to own your genius.
Believe in Your Magic
Take a moment to ponder your greatest achievements in business and life… Chances are, some part of you just knew things would work out – and they did.
We often look for logical explanations, even though in the grand scheme of things we hardly know anything compared to what we don’t know.
If you are living to your highest potential, magic will surround you every day, you just need to believe.
© Tamara Smith, DemGen Inc 2013
Money isn’t your only goal or even your most important one.
Think of your business as a series of small steps that you are taking toward a specific goal. The goal may change and the steps to get there may sometimes lead you backward but having a vision of what succeeding in your business means, will help you keep focused on what you need to do to get there. Enjoying what you are doing and not just the outcome and results, makes for a higher quality business.
Keep it simple. You shouldn’t think of your business as complicated or a chore.
Sometimes people make things more complicated than they have to be and your business is the same way. By adding unnecessary chaos to the way you work, you are diverting your attention in too many directions and diluting your ability to focus on the most important items. Polish your business skills and spend your time on what will bring you the best return for your efforts.
Learn enough about each part of your business that you don’t spend your time worrying.
If your business has expanded to the point where you can no longer keep an eye on everything, or you lack the ability to make informative decisions, it may be time to go back to school and take some business classes. This is also a good time to think about bringing in a virtual team, one that can handle the extra load while keeping you informed on various aspects of your business that you don’t have the time to take care of.
Make a plan that transforms your business into a part of your life, not your life into part of your business.
Too many business owners find that their business takes over their lives. When they first started their business and enthusiasm ran high, they were able to handle everything and wanted it that way. As their business grew and the responsibilities grew along with it, they lost the incentive to blend what they wanted to do with what had to be done to keep their business going. As you reach each small goal that you strive for, step back and take the time to go over your future plans. This will ensure that you are in line with what you really want to achieve, which is a successful business that doesn’t take over your life.
Always treat yourself with respect.
Just a final reminder, that while it is your customers that keep you going, if you fail to look after yourself and treat your time and health as important, you won’t have the energy to focus on your business properly. Defining your own business success means you are in charge, you make the rules and your life benefits from your decisions.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
“The possibilities of thought training are infinite, its consequence eternal, and yet few take the pains to direct their thinking into channels that will do them good, but instead leave all to chance.” – Marden
Along with my Strategic Team here at DemGen, I’ve been reading the “Master Key System” by Charles Haanel written in 1912. (*More notes about the author and work at the bottom of this post.) We read books as a group that are relevant personally and professionally that enhance our ability to serve ourselves, team, clients and general entrepreneurial community. We seem to have a knack at going deep, with works that are just right for the moment or cycle of our business.
And having the intention of being a heart-centred or conscious business, sets the bar high, which suits us just fine. I’ve always seemed to be attracted to pursuing works by the researchers of the researchers or influencers of the influencers. Charles Haanel is no exception to this as this work along with “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace D. Wattles (which we’ve also studied and made available to our community on our website) was referenced as a major influence to “The Secret”, a book our entire company read as a team when it first came out.
There have been many many aha’s throughout our reading this work and more so many validations that we are on the right track with our thinking and intention in business.
The quote I referenced is but one of many and I felt compelled to expand upon it. I know I’ve referenced in a previous blog post about my experience with mediation. Yet, it’s worth repeating as I feel it’s a foundational/essential skill equal to or even greater than that of reading and writing. A lot of school work is essentially rote learning, while meditation is self learning. And more importantly it teaches you to take control of your thinking, to train your mind.
To restate that quote once again, ” The possibilities of thought training are infinite, its consequence eternal, and yet few take the pains to direct their thinking into channels that will do them good, but instead leave all to chance.” – Marden.
I’ve had many lessons and re-awakened myself to be in charge of directing my thoughts. I remember being with friends while playing the game “cashflow”, basically a more detailed and closer to life version of monopoly. I wasn’t doing so good and was just basically playing along for the fun of it. I was nearing bankruptcy, when one of my friends said “what are you thinking of when you roll?” AHA, I woke up, set intentions and intentionally played the game and focused on every roll. I made an exhilarating come-back to win that night.
I feel the same to be true for all of us…sometimes we just need some support, a nudge, a renewed intention and the taking back of control of our thoughts to win the game.
We look forward to sharing more about The Master Key System with you in the near future.
Get your game on!
Gary
*The Master Key System is a personal development book by Charles F. Haanel (1866-1949) that was originally published as a 24-week correspondence course in 1912. It was later published in book form in 1916 by Psychology Publishing, St. Louis and The Master Key Institute, New York.
Along with “The Science of Getting Rich“, by Wallace D. Wattles, the Master Key System is the source of Rhonda Byrne’s inspiration for the book and the film “The Secret” (2006).[1][2]
© Gary Evans, DemGen Inc 2013
This infographic helps to dispel the myth that email is dead.
If you’re looking for an effective, efficient and new way to market your product, you don’t always have to look very far. A large part of branding and marketing revolves around the attraction theories of product packaging, and if you’re interested in gaining more clientele, this might be a tactic to look into for your business.
It isn’t uncommon for most people to choose their brands based on loyalty, in fact, it’s probably the most common way for brands to be chosen. Either you’ve heard great things about a product, you’ve been told by a trusted peer that they recommend it, or you’ve just seen it as the most widely used products are often how products go from the shelves to our homes. But how do you get people to deviate from the norm? How do you get them to go from relying on their emotions about a product, to trying something new? One of the best ways to accomplish this? Play the attraction game.
The attraction game in packaging is literally all about how the product looks. There are many ways to approach designing product packaging, which all include intense research. Colour schemes, fonts, logos, minimalist versus eccentric designs, size, and positioning are all factors that should be researched when you’re putting together you’re packaging. These factors can draw buyers away from well-established products by alerting their cosmetic preferences.
Product packaging is also pivotal in showcasing professionalism. You may have the best product on the market, but if it isn’t attractive or professional looking, clients and consumers will have a hard time trusting it. This will cause them to stick to the brands they already know.
Younger consumers respond positively to attractive packaging especially well. This is because they are sensitive to their personal cosmetic preferences. With the world constantly throwing hundreds of products at them, younger generations tend to take less time reading labels and have begun making product choices based on what leaves the best or biggest impression.
Packaging covers a wide range of areas, including labels, signs, and shipping containers. Take a step back and look at how you’re currently packaging your product or business. Successful packaging should combine an attractive appearance with proof of functionality to achieve the greatest success. If you’re just starting out, or are looking to expand your business, remember that your packaging is what people see first. The first impression is decided within 3 seconds of viewing your product, and attractive packaging can help keep the game of attraction playing in your favour.
© Zoe Begopoulos, DemGen Inc 2013