Know Your Value

I wish people regarded themselves in a better light sometimes. I’m in line at the grocery store recently and a man was speaking with what sounded like his boss on the phone. “OK, I understand if you want to give him the project.” He hung up and looked dejected. Why didn’t he fight harder?

The same thing happened to another woman I know. She has a great business but she fails to go after the “whale” contracts, sticking with small referral business. Why? When I asked her, she said she didn’t have a big corporate office. As a result, and before trying, she assumed the company wouldn’t want to hire a small fish….

We all have value. Assuming a big whale contract would want a big corporate office to contract with is wrong. Not fighting for the project you want is wrong. Many large companies want independent thinkers, not corporations, to contract with. Assuming you can’t or won’t get a contract, or lying down when someone says ‘no’, are bad habits that should be broken.

It’s very important to know your value and to know when to fight and when to say ‘no’. If you don’t understand the importance of these three elements, I highly encourage you to connect with me on Twitter to continue the conversation.

In the meantime, think about your value. What makes you and your service unique?

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Working with the Enemy....

We’ve all heard of the movie ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’, right? Well, what if you have to work with the enemy. There is always going to be someone within the office (or your company) whom you dread working with. From personality differences to professional differences, no one gets along with everyone all of the time. However, you do have to overcome differences in order to keep your job or your business. Hey, if you're the boss, you still have to work alongside people you may not like. This is a part of life.

My best advice is to gently exploit your arch enemy if kindness fails. This doesn’t mean go after him or her or their job, it simply means make it noticeable, nicely, to your boss or other employees what this person is doing wrong. If it is a client, you're going to have to help him or her realize they are wrong. This can be touchy since they are the one signing your paycheck!

For example, if the person constantly forgets to put in a proper computer code- you may want to send out an email stating “I know Tasha keeps entering “z” into the “y” spaces. Don’t worry, I had some free time to go in and correct all these mistakes as I am sure Tasha didn’t realize the error and I wanted to be a team player.”

If someone truly is becoming a rival, it has to be addressed. Sometimes a face-to-face can make it worse so polite exploitation may be the right way to go. Use your best judgment but also play fair. Don’t look for trouble unless you are pushed.

Yes, we have to learn to get along with others but there are some times when we're going to have to speak up and take charge.....

Until Monday,
Twyla N. Garrett

How to Rule the World!

I recently overheard a woman talking about how she could rule the world if she only knew how to feel more energetic. Huh? Ruling the world shouldn’t be a goal. Ruling YOUR world should! I always say that everyone is capable of anything- you just have to try!

You can rule your world if you do the following;

1. Know that you can’t control everything. You can, however, control how your respond.

2. Know that you have to have an exit plan. Things happen.

3. Understand that you have to fail before you can rule. As long as you get back up and seek to better yourself, you can take control over your destiny.

Don’t spend time wishing for things to happen or making excuses as to why they are not. You can be better. You can rule your own world.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Your Business and Bad Decisions... It will happen

One of my most valued lessons is knowing that there are two bad choices every business owner will make in his or her life that will immediately be regretted- followed by a hard lesson. Trust me when I say that these two bad choices can be avoided, which is why I am sharing them. I don’t want you to learn these lessons the hard was so I am hopeful you will keep reading.

#1. Stating you tried your best and failed. We, as people, are conditioned to say “I’ve tried my best” when we are met with failure. Instead of knowing you have this label excuse in your back pocket, say something meaningful before a challenging task. Say “I will” and then do it. It doesn’t matter in life if you try or not. Millions of people try every day fail. Why? They have the “I’ve tried my best” excuse available. Make no excuses for failure, make up your mind not to fail! So, don’t regret letting a client or a boss down by stating this excuse. Instead, work harder and longer and make it happen.

#2. Refusing to apologize. This is a big one for most people. Don’t take the lame cop out with an “I’m sorry you feel this way.” What’s wrong with simply saying “I’m sorry”? Swallow your fear--or pride--and say you're sorry. Then you'll help the other person let go of their resentment or bitterness and both parties will be able to move on. Saying you’re sorry means you take accountability for something, a rare thing in today’s world.

So, remember – say you are sorry and refuse to try your best, instead do your best.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Get Your Day Together

Yes, I am bold enough to say it. I have the best time management tip ever. Keep reading because this tip will solve all of your time management problems and you will never, ever have to study up on the topic again. What is it?

Alright, here it is- the big, big- big secret to managing your time effectively. Say goodbye to your ‘to do’ list. No, I am not crazy. I swear this works. You see, the lists we create for ourselves put pressure on ourselves and we fill them up with tasks that aren’t immediate. We have items on these lists that read like a shopping list. You need to create your own schedule and block of times for certain areas of business, but not for specific items.

Example, if you book your own meetings- and you should- only schedule two hours a day to fit in all your meetings. Call this block “meetings” but don’t write anything further down. Only schedule meetings during this block of time. If it doesn’t work for someone else, let them move their day around. So, every day you walk into your office- let’s say from 11 to 1 – you know you have meetings. You may have one meeting, you may have four meetings. However, the meetings don’t start any sooner than 11 and go no later than 1pm. This gets the meeting elements into a concise block of time and you can move on to the next block of action items right away without worrying about a long list of tasks.

Try removing yourself from a ‘to do’ list business formula. Try my formula for a week and I swear you will be hooked because it simply is effective!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Can You Sell Yourself / Your Business?

Business owners need to know how to sell their products / services. If they can't sell a product / service then how can they convince others to buy or invest?

The ability to sell is directly related to how successful an entrepreneur really is. In business you need to know how to negotiate (from buying paper in bulk to obtaining clients), to deal with "no," to build industry confidence, and to communicate effectively with a wide range of people. Relying on sales people may be needed to streamline business but YOU also need to know how to sell!

Sell and work! Selling is what makes you successful but you also have to put the time in. An eight hour sales day isn't going to cut it. True entrepreneurs work long hours and don't mind doing so.

Want to know more about selling and putting in the time to make that dime? Contact me! I am available for speaking engagements.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Testing Your Business Ideas

I recently received a request to write about testing business ideas. While we can prepare for and plan our businesses around concepts and data, there is no real way to test if we're going to be successful or not.
There are some ways to double check if you are or are not on the right path when it comes to business. Here are my top three tips to see if you are on the right path to projected success;

#1. Focus on goals, don't just have them.

I know many people who write goals down. They have a goal for every part of their life. What they're missing is a plan. You need to have a goal followed by a plan and work at it daily.

#2. Be reasonable with your time frames. Don't plan to be a millionaire at the end of two years. If only life were this easy. Make sure you have a realistic timeline to compliment your goals and your plans.

#3. Make profit your number one goal. Don't think about expansion, second offices, etc. until you actually have a solid profit coming in. You can't just think big, you have to grow a profit to get big.

I hope this week's tips and topics have helped you developed your business plans. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Until tomorrow,
Twyla N. Garrett

Why You Shouldn't Send THAT Email....

In the security business we take failure seriously. Lives are at stake and sometimes emotions can get the best of us when beta-testing processes, etc. The key to a great working relationship, in any field of government, is to ensure that we practice candor and not let our emotions get the best of us. This said, I'm providing 3 tips to avoid breaking up a business relationship when things go wrong. You can use these tips in almost any situation so be sure to share them.

1. Write the email you want to send but leave the “to” section blank. After you write it, don’t edit it. Save it to drafts and revisit the issue after a three hour cooling offer period. You will be less emotional and more point orientated after three hours and then you can edit your email properly.

2. When you do go to edit the email, figure out a way to end it on a positive note. Offer some suggestions to correct the problem or talk about how you value the other person and want to address the issue but move forward as friends or professionals. Don’t be outright nasty with no room for positive resolution.

3. Get a second opinion before you hit send. Your head is in the game and directly related to the issue at hand. However, you can be sued if you are an employer and send the wrong type of an email. Plus, it is good to have someone from the outside read the email and give it a level-headed once over.

Finally, if you don’t receive a response within 24 hours of sending the email- call the person or invite him or her to talk it over while having coffee. You don’t want to look like a jerk- even if you are right- by sending an angry email with no opportunity for recovering or without extending the olive branch.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

Homeland Security and Holiday Travel

Next week the Thanksgiving holiday falls upon us and many of you will be traveling. In honor of the busy travel week, I have decided to put together a few basic tips to stay safe and secure.
First, if you are flying- show up early and expect delays. If you plan your flight to close to a deadline for a party or check-in, you will be stressed out. If you allow yourself plenty of time to arrive to your destination, without the pressure of a deadline, you will be more focused and travel safer. This is a proven fact.

Second, have a backup plan should something happen- and extra cash to! I tell everyone to travel with their emergency fund divided into cash and a debit account. In the event that a terrorist attack or security issue should occur, banks could be down or frozen. People don’t like to travel with a lot of cash, but you should have at least a thousand dollars (if not two) on you in the event of an emergency. Keep the same amount in the bank as an ER fund too.

As far as that backup plan, know what you would do if you couldn’t reach your destination and were to get diverted or stuck somewhere. Explain the plan to your fellow travelers and those you are going to visit. Your friends and family should know where you are going to be at all times- even if an emergency were to happen.

The holiday season is a stressful and wonderful time wrapped up into a matter of weeks. Keep an eye out for potential issues and report them if you do catch wind of anything suspect and keep cash on hand along with a viable plan. If you follow these steps, you will have a better and more secure holiday travel season.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Could You Handle A Bomb Scare?

Would you know how to handle a bomb scare at work? Many people don't know what to do or how to react. The topic is so uncomfortable that many don't even want to think about it. Well, let me give you the basics. The best defense is an offense, which means thinking about the uncomfortable and knowing how to handle it.

1. First, if you take the call / threat - call 9-1-1- and then notify your boss.
2. Stay away from any specific area or packages. If a caller notes a certain part of a building on the phone, evacuate that area first.
3. Don't bother the first responders. They will provide information on an "as needed" basis. Make sure you give them all the details of the call or received threat and then take care of yourself and your employees. Don't ask questions or pull people away from their jobs.
4. Don't panic. This is easier said than done, but it is important to remain as calm as possible.

I know it is Friday. I know this topic isn't the easiest and by no means are these four steps (above) meant to cover every aspect of a bomb threat. But, if you can remember these basics, you are a lot better off than the people who don't even want to think about this possibility.

Here's a free checklist in the meantime: http://emilms.fema.gov/is906/assets/ocso-bomb_threat_samepage-brochure.pdf

Until Monday,

Twyla Garrett

Sales Emails -101

BY GEOFFREY JAMES @SALES_SOURCE wrote an amazing piece for Inc.com on the power of closing a sales email. I was going to summarize it today, but why? It is such a great piece that I am repasting it below. I truly believe every entrepreneur needs to learn to write these types of emails. The full article is here: http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/the-most-important-email-you-ll-ever-send.html

A proposal email is different from the formal sales proposal written in response to an official request for proposal. I discuss formal sales proposals in "How to Write an Executive Summary."

A proposal email is a summary of the discussions and dialogues that you've had with a potential customer and a written, explicit statement of the business arrangements you've discussed.

You write a proposal email after you've come to a basic agreement with the customer about what you're providing and what the prospective customer will pay. The proposal email has the following structure:

Statement of gratitude (one sentence)
Problem definition and financial impact (one or two sentences)
Desired outcome (one or two sentences)
Proposed solution (two to five sentences)
Proposed price (one sentence)
Risk reduction (one or two sentences)
Next step (one sentence)
For example:

John,
First off, I'd like to thank you for the time you've spent helping me understand your needs. (statement of gratitude)
As I understand it, your service technicians are spending several hours a day driving from job to job, which is costing your company $1 million in lost revenue. (problem definition and financial impact)
You would like to reduce driving time so that your staff of technicians can service more customers. (desired outcome)
As we discussed, our OptiRout system will generate a more efficient driving itinerary, resulting in an ability to service 10 to 20 percent more customers. (proposed solution)
As you know, the base price for our product is $10,000, with ongoing support costs of $1,000 a year. This includes customizing the system to match the driving conditions in your geographical area. (proposed price)
Because of the benefits of more efficient routing, you should achieve return on investment within one month of installation. (risk reduction)
We can begin work as soon as I receive your go-ahead via email. (next step)
Mary

For complex business arrangements, you may also need to create a "letter of agreement" that specifies detailed terms. If this is the case, the next step in the proposal email would be the go-ahead for you to create the letter of agreement. I'll discuss those in a future post.

As with all business emails, make every sentence as concise as possible. Avoid jargon and biz-blab. Do not provide additional information or attempt to sell something else that hasn't been discussed. Remember: no surprises.

I'm going to repeat: no surprises. While your sales proposal email is technically a "sales document," it's not where you do the selling. You do that while you're having a dialogue (either by telephone or email interchange) with the potential customer.

I've used this template to close the final deal for dozens of projects. It's simple, straightforward, and most important, gets the job done.

Homeland Security : Federal Air Marshals No More?

I saw a story earlier today via CNN that stated the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is going to cut plain-clothed Federal Air Marshals. WOW! In fact, double WOW! The past three years was spent focused on protecting our planes at an increase from terrorist via this resource. Now, all of a sudden, we are cutting back. Why?

The Department of Homeland Security declined to say how positions have been eliminated because they don’t want to give potential terrorist a number of how many potential Air Marshals are employed.

According to CNN, “critics, including some air marshals, say the secrecy allows the government to cut the workforce without acknowledging it, as happened in the years leading up to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. At that time, fewer than 40 people were in the air marshal workforce and none were on the hijacked planes.”

Air Marshal Director Robert Bray said in an e-mail, sent Friday, that the agency's budget has been cut from $966 million to $805 million in the past three years. He outlined plans to close six of the agency's 26 field offices in coming years.

This exact situation is what I address in my current book, which you can preview on Amazon by clicking here: http://www.amazon.com/Homeland-Security-Comprehensive-Guide-All-ebook/dp/B00IDW3W3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393473922&sr=8-1&keywords=twyla+garrett

Sustainability is a real thing. While budgets may go up and down, the threat by terrorist is continual. We shouldn’t have to make these choices and preparing for real sustainability to ensure critical positions and programs aren’t cut is a must!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

3 Tricks to Remember Names

How many times have you been at a major event, had a great conversation with someone and then forgot their name? It happens to all of us. However, using someone's name is important to closing deals and forging alliances. It makes them feel special. Why do you think Starbucks is able to cell ten cent coffee for five dollars a cup? The coffee isn't special, the experience is! Your name is part of the Starbucks experience.

If you need help remembering the names of people you meet then continue to read. I've come up with some great tips for you.

1. Ask the person to spell their name. Even if the person's name is 'Bob' ask him to spell it. He may seem surprised by this and that is ok. I find being honest with people as to why you're asking acts as a great icebreaker within itself.

2. Make a mental association. This seems obvious, but it works. If a man is wearing a funny tie- I refer to him as Funny Tie Bob or Pink Gucci purse Brenda. This trick really does work for face-to-name recall.

3. Repeat the person's name twice after you met him or her to him or her in conversation. This will help you get used to the face and name syncing together.

If all else fails, admit you forgot the person's name. It may make him or her (even you) cringe for a second, but you will move on and so will the other person. Don't be afraid to admit you forgot the name , ask for the name and then continue on the with the conversation.

Until next time,

Twyla

Are You Attractive?

OK, the title of tonight’s post may seem silly but there is a lot to be said for making your brand as attractive as you!

Your brand is representative your voice. Your business has to reflect what you stand for, what is sells, and the relationships it has with vendors and clients all through social media and traditional design and content marketing. Easier said than done? Yes! But that doesn’t mean it is an impossible task.

In easy terms, consider how you dress. Do you always wear black? Do you wear color? Are you defined by a signature hair style? If you have little things about your appearance that define you to your friends and family then you already know how to brand yourself. You just need to take this concept and apply it to your brand.

The next step is to remain consistent. If you are always evolving your appearance as a business people may assume that you have a brand identity issue happening- or worse, you don’t know who your customers are.

Being attractive to your demographic is a major part of branding and what makes and breaks certain companies.

Try writing down five consistent things about your personal appearance and your company’s brand right now. Then run a survey and ask your customers the same question about your brand. See if they can come up with the same answers as you. If not, you need to adjust your attractiveness to customers.

Until next time,

Twyla

3 Ways to Be Productive in the Morning.

Some people get more work done at night. Others love to knock out their workload in the morning. If you’re like me, working late into the evening is worth sleeping in. And, if you’re like me, you don’t always get to sleep in!

So, how do you maximize the most of your a.m. time? I’ve come up with three solid tips that truly help me and should help you.

#1. Think about your day before you start it. Easier said than done with all the social media and email distractions, right?! I found if I break my day into three sections (big projects, email and phone calls, light work) throughout the day (morning, noon, evening), that the pressure of having to do everything all at once goes away and my mornings are easier.

#2. Don’t review your email before noon. As stated above, you should section out your day. If you open emails before noon, any big projects you have to work on could get bumped because someone wrote an email that sounded urgent. If someone has an urgent project, they will call you if an email isn’t responded to quickly enough. Otherwise, put email on the back burner until the afternoon.

#3. Check the temperature of your work environment. That’s right, if your workspace is too hot in the morning (or any time for that matter), productivity will suffer. Make sure your office isn’t too cold or too hot.

Well, that’s it for my tips. Connect with me on social media and let’s discuss if , after implementing these tips, your mornings are more organized.

Until next time,

Twyla

An Overview of Your Business' Legal Status

How you define your business to the government can have a lot of benefits. However, it can also lead to a lot of headaches if done incorrectly. So what type of status should you claim when starting a business? Well, let me help!

Sole Proprietorship: This type of business does not make a legal distinction between the business owner and the business itself. Although costs can be low (from taxes to licensing fees)the down-side is that you will be personally responsible for any business debt that may occurs, potential law suits, and your personal income tax reflects your entire business' profit.

A General Partnership is the same as a sole proprietorship but with several owners. Again, the set-up costs are low and there are relatively few regulatory requirements. And, again, the owners are completely liable for all the actions and debts that stem from the business.

Limited Liability Partnership(much like a LLC) is very similar to a general partnership. However, there is a separate classification of partners making each person's liability limited. The downside to this classification is it only "limits" a partner's liability, not erase it completely- which is a common myth. Also the filing and administrative requirements are complex.

C-Corporation is only a form of doing business that creates a separate legal entity from the individual owners. This legal entity can act and do business on its own just as a person would do (i.e. borrow money, enter into lawsuits and contracts, etc.).
With a C-Corporation your "owners" are now shareholders who are not personally liable for the actions and debts stemming from the company. However, if a shareholder wants to leave the business then the paperwork involved isn't easy, making a separation a long-one- which in the case of a nasty separation only makes the situation worse. Also, owners (shareholders) are taxed twice.

S-Corporation is a type of corporation but the business is taxed as if it is a sole proprietorship. Its formation is subject to certain legal criteria such as a maximum number of shareholders. The benefits, unlike a C-Corp., include owners only being taxed one time. However, the administrative costs are higher and all owners (shareholders) have to be U.S. citizens.

Many business owners either chose to set-up as an LLC or an S-Corp. Note, I will not advocate for either because you need to discuss your personal situation with a lawyer and a CPA. However, I will state that an LLC may have to pay more self-employment taxes than S-corps due to IRS regulations.

Have other business questions? Please ask as I am happy to answer them!

Twyla