Health and Fitness Goal Setting

November 9, 2012 By

Health and Fitness Goal Setting

Why do so many people set goals but never achieve them? The reason is because they never have a strategy to follow.

Use the S.M.A.R.T Way to achieve your Health and Fitness Goal.

S.M.A.R.T.

Specific

Your goal needs to be stated in great detail and very specific, for example, instead of saying “I want to lose weight in the next four months”, you should be very specific with a realistic weight loss number, such as “I want to lose 12 pounds in 12 weeks”

Next step

Action plan, what are you going to do on a weekly and daily basis to achieve this goal.

For e.g. I will exercise in the morning at the gym with my personal trainer in st johns wood before work at 7.30 am.

“Keep it simple but consistent”

Measurable

For e.g. – heightened awareness of how certain clothes fit.

Attainable

Establish goals which are important to you and can be achieved in small attainable steps. For e.g.

Set aside gym time during the week

Make nutritional changes.(drink 8 glasses of water a day)

Realistic

Realistic goals that can be achieved in a certain time period ensure success For e.g. lose 1-2 pounds a week, not ? stone.

Time – oriented

Committing to a specific time frame increases successful goal achievement. Commit to achieve a specific goal by a certain time and do your best to achieve it in that time frame.

If that time period ends without achieving that goal, don’t lose the passion. Step back and take an honest look at what happened, then set up another plan to achieve that goal in a safe and specific time frame

Health and Fitness Goal Setting

Health and Fitness Goal Setting

About The Author

Imran Ilahi is the owner and head fitness coach Energie personal fitness, a high-end personal training studio in St Johns Wood.

It his personal mission to improve the health of people by exposing them to the lies of the weight loss industry, while teaching them the correct way to integrate fitness into their busy lifestyles. To learn more about how you get into incredible shape visit http://www.personaltrainer-stjohnswood.com

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Affirmation statements -we hear them spoken often by motivational speakers, authors, writers etc., but what can we personally do to harness the power of affirmations in our own lives?

Think about a time in your life when you desired to make a change – something major, like finding a new job, moving to a new city or home, or something less momentous like a New Year’s resolution to improve your overall health. Can you think of a past experience like that? Now, think about the tools that you used or steps that you took to help guide you through that transition and keep you focused on achieving your goals while making that change.

These tools in effect, involved you setting in motion a series of events to accomplish the goals you’d set out for yourself, and one of the easiest ways to achieve success is to create affirmations.

Affirmations are very easy to use and quite powerful once you get the hang of practicing this daily exercise. Affirmations keep you focused on what’s important to you and help you achieve positive transitions. Basically an affirmation is a declaration that something is already true and has come to fruition in your life in the present moment. You have to believe what you are looking to achieve or obtain has already arrived in order for ‘it’ to show up in your life.

If your desire is to create personal well-being, first choose a phrase that describes what you desire. For example, if you desire to adopt a healthier lifestyle, then your affirmation statement could say, “I feel good and look good when I live a healthy lifestyle.” Or “I enjoy the great feelings I get from exercising daily.” Short powerful statements are more focused and work much better to bring about results than long, drawn-out paragraphs.

There are some rules to follow when creating an affirmation that I’d like to share with you.

Rule # 1: The phrase must be in the present tense, such as “I feel good”, as opposed to “I will feel good” which implies that at some point in the future you ‘might’ achieve your goal. Remember to phrase your affirmation as if your desire.

Rule #2: The statement must always be written from a positive perspective, instead of a negative one. For example, you wouldn’t say “I don’t feel good when I am not healthy” as this places your health – which you are trying to change – in a negative context. Always phrase your desire/affirmation statement in a positive context and in the present tense.

Rule #3: Repeat often. After you create an affirmation, write it down on something that you can keep with you, like a notebook or card to put in your purse or wallet, or place it somewhere that you look at often throughout your day such as on your bathroom mirror or your desk at work. Make sure that you read your affirmation statements as many times during your day as possible.

Studies have shown that using the power of affirmations can lower stress and I have found this to be true in my own life. When I get clear about what I want in my life and focus on my desires with affirmations every day, I am more content and peaceful. What we focus on grows, so the more you focus your attention on your affirmations, the more likely you are to create positive changes in your life and achieve your dreams.

My favorite book on affirmations and the power of healing is Louise Hay’s, You Can Heal Your Life. In this fascinating book you can learn more about the healing power of affirmations and how you can harness them to improve your overall health and well-being. And frankly, who wouldn’t like to live a healthier, more serene life in these turbulent times?

Using the power behind affirmations can truly change your life for the better. Put this into practice this week by writing down three short affirmations about three areas you’d like to make positive changes in your life. Be sure to state your desires in the present tense and in a positive way. Practice repeating these statements as many times as you can for 7 days and see what wonderful changes reveal themselves in your life.

September 27, 2012 By

Inspired by her passion to support others on their own personal growth journey, Carolee Laffoon founded Affirmations To Go, a company which encourages people to create lasting personal affirmation products to carry with them daily to keep them focused on their goals, hopes and dreams. Carolee publishes a monthly newsletter “Affirmation Inspirations” to share her favorite affirmations, inspirations, and product specials. Visit Affirmations To Go and sign up to receive her newsletter as well as participate in her special monthly Affirmations product giveaway.

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Setting and Achieving Meaningful Goals

September 26, 2012 By

Setting and Achieving Meaningful Goals

Serving both as an overview to goal setting, this article takes you through a process from reviewing your vision statements to formalizing and locking down goals that are meaningful and actionable.

The difference between a Vision, a Goal, and a Plan

Visions, Goals, and Plans are important tools which are used together. However, each serve a different purpose to help you get from where you are to where you want to be efficiently and effectively. Unfortunately, most people skip the vision step completely, rush the goals step, and as a result are setting themselves up for failure in the planning stage. A good analogy is taking a trip.

A Vision captures the main decision you make on where you want to go on the trip. It frames, but does not answer, the details of the trip.

A Goal captures the key decisions related to that trip. When will you leave and return? Will you fly or drive? What activities do you want to do while there?

A Plan captures the details which will allow you to complete the trip, meeting the goal you set for the trip. What is your flight itinerary? What is your budget? What hotel(s) will you stay at? When will you do your chosen activities while on the trip?

It is important to note that once set, you should stay fixed on your vision, be slow to change your goals to get there, and yet stay flexible on your plans to achieve the goals. This is called staying fixed on the “What” but flexible on the “How”.

Start by reviewing your vision statements

Do you have a vision for your life? If not then you should take some time to do so. If you already have a set of visions statements, then before you start setting specific goals, now is the time to look at the overall vision statement for your life, and the related vision statements for each area of your life, and ask yourself the following questions, making changes if necessary:

Is it inspiring and can you emotionally commit to achieving it?

Is it truly important to you?

Is it stretching, but can you still see yourself achieving it?

Is it truly your own vision and not someone else’s (parent, boss, etc.) for you?

Is it positive and sustainable over time?


Remember there are four parts to a great goal

Since you’ve already set some compelling and clear vision statements for your life, the next step is to create great goals. A goal statement is made up of four components:

An Objective statement stating the goal in a specific and positive way (often very similar to the Vision statement; “I will be independently wealthy.”).

A Measure statement stating how you will know when you have achieved it (“I will have achieved this when I have a net worth of $5 million.”).

An Importance statement stating why it is important that you achieve this goal (“This is important because I want to focus on working with non-profits to help them achieve their missions while enjoying travel around the world.”).

A Timing statement stating by when you would like to achieve it. (“Given where I am I will achieve this in ten years time.”).

Note, the objectives for your goals do not have to match 1:1 with the vision statements you have created. The reason is that sometimes a vision requires multiple goals to achieve it, and other times a single goal when accomplished can move you toward multiple visions.

Choose one or more Vision statements to write three objective statements for

Someone once asked what the difference between a dream and a goal was. The answer: A dream dies at dawn. As you’ve heard, it isn’t enough to have a clear picture of what you want (a vision), you need the detailed goals and plans to make it a reality. Following the step-by-step process described below, and available in our My Goals tool available on Percess, spending just a few minutes each day, you’ll build step-by-step detailed, compelling and achievable goals like you may never have before in your life. If you are already an old pro at setting goals, then this is a great opportunity to update and upgrade your goals to set you up for success in your plans.

So, after you have reflected on your Vision statements, select up to three visions or desires to make Objectives statements (and ultimately Goals) for. Why only three? Why not more?

First, we have limited time and resources. Even though we can do things to free up time, as the quantity of goals we are actively working on at any given time increases, our chances of success drop. The reason is that as the number of goals increase it becomes easier to be distracted, overwhelmed or discouraged. To be clear, each goal you work toward may have multiple smaller parts to it. However, try to stick to just three at any given time.

Second, in any given situation only a few things really matter, and some potential goals are better done after others are accomplished (new career after completing the needed training).

Third, it forces us to focus on truly big goals and not get distracted by little goals.

Fourth, by focusing on fewer goals we are more likely to make what we feel is significant progress sooner. This helps to maintain our momentum as well.


Create your Objective Statements

After you have selected the Vision statement(s) you want to use, create three nearer-term Objective statements to use as the base for your goals. Read them again to yourself, reflecting on your individual life area and overall vision statements. Are you really excited about turning these three Objectives into a reality in your life? Once you have reflected and refined as desired, it is time to flush these Objective statements into full goals.

Turn your Objective Statements into Goals

Now, for each, write below the Objective statement your Measures, Importance, and Timing statements associated with the goals. An example is shown below (look at structure, not content which may or may not be relevant or resonate with you):

Vision: I want the physical health to be able to enjoy the activities I love.

Goal

Objective: Dramatically increase my endurance and energy level.

Measure(s):

Conditioning to complete a 10K without stopping.

Energy to stay up until 11pm without being tired.

Strength to work in the garden as often I want to.


Importance: This is important because my not exercising the way I need to is keeping me from fully enjoying my children, caused me to pass on fun outdoor activities with friends, and causes me to feel tired a lot of the time. I don’t want to be one of those lonely people, barely able to move themselves around when I am older, having missed out on being part of great memories when I was younger.

Timing:

I will start an exercise routine on xx/xx/xxxx

I will run a 10K on yy/yy/yyyy

I will have the energy I want by zz/zz/zzzz


Evaluate and Refine Your Goals

Once you have done this for each goal, review them to see if they are SMART (Stretching, Measurable, Achievable, Related, and Timed).

Stretching is important since it is hard to have an inspiring goal if it isn’t stretching you in some way relative to what you have achieved in the past.

Measurable is important as this will not only give you a benchmark to measure yourself against but also help provide some insight into what may be necessary as part of the plan you will build to achieve this.

Achievable is clearly important but by achievable we mean merely that it is potentially achievable. How you achieve it won’t be set until the planning stage. Use this for a quick reality check here.

Related is a check to make sure this goal is related to your visions and priorities.

Timed is to give you a sense of urgency and a date by which you want to enjoy the benefits of hitting the goal. Note, timing may change a bit as you go through the planning phase and identify the steps needed to achieve the goal.

Once you’ve review the goals, made any changes you wish you should set them aside for a few days and then come back and refine them if/as desired. This is to make sure they are really yours and what you want to focus on. Make sure you spend sufficient time on the Importance statement as this will help ensure you have the clear motivation to work toward the goals, and help provide perspective on if you really have captured the objective in the way you want to.

Expand Goal Detail

In this step we are going to add additional detail to your goal which will help guide your plan development.

For each goal, ask yourself: In order to achieve this goal I will need to:

Overcome these challenges

Leverage these strengths

Acquire these knowledge/skills

Work with these people/organizations

It is important to note that you will very likely not have all the answers to the above questions. The point is to start thinking about what will be involved in achieving the goal so you can think better about how to break it down into manageable pieces. Think of this as a first pass. You’ll have additional opportunities to refine it further as you go forward and develop your plans. Once you’ve made a first pass, set this aside for today and then review it again tomorrow if/as helpful.

With regard to overcoming challenges, these could be a perceived lack of resources, time, connections, etc. These are items which you would like to address as you move forward.

With regard to leveraging certain strengths, these are what you bring with you. They can be tangible in the sense of financial resources, etc., emotional in terms of desire, dedication, energy, etc. or functional in terms of skills, habits or connections, etc.

With regard to acquiring knowledge or skills, we are always in a process of growing and learning. As you set goals you will likely want to add to or enhance a part of your skill set. Goal setting is a great opportunity to get the reason and energy to do so.

With regard to working with other organizations, nothing really great has been done alone. Even Edison had Watson, and today working with other people and groups is even more important. Who should you get to know or leverage in order to create a win-win relationship?

Repeat for each Goal and check quality

For each goal ask yourself if you can say yes to each of the following statements:

These goals reflect my fundamental values and the vision I have for my life.

These goals are inspiring to me, and I have completely committed to them.

I accept full responsibility for achieving each goal

I will make the necessary tradeoffs which will let me achieve the goals.

I will review each night how my day went overall relative to my goals.

I will plan each night the next day’s activities which support my goals.

If you can’t truly commit to each of the above statements, then you should take a step back and further refine your goals or the vision for your life. You’ve spent decades getting to where you are today; spending another day, or even a week, making sure you are headed in the right direction going forward is more than worth the effort.

Congratulations!

You have now likely done a better job of creating meaningful goals than 90% of the people who attempt to do so. Now it is time to think about your plans…

Setting and Achieving Meaningful Goals

Setting and Achieving Meaningful Goals

[http://www.percess.com] is a leading online resource helping people live a life of achievement, meaning, and enjoyment both personally and in their business. We do this through a bi-weekly newsletter, our online assessments and tools, and educational articles and programs. These resources help guide you from where you are to where you want to be, while enjoying the trip.

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Marketing Strategies That Work: Setting The Buying Criteria

August 30, 2012 By

Marketing Strategies That Work: Setting The Buying Criteria

What if I told you there was a simple marketing strategy you could use to…

Stop prospects from price shopping

Convert more prospects to customers

Pre-empt your competition

You’d want to know about it right?

It gets even better. Because you don’t have to be a great writer… or even a great marketer… to put this strategy to work in your business.

Just so you know how powerful this particular strategy is, let me tell you a story…

Before I became a freelance copywriter, I was the sole copywriter and online marketer for a well-known home schooling company.

I’d been mulling over how to use this strategy in the business. One morning, it clicked.

I spent 4 hours writing 8 brief emails. I plugged them into our email system, posted the opt-in form on the web site, and waited to see what would happen.

The results?

Nearly 20,000 subscribers the first year and $115,168.09 in revenue.

The email series continued to produce revenue the second year, the third year, and on and on. All from less than a day’s work. Pretty amazing, huh?

The strategy I used is called:

“Setting the Buying Criteria”

A clearer way to say it is: setting the criteria by which your prospects make a buying decision.

In a nutshell, here is how it works. In your marketing material (emails, brochures, web sites, sales letters, etc.), you want to define what makes a good buying decision. And in your defining, you want to make sure that your company, product, or service is the only one that fits the definition.

This is setting the buying criteria.

When you set the criteria, you always want to do it in such a way that it excludes your competitors. They should not be able to qualify based on the criteria you’ve set.

This is why the criteria you use should always be exclusive to a greater or lesser degree.

Let me give you a quick example…

Assume for a moment you’re a car manufacturer who specializes in sports cars. One of your criteria might read like this:

“Whatever sports car you choose, make sure it has at least 250 horsepower. Any less and you’ll be sacrificing speed, acceleration, and performance, all of which are critical to the pleasure you’ll get from your new sports car.”

You’ll notice I set the criterion (250 horsepower) high enough that it eliminated some cars, but not so high that it eliminated all cars. No matter. The important thing is, I’ve narrowed the field.

As we move on, we layer additional buying criteria:

“Once you’ve found a sports car that has at least 250 horsepower, you’ll also want to make sure it has a 6-speed manual transmission. At least half the pleasure of a sports car is being in total control. An automatic transmission just won’t cut it.

“Rear-wheel drive is a must for a true sports car. It gives you the best cornering power possible, without feeling like you’re going to run off the road (as you might feel with a front-wheel drive vehicle).

“Also look for fully independent suspension, so you get the best road feel. Each wheel will move on its own, independent from the other wheels, giving you maximum traction and performance.

“Lastly, be picky about the kind of engine your sports car is equipped with. The best sports car engine is a boxer engine. It’s perfectly balanced and produces no vibration. You can set a quarter directly on the engine while it is running and it will not fall off. Plus, boxer engines sit low to the ground and provide a lower center of gravity. Boxer engines can be found in flat-4, flat-6, and flat-12 configurations.”

By shrewdly selecting these and possibly one or two additional criteria, I can make my sports car the only logical choice in a crowded market.

It’s the same with your product. If you shrewdly define the criteria for buying, you’ll create a scenario where your product is the only one that can possibly qualify. All competitive products will fall short.

Why Setting the Buying Criteria Works

Setting the buying criteria works for 3 powerful reasons:

1. You’re seen as someone who can be trusted.

By telling your prospects what they should look for when they make a purchase–or conversely, telling them what to watch out for–you become a trusted advisor.

Your prospects believe you have their best interests at heart (and you do), so they are more likely to buy your product instead of the competition’s.

2. You’re letting your prospects come to their own conclusions.

When you set the buying criteria, you’re not saying, “Buy my product because it’s got X, Y, and Z.”

Instead, you’re indirectly guiding your prospects to the conclusion you want them to reach. You’re saying, “When you make a purchase of this kind, make sure you get one with these things…”

Your prospects run down the checklist you’ve created and decide–on their own–that your product is the best choice.

3. You’re doing something different.

If you examine your competition, you will be lucky if you find even one business taking advantage of this strategy. That makes it easy for you to stand out.

When your prospects see that you’re looking out for them… and none of your competitors are… then it becomes exceptionally easy for you to turn them into customers. Prospects will be drawn to you, and will gladly give you their business.

More Examples To Illustrate Buying Criteria

I don’t know what your product is, so I’m going to use a few more examples to illustrate this process. So let’s assume you’re selling a high-end ski jacket.

Your criteria might look like this: zippered pockets, hood, removable liner, snow skirt, goggle pouch, season pass window, and a new proprietary waterproof/breathable fabric.

As you look at your competition, you find that nearly every single ski jacket on the market has “zippered pockets,” and yet this is a feature that many skiers are looking for. “Zippered pockets” alone will not set you apart, so you go further.

Now you add the “hood” to your buying criteria. There are fewer ski jackets with both zippered pockets and a hood, but there are still many.

As you layer each additional feature of your high-end ski jacket, you notice there are fewer and fewer jackets that meet all the criteria you’ve defined.

By the time you add your proprietary waterproof/breathable fabric to the mix, there is only one ski jacket still in the running. It just so happens that it’s the one you sell.

Is this starting to make sense?

If you run an accounting practice, your criteria may be: monthly statements (including P&L, trial balance, assets & liabilities, itemized expense reports, etc.), quarterly tax filing, daily backups to prevent lost data, and free tax planning twice a year.

If you sell a cleaning product, your criteria may be: kills bacteria in under 30 seconds, uses all-natural environmentally friendly ingredients, makes everything smell fresh, is packaged in an easy-to-use ergonomic container, and comes with a 90-day full money-back guarantee.

You may need more criteria; you may need less. Only you will know for your particular niche.

How to Define Your Buying Criteria

To begin defining your buying criteria, list all of the features of your product or service. Do it quickly without thinking too much. Simply write down all the different features that come to mind.

After you’ve captured all the features you can think of, review your list. Circle some of the core features that are always expected with a product or service like yours. Also circle the features that are the most unique.

Now you have the raw material you need to create a marketing piece that sets the buying criteria. The next step is in how you position these features–how you present them to your market.

This is a very important step. Position your criteria the wrong way and people will ignore you. Position your criteria the right way and new customers will flock to you.

How to Position Your Criteria

When you set the buying criteria, there are a number of ways to position them. How you position them is important, and one may work better than another for your business.

The email series I wrote for the home schooling company was positioned like this: “The 7 Essentials That Will Inspire Your Children to Learn.”

Many people (nearly 20,000 of them in the first year) subscribed purely out of curiosity. They wanted to know what the “7 Essentials” were.

With another client, I used a similar approach and wound up with “The 7 Essentials of Any Ecommerce System.” If you’re in the market for an ecommerce system, you’ll want to find out what the “7 Essentials” are. After you’re done reading, my client’s system will be your only choice.

With my copywriting services, I position the criteria inside the sales letter. As you scroll down the site, you’ll see a subhead that says, “The One Thing Your Copywriter Must Have.”

In this case, the one thing is so rare, I don’t feel the need to have a laundry list of criteria. Just the one is sufficient.

Another way to position your criteria is as a warning: “Don’t Even Think About Buying _______ Until You Read This…” or “How to Buy a ______ Without Losing Your Shirt.”

A warning is a more direct approach because it often acknowledges the prospects’ desire to purchase a particular item, but the approach can still work very well.

Joe Polish is famous in part for his method of setting the buying criteria in Consumer Awareness Guides. These little guides educate consumers about what they should look out for when they hire a carpet cleaner and other service professionals.

The possibilities for positioning your criteria are virtually limitless. Once you fully understand this strategy, you will begin to think of many ways to position your criteria.

But remember this: the most effective way to position your criteria will always be from an angle that educates and protects the consumer. You cannot say, “5 Reasons To Buy My Product.”

Yawn.

Your prospect doesn’t care about you or your product. At least not yet.

That’s why you need to speak to your prospects with care and concern, as a trusted advisor to a dear friend. This is how you reach them. So make sure that you position your criteria with this in mind.

Make Sure You Give a Reason Why

Before I turn you loose, I believe it’s important for you to understand one more thing… that is, the importance of giving your prospects a reason why.

When you list out your criteria and position them in way that appeals to your prospects, you still need to make sure–with each and every criterion–that you are giving your prospects a believable reason why it’s so important.

In my sports car illustration, I listed a reason why each criterion was important for the consumer to consider when choosing a sports car. I explained how the fully independent suspension was necessary for “maximum traction and performance.” I mentioned that a 6-speed manual transmission was important because it gives you “total control.”

If I had not given any reasons why these criteria are important for the consumer to consider, my case would have been very weak. The same holds true in real life. You must give your prospects a strong reason why.

Review your criteria. If you list a criterion for which there is no good reason why you’ve mentioned it, then it shouldn’t be included. Get rid of it or find another criterion to replace it with.

Evaluate Your Marketing

As you evaluate your marketing, ask yourself this question: Am I setting the criteria by which my prospects make a buying decision?

If you are not, it is time for you to seriously consider how you might use this strategy in your business. It takes very little time to do and it is highly effective.

Once you implement it, you will stop prospects from price shopping, convert more prospects to customers, and–best of all–pre-empt your competition so you become the one and only logical choice, even if you’re competing in a crowded market.

Marketing Strategies That Work: Setting The Buying Criteria

Marketing Strategies That Work: Setting The Buying Criteria

Ryan Healy is an accomplished direct response copywriter and marketing strategist. You can learn more about his work at http://www.HealyMarketing.com Or for more free articles about copywriting, advertising, and marketing, please visit his blog at http://www.RyansBlog.com

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Change Management and Goal Setting For Effective Teams

August 9, 2012 By

Change Management and Goal Setting For Effective Teams

Let’s Talk Change

With the economy on its downward swing, I find that more of the companies I am working with are looking at very drastic alternatives to save money, downsize and implement cost effective procedures and policies to meet this challenge. The need for change is apparent, what the change should be is more vague. Investors and other stakeholders look at bottom lines skeptically and the immediate response to a down-turn is “where can we cut to survive?” While implementing some of these drastic changes will save money in the short term, and may even shore up a shaky standing for stakeholders, the long-term effects in terms of our customers and the loyalty of our staff will ultimately suffer greatly.

Before attempting any change management within your company it is very important that you take a hard look at excesses and whether the results of the change is what you are looking for or if they are just a stop-gap measure to get the company over a hump.

Team Support and Team Building

I have found in working with a diverse group of staff that, for the most part, they are a very forgiving bunch. If the vision changes mid-stream, many of your staff will, at the very least, attempt to adjust their efforts to meet your vision. The key to successful support and building a vibrant team though involves a bit more effort and fortitude than most leadership teams are willing to put forth.Changing goals, visions, policies, procedures, etc., on a regular basis serves to disrupt the flow of a team. It also tends to confuse your employees and make them leery about implementing changes because they know that a new change is just around the corner.

Change Management Strategy

It is important that a change management strategy be completely and thoroughly thought out before even the blueprint of a draft is distributed among stakeholders. In creating your change management strategy you will want to address the following areas:

Cost – If your change management strategy is going to involve a change in the dynamic of your team. Or, is going to require more staff, consultants, etc., to get off the ground, you will need to win over your stakeholders and investors in addition to your staff. This is going to require that you do a bit more homework than you would have to do in a better economic climate. You will need to show, not only the return on investment (ROI) from the change, but also the long-term cost savings to your stakeholders. You will also need to be able to show your teams the benefit of their investment (BOI). While lay-offs are the most popular trend of a down market, we all know that this is more costly in the long-term because when business picks up you will either have to hire back laid off individuals for more money, or you will need to hire new and less experienced people who, while enthusiastic, will have a long learning curve that will have to be worked around for several months.

ROI – Stakeholders and Investors are generally interested in the bottom line. You will need to create a prospectus for your change plan just as you did when you created your company. You will need to anticipate and answer those questions that will come up. In many cases, stakeholders and investors are even more leery of change management implementation than staff since the bottom line is not always clearly visible. It is important that you get buy-in from all stakeholders before moving your change management proposal to it’s next step.

BOI – Once you have a clear vision and goal to support your change management proposal, it is important that you begin with team building around the change. Don’t wait to let staff know that change management is being implemented. Allow staff the same courtesy as you do your other stakeholders and present the benefits of the change management proposal to staff in team building sessions. Include the adjusted vision and goals. Be sure that they understand the reasons and necessity of the change and allow staff to make a personal investment in the change management proposal.

Review – Make sure that you have created tools that will track progress of your change management implementation. Your tracking tool should contain dates for target goals to be met. When setting targets be sure that you have a low target, on-target, and above-target goal for each date. Your low target should be the lowest achievable goal that can be met to succeed and the high target should be at least two and a half times what the on-target goal is. In other words, aim for the moon and if you end up in the stars you are still ahead. Be very thoughtful when choosing your targets as once you have set them, until the last milestone is reached, they must remain the same. If your goals are too low you will lose momentum before the end date, if too high, your staff and teams will not be motivated to reach their optimum.

Motivating the Team – Teams are motivated by two things, competition and success. Be sure that your change management implementation goals are among teams of staff. Even two teams of two people each is effective. When tracking, make sure that you show the success of each team, side by side so that they can see where the challenges and opportunities lie for success. This is a highly motivating tool to reach goals and will prove one of your best techniques for overall success of implementation. It is important that each team be empowered to brainstorm and create solutions to problems that arise proactively. As a leader you are a coach, you are not on either side, and if you must make each decision it will negate the effects of your change management efforts.

Reward – For each milestone achievement there should be a reward. Plan your rewards before you begin the change process. In this way you will be setting yourself and your teams up for success rather than failure. If you and the teams know what the reward is and that it is waiting, then both you and your teams will “expect” success. As a team, your group will be much more likely to resolve small issues and bring you, the leader, the larger issues before they become burdensome to the success of the goal you have chosen.

Final Thoughts

The economy today is either a cup half full, or a cup half empty. I prefer the cup half full. This is the perfect time for you to reassess your company’s goals and vision. To create a unique niche in your field, to implement change management techniques that will carry you through. Yes, you must be more cost conscious and most creative, but this is the perfect time to bring in someone with fresh eyes who can assist you with creating the dynamic team and vibrant company that you have worked so hard to build. By following the simple steps above, you will be well on your way to a great new beginning instead of just making it through the current economic crisis.

Change Management and Goal Setting For Effective Teams

Change Management and Goal Setting For Effective Teams

Kay’s Corner Office provides freelance writing services that include marketing, website content, and article writing. At our website you will find information on creating a work life balance when you have a home business, information, tips, and reviews.

Copyright Ellen Jackson, Kay’s Corner Office
You are free to publish this article as long as you do not change or alter it and it contains the author information as written.

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Are We Setting Up For a Second Half Rally?

August 7, 2012 By

Are We Setting Up For a Second Half Rally?

The January Barometer, a well-known indicator of market performance for the calendar year, suggests that 2008 will be a disappointing year for investors in the U.S. stock market.   Before you sell off all your investments, lets look at why this year may be different. 

Developed by Yale Hirsch of The Stock Market Almanac in 1972, this popular market indicator states that “as the S&P goes in January, so goes the year.”

Simply put, if the S&P 500 finishes January with a positive return, it is highly likely that the index will finish the year with a positive return as well.  Conversely, a negative return in January foreshadows a market decline for the year.

The Almanac further claims this indicator has accurately predicted market performance for the year 91.2% of the time since 1950.  A remarkable track record by any measure.

So what does this mean for investors in 2008?

On the heels of an anemic gain of just 3.5% in 2007, the S&P 500 posted a loss of 1.4% on the first day of trading in 2008.  The index continued its decline largely unimpeded through the end of the month due to a number of reasons which we’re all aware of by now.

Although the market recovered from the steep intra-day lows set on January 22nd and 23rd thanks to the Fed’s emergency rate cut, the S&P 500 finished January at 1,378 for a loss of 6.1%.

Now, before you panic and go short, know that there are several interesting factors at play this year that could portend a gain for U.S. stocks in 2008 and prove the Almanac wrong this year. 

There is a strong likelihood that the Fed rate cuts will have a significant positive influence on the market this year.  The Fed has cut rates five times, from 5.25% to 3.00%, since September 2007.  In addition, the Fed Funds futures are predicting the Fed will announce another cut of 0.25% at the March meeting. 

As you all know, Fed cuts today usually equate to market rallies in the future.

Another potentially positive influence on the market is the upcoming presidential election.  According to The Almanac, the S&P 500 has posted gains in the last seven months in 13 of the last 14 presidential election years since 1950.  That seems to suggest that if we can make it through the next several months, things may look good going into the second half of the year.

Lastly, and this is generally ignored by many investors, earnings comparisons should get easier and easier throughout the year.  Towards the end of 2007, earnings estimates were being revised downward quite considerably.  That could set the stage for some nice upside surprises later in the year.

So, although many are predicting gloom and doom for the markets in 2008, I think there are some important developments that may prove them wrong (especially in the second half of the year).  Also keep in mind that when everyone is expecting a market decline, the opposite usually happens!

Are We Setting Up For a Second Half Rally?

Are We Setting Up For a Second Half Rally?

Brian Mikes is the editor of the Dynamic Wealth Report, a free investment newsletter that offers investment ideas and news you can’t get from the mainstream investment press. Brian and his team bring decades of Wall Street and Silicon Valley experience to help you discover profitable trading ideas you can use today.

In addition to stock trade ideas, you’ll also receive FREE updates on penny stocks, options, ETFs, commodities and currencies that offer the best opportunity for immediate profit. Click here to start your free subscription today: http://www.DynamicWealthReport.com/new.htm

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3 Goal Setting Tips For Your Health And Fitness Program

July 19, 2012 By

3 Goal Setting Tips For Your Health And Fitness Program

You would not start or expand a business without a plan – a clear-cut idea of where you want to take your company and how you propose to get there. Instead, you would assess your cash flow and expenses, choose a location for your office, decide on your hours of operation, and develop strategies to overcome obstacles.

Your health and fitness program deserves the same level of attention, whether you are just beginning to map out your fitness plan or looking to expand and improve your current fitness routine.

Setting Goals for Your Health and Fitness Exercise

You ought to know why you want to get fit before you embark on a new health and fitness program. Maybe your pants split as you got up to greet your blind date, and you thought, “I really ought to do something about this.” Maybe you cannot keep up with your grand children. Maybe heart disease runs in your family, and you want to avoid carrying on that tradition.

Whatever the reason, make sure you are doing this for yourself. You are not doing it simply to please your mother-in-law or your doctor. Then, after you have evaluated your current fitness level start setting specific goals. Research shows that goal-setting works.

Here we want to look at the different types of goals you should set.

Tip 1 – Long-term goals

Give yourself a time frame for the next six months. Some people get really creative with their long-term goals in their health and fitness plan.

You have to ensure that your long-term goals are realistic. If you have decided to run your first full marathon, you do not need to run the full marathon on the first training session. On the other hand, do not be afraid to dream. Visualize that you will are running in the local marathon competition. Choose a goal that really sparks you on. This is something that may be out of reach at the moment but is not out of the realm of possibility. People are often surprised by what they can accomplish.

My uncle Dave was 60 years old when he started training for a half marathon race. He trained 6 days a week together with his buddy. After six months of training, Uncle Dave successfully completed the half marathon. He was the oldest one on the competition, but he was not the slowest. His success inspired him to train to run the full marathon.

You need to judge for yourself what is realistic. Some people rise to the occasion when they set goals that seem virtually impossible. Other people get discouraged by setting extremely high expectations. If you are a beginner, try to set moderately challenging goals. If you reach your goals earlier than you expect that is the time to choose more ambitious ones. Here are some concrete examples of long-term goals that may spark your imagination:

Complete a 20-kilometer run in 3 hours six months away. Drop 5 percent body fat in 20 weeks.

Tip 2 – Short-term goals

Six months is a long time to wait for feelings of success. In order to stay motivated, you need to feel a sense of accomplishment along the way. Set short-term goals for one week to one month. Here are some examples:

Use the stair-climber four times this week for 30 minutes each time.

Improve your one-kilometer walk by 30 seconds in one week.

Bicycle 50 kilometers a week for the next three weeks.

Tip 3 – Immediate goals

Immediate goals refer to goals for each week, day, or workout. This way, when you walk into the health fitness club, you don not waste any time figuring out which exercises to do. Here are examples of immediate goals:

Go to the health fitness club 3 times a week

Run 5 kilometers 2 times a week.

Bicycle 15 kilometers twice a week.

You see, goals are like a points on the compass that will help to get to the destination you want to arrive at.

3 Goal Setting Tips For Your Health And Fitness Program

3 Goal Setting Tips For Your Health And Fitness Program

Is there anything else you want to find out on how to build up your fitness level? When you regularly exercise and eat a healthy diet, you will live healthier, happier and longer.

For more informations visit http://www.HealthFitnessSecret.com

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Setting Up an LLC – The Benefits and Steps of a Limited Liability Company

May 20, 2012 By

Setting Up an LLC – The Benefits and Steps of a Limited Liability Company

A limited liability company (which is commonly abbreviated as LLC) offers limited liability to its owners as a legal form of business company in the United States. Many small business owners are drawn to this type of business formation because it offers limited liability for the actions and debts of the company. This type of business formation excludes personal liability from the general debts and other obligations of the company and limits the liability of the owners to the extent of their equity. An LLC has characteristics of both a partnership and corporation; the primary partnership characteristic is the availability of pass-through income taxation while the primary corporate characteristic is limited liability.

Many entrepreneurs choose to setup an LLC for tax reasons. LLCs avoid “double taxation” because the income of the LLC itself is not taxed at the company level. Instead, taxes on profits and deductions of losses are computed at the individual level on the personal tax return of each LLC member (owner). LLC owners can elect for the IRS to tax the LLC as a sole proprietorship, partnership, C Corporation, or S Corporation. Owners make this election through the IRS after the company forms with the state.

After setting up an LLC, the bottom-line profit of the business is not considered to be earned income to the members, and therefore is not subject to self-employment tax. But it is still important to consider that the managing member’s share of the overall profit of the LLC is considered earned income, and is subject to self-employment tax.

Members of an LLC are compensated using either guaranteed payments or distributions of profit. Guaranteed payments represent earned income to the members, which qualifies them to enjoy the benefits of tax-favored fringe benefits. A distribution of profit allows each member to pay themselves by merely writing checks. However, as a member of an LLC, you are not allowed to pay yourself wages.

Another important perk of setting up an LLC is that the managing member of an LLC can deduct 100 percent of the health insurance premiums he pays, up to the extent of their pro-rata share of the LLC’s net profit.

The basic steps to setting up an LLC are fairly simple:

Step 1: Find a copy of the LLC Articles of Organization Form for your state. This is usually located at the Secretary of State’s office. It is also a good idea to check there are any rules concerning business names in your state.

Step 2: Choose a name for your business. Almost any name will work so long as it is not the same or deceptively similar to a name being used by another entity that is filed with the State Filing Office which is usually the Secretary of State’s Office. The name must end with the words Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation such as LLC or L.L.C. The ending such as LLC or Inc is not considered part of the name when searching for availability.

Step 3: Complete and File the Articles of Organization form with the State Filing Office. The State Filing Office where you turn in the form is usually the Secretary of State where you are required to pay a filing fee. The Articles of Organization form is a relatively simple document that includes the name of your business, its purpose, office address, the registered agent who will receive legal documents, and the names of each initial member of your proposed LLC. A registered agent is simply a person or incorporated company who can accept service of legal papers if your company is sued or the person who can receive mail from the State Filing Office. You can act as your own registered agent, however, the address you use must be a street address and not a P.O. Box. The address is important to make sure you receive papers that are served or sent to your company.

Step 4: Submit a notice to your local newspaper for publishing. This step is sometimes required by your state, you may want to check to make sure. Some states even require this step to be done before filing your Articles of Organization form. This notice should detail your intention to setup an LLC.

Step 5: Prepare and Sign an Operating Agreement. This is not required by the state but is a very important step in maintaining your liability protection and preventing disagreements between the members. The Operating Agreement is an essential document which sets forth the rights, duties and obligations of each member of the LLC. It also usually sets the ownership percentages between the members, the division of profits and the distribution of income. This document can also strengthen your liability protection by demonstrating that you have completed the organization of the company and are in compliance with the process.

The State Filing Office usually does not provide Operating Agreements, this will be something that you have to come up with. Many people use online services such as settingupllc.com, and other people go further and hire attorneys which can be much more expensive.

Step 6: Obtain an Employer ID Number (EIN) from the IRS. As a separate legal entity, your LLC requires its own federal tax identification number from the IRS. This can sometimes be avoided if an LLC is owned by only one person, in which case the person has the option of reporting taxes on his own social security number. To get the Employer ID Number you can acquire from SS-4 from most post offices and then file it with the IRS.

Step 7: Setup a Separate Bank Account for the LLC. A separate legal entity requires a separate bank account. It is important that you do not co-mingle your funds between business and personal bank accounts. The courts will look at this if you were to ever get sued.

Step 8: Document Ownership Interest Percentages of the LLC. To avoid disputes and ownership conflicts in the future, it is important to assign ownership percentages when the company is first formed. This step is not necessarily required, but it would be very wise.

Setting Up an LLC – The Benefits and Steps of a Limited Liability Company

Setting Up an LLC - The Benefits and Steps of a Limited Liability Company

Thomas Rogers is a legal expert and regularly contributes to Setting up LLC which helps people streamline the LLC filing process. The site allows you to setup your LLC through the internet which can help you save a lot of time and money. If you are a small business owner who is overwhelmed by the procedure of incorporating your business, please do not hesitate to visit us. Find more information at settingupllc.com

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Facts About Setting Up a Limited Liability Corporation

May 13, 2012 By

Facts About Setting Up a Limited Liability Corporation

A limited liability corporation (LLC) is a unique business structure that provides protection from personal liabilities and gives the tax advantages of a partnership. It has become very popular in recent years for small business that want to incorporate. Each state has its own specific requirements and setting up a limited liability corporation is quite simple and can be done in very little time and with minimal effort.

The very first thing you must do is to get a copy of your own state’s LLC Articles of Organization form. This form is available from the office of the Secretary of State and must be filled out completely with such things as business name, business purpose, office address, and names of initial members of the LLC. (Naming your business requires that you comply with all state rules so ask for a copy of your state’s rules for LLC business names.) In addition, ask if you must post a notice of your intentions to form an LLC in the local newspaper. If so, it’s a good idea to publish it before you file your LLC Articles of Organization form.

The next step is to submit your LLC Articles of Organization form to your Secretary of State. You also must enclose the appropriate filing fee which can range from $40 to $900. A few states also charge a corporate tax that must also be paid at the time of filing. Check with your Secretary of State to find out if you must pay this additional tax and to determine how much it will be.

Once you have completed the steps listed above, you will need to create an LLC Operating Agreement. This is especially important if you are not the sole owner of the business. This agreement documents, in detail, all of the financial and management rights and responsibilities specific to members of the LLC. Basically, putting this information in writing prevents any future complications down the road. It’s a good idea to write the LLC Operating Agreement before filing the LLC Articles of Organization form so that everyone knows, up front, what they’re signing up for.

Setting up a limited liability corporation can be done on your own or under the advice of an attorney. Each state has its own unique rules and regulations so consulting with an attorney and/or researching the internet beforehand will answer many of the questions you may have about incorporating in your own state.

Facts About Setting Up a Limited Liability Corporation

Facts About Setting Up a Limited Liability Corporation

Rachel writes more about Setting Up A Limited Liability Corporation at http://www.limited-liability-advisor.com/

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Setting Up a Corporation – Simple Steps

April 23, 2012 By

Setting Up a Corporation – Simple Steps

A corporation is a legal entity that separates the persons owning or operating a business from the actual business itself. They are set up to protect individuals from a range of possible damages and obligations that might occur as a result of doing business. Unlike other forms of business registration the owners of a corporation have no responsibility for the debts of the business and their liability is limited to the number of shares that they hold in that corporation.

Corporation law has been around for a long time and the oldest corporation in the United States is the Harvard Corporation which was established in 1650 to look after the business affairs of Harvard University. The act of incorporation is the basic of all corporation law and in addition to provided limited liability for owners and shareholders this type of business registration is very common for all large and medium sized companies in the Unites States.

Along with the provision of limited liability corporation law also sets out a series of standards and regulations that corporations must adhere to in order to maintain their incorporated status. They include having a board of directors that is responsible for the operation and governance of the corporation in accordance with the state in which it is incorporated. Shareholders of the corporation elect the board of directors and the board then assume what is called the fiduciary responsible to put the interests of the corporation first in all decisions and deliberations.

Most corporations have a Chief Executive Officer or President who is the spokesperson for the corporation in all public matters and a treasurer who is responsible for maintaining the good financial health of the organization. Other officer positions may be created by the corporation as provided for under the applicable corporation law.

Corporations are created by filing articles of incorporation with the government and these articles contain information about the general intent of the corporation, the number of shares that the corporation intends to issue and the addresses and names of corporate directors. After approval by the regulatory body the board of directors of the corporation meets to create the bylaws of the corporation and proceed to open for business.

There are fees associated with incorporating a business and legal and tax advice is almost a prerequisite to filing for incorporation, but the separation of personal and legal liability is a very attractive asset to incorporation and most businesses are quite willing to pay these small costs to protect the individual interests of its shareholders.

Setting Up a Corporation – Simple Steps

Setting Up a Corporation - Simple Steps

David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a weekly e-newsletter on Starting and Growing a Small Business at http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com You can sign up for their free newsletter by visiting http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com

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