What’s New in Business

Join us for a series of workshops (or attend any on the list) to kick off your business in the new year. All sessions will be held at the Penrose Public Library at 20 N Cascade Avenue in the Carnegie Room from 6pm to 9pm.

Minding Your Business—Tuesday, January 18

Learn how to find everything you need to know to write a business plan. This session will include the 90 minute presentation which includes finding information on the industry, your competition, your vendors, your target market, financials, demographics, advertising and marketing as well as an open session for questions from the audience about their specific business needs. Come learn from other business owners about their areas of interest as well. Presented by Terry Zarsky, Pikes Peak Library District

Franchising 101—Tuesday, January 25

Interested in owning your own business? You can reduce the risk with a franchise. Find out if franchising is right for you. There are franchising opportunities that can fit your lifestyle and business goals. Learn about systems, costs, fees, financing and training. Learn the pros and cons of franchising to help determine if it is right for you. Presented by Cindy Crayfield, FranNet Colorado

Protecting Your Business’s Critical Information in an Online, Always-on, Wireless World—Tuesday, February 1

According to Gartner, 4 out of 10 businesses that can’t recover their data with 24 hours go out of business within a year. And the majority of those are small businesses with fewer than 25 computers. Worse still, the National Archives & Records Administration found that 93% of companies that couldn’t restore their data quickly after a disaster went out of business within the next 18 months. Don’t wait until after you experience a data loss to protect your data. Small businesses are becoming more attractive targets to computer criminals because these nefarious characters know that oftentimes small business information goes unprotected. Learn ways to reduce the risks to your personal and company information if you’re accessing Internet resources inside or outside the firewall or using wireless devices. Presented by Kate Keeley, Qwest Communications.

Crack the Codes on Your Credit Card Merchant Statement—February 8

Offers training to merchants to better clarify the merchant credit card system, transforming merchants into more knowledgeable individuals able to better financially prepare their businesses for success.  The training from this class will make the credit card merchant statements transparent to the merchants so they will never make an uneducated decision on the movement of their monies again.  Topics include the flow of money, players in the game, interchange and rate formulas, pricing models, locating a reputable sales office, saving money with their current processor, contract issues, researching a sales office. Presented by Rolynda Sanborn, Crack the Codes

Everyone communicates, few connect: what the most effective people do differently

by John Maxwell, 2010.

Making connections can dramatically improve your business and personal life. John Maxwell takes his experience and applies it to public speaking and communication in general. Whether you teach, negotiate, manage, or work in retail or public service, this book is for you. A recurring theme is audience-focused interaction. Communicating what you know is not enough. You must reach out to others in a way that is meaningful to them in order to establish a connection.

Some suggestions:

• Be sure to answer the question your audience really wants you to answer – “Can you help me?”
• Work to remove distracting personal habits and environmental distractions.
• Don’t wait for someone to communicate with you. Take initiative and connect.
• Communication takes patience. Listen, ask questions, and make yourself available.
• Relax, be yourself, and tell the truth.

John Maxwell concedes that many of his concepts are simple in theory, but often difficult to put into practice. However, the effort will bring you closer to your family, friends, and business associates. So make that New Year’s resolution! Reach out and connect!

Innovate!: How Great Companies Get Started in Terrible Times

by Thomas A. Meyer, 2010.

Innovate! provides countless lessons from some of our greatest innovators and organizations. Recession start-ups are put on display to make a case for taking your innovation to the next level. The message is clear. The latest downturn was not our first recession, nor was it our worst. Lasting organizations spring from tough economies. Meyer examines the successes and failures of innovators such as Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs, as well as organizations such as Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. Modern parallels highlight the extraordinary innovation occurring in our most recent recession.

Some lessons learned:
• Don’t leave your job to pursue your innovation. You will need the cash!
• When you need it, ask for help. No one can continue indefinitely on his or her own.
• Don’t forget to research your next idea. This is essential for managing tough times.
• Don’t take advantage of people in need, but do seek to recognize and meet those needs.
• Create a “10-second pitch.” That is all people really want when they ask about your company.
• Research your market. Good ideas are nothing without a market.
• Base your innovation on a need that is recession-proof. What do people need in any economy?
• Diversify to survive.

Many of these lessons suggest research and planning. You can achieve both at no cost at your public library. For assistance with market and industry research be sure to attend the PPLD Minding your Business class offered at Penrose Library! To register call 389-8968.

Check out the latest business titles in our NextReads newsletter. Recommendations for October 2010 highlight Women in Business.

NextReads Newsletter – Business and Personal Finance

Subscribe to receive this newsletter monthly!

Check out the latest business titles in our NextReads newsletter. Recommendations for August 2010 highlight On the Job and in the Workplace.

NextReads Newsletter – Business and Personal Finance

Subscribe to receive this newsletter monthly!

Denial: Why Business Leaders Fail to Look Facts in the Face – and What to Do About it

by Richard S. Tedlow, 2010.

Richard Tedlow takes us through the highs and lows of some of our largest companies to help us identify denial in our own organizations. Denial is one of many factors in organizational failure. However, it is one of the most difficult to recognize and face. Within the company histories included in this title you will find signs such as “trash-talking” and “building monuments” that suggest the presence of denial. In addition, clear lessons learned are provided in a summary chapter. You will not find fables or simplified examples of business place denial, however. Rather, these histories bring out the complexity of business and demonstrate the difficulty of both identifying denial and taking steps to confront it.

Secrets of powerful women: leading change for a new generation

forward by Andrea Wong, introduction by Rosario Dawson, 2010.

This collection of brief essays brings us leadership lessons and inspirational stories offered by some of our most successful women political figures. Inspired by the success of Lifetime’s Future Frontrunners contest, which sought to engage young women in the political process, Andrea Wong and Rosario Dawson compiled these essays with the hope of reaching women of all ages. Reading this collection will be time well spent for any woman currently holding or interested in pursuing a leadership role. Although many of the insights come from the political arena, lessons apply to all aspects of daily life.

Here are some examples:

• You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.
• Leadership skills are learned everywhere – working for organizations, clubs, and with your family. Be aware of your transferrable skills.
• It is okay if your path to success is not straight. Every step does not need to be planned.
• Doing what you love will keep you feeling good when you wake up in the morning.
• You will be required to make sacrifices. Take time to think these through to determine if they are acceptable to you.

Enjoy, as I did, the messages of these powerful women!

8 ways to great: peak performance on the job and in your life

by Dr. Doug Hirschhorn, 2010.

As the title suggests, you will find 8 straight forward, easy to implement strategies to take you to the next level. Although Dr. Hirschhorn warns early on that his insights will not build skill where there is none, not all of the principles are intended for those working in a field they are well suited for. The underlying theme is change for the better. For some that requires self-discovery accompanied by a career shift. Whether you are trying to take your performance to the next level or define a starting point for a new career, you will find the examples and exercises helpful. Dr. Hirschhorn brings together trading, sports, and life experience to encourage us to take a better look at who we are, what skills and knowledge we bring to the table, and how to develop a series of steps to reach our goals.

Check out the latest business titles in our NextReads newsletter. Recommendations for June 2010 highlight Recent Job-Searching books.

NextReads Newsletter – Business and Personal Finance

Subscribe to receive this newsletter monthly!

Upstarts: How GenY Entrepreneurs Are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit From Their Success

by Donna Fenn, 2010.

Take a look inside the world of GenY entrepreneurs. What are they doing that works? How can you profit from their strategies? Donna Fenn offers countless examples to show how this generation has moved beyond the formal business plan to a model that brings success. They are limiting capital investment while at the same time taking on large established companies. The stories of these successful entrepreneurs will help you bring your own business to the next level, allow you to incorporate this generation into your team, or start your own creativity flowing. Donna provides a handy translation tool at the end of each chapter, extracting the most important points.

Some lessons learned:

• Build partnerships with those who have similar interests as well as with those who have more experience.
• Provide consumers with customization tools and forums to provide input.
• Branding is easier when it is an extension of who you are and what you believe in. Build a social commitment into your business from the start.
• Blur the lines of work and free time. Employees work harder toward their goals when they know they can leave early, but come in at odd times to concentrate on a difficult project.

In addition to the many helpful tips, you will discover the determination of this group. From the very first scenario it was obvious that these entrepreneurs face a huge challenge every day, their youth. For example, it is difficult to wine and dine your customers when you are 16 years old. The message is clear. There are hurdles each of us must overcome, but with the right tools we can do just that.