A Flock of Cranes!string(18) "A Flock of Cranes!"

May 12, 2014
, , , , , , , Economy, Growth 6

The sight of cranes on the horizon are a sure sign of an improving economy. No, I’m not talking about the flying type of crane – I’m talking about the construction type of crane (tower cranes).

Crane2--Blog

I was standing on my balcony looking across the Austin, Texas city skyline and I counted ELEVEN giant stationary tower cranes (not counting the smaller, portable cranes).  Though there were eleven cranes in my view, I’m well aware that there are also many more nearby that are located beyond the scope of what I can see from the vantage point of my balcony.  Standing there and looking out at these massive pieces of construction equipment, it suddenly struck me that the number of cranes in a city are a good indicator of the strength of the local economy.

I did a quick Google search and found that The National Journal recently reported that there are 37 construction projects currently in progress in Washington DC. The New Zealand Herald reported that two years ago there were no cranes in Wellington and today there are six major residential projects in the area (cranes included, of course). The Financial Times recently reported that over the last few years there has been more than one crane for every square kilometer in London!

Construction Cranes are an indicator that an area’s economy is thriving.  They are certainly an indicator of this in Austin which also remains #1 in job growth in the U.S. being the only city in the country with double digit job growth for several years in a row.

How many cranes do you see in your local area?  How does the number of cranes compare to the local economy?  I’m really interested in getting your feedback on this so please take a moment to leave your comments in the discussion forum below. Thanks!

We vs. Mestring(9) "We vs. Me"

October 22, 2012
, , , , , Announcement, Author, BNI, Book, Business, Community, Economy, Givers Gain, Marketing/Sales, Networking, Recommendation, Relationships

While it may not single-handedly solve all the economic problems facing the world today, a new model of community and networking may well be the key to pulling the global economy out of the effects of the long-term global recession.

Networking has always been a powerful strategy to get business by giving business and connecting with others. Community and networking will be a particularly potent formula for success and prosperity over the coming decades.

Michael R. Drew, publishing expert and friend of mine whom I’ve known for 13 years who has helped me achieve bestseller status five times over, has some interesting ideas about the importance of building relationships to succeed in business.

Michael and his coauthor, Roy H. Williams have a very interesting theory in their new book Pendulum [www.penduluminaction.com/bni]. After reading the book, it confirmed in my mind why business networking is positioned to grow massively over the next three decades.

As Michael and Roy explain, societal values follow a cyclical pattern that shifts every 40 years from a “Me” based society, which values feeling and looking good now, instant gratification and cares little for long-term consequences to a “We” based society, which values community and working together for the good of the whole. Roy and Michael have 3,000 years of data to back up this theory.

The rumblings of this transition from “Me” values to “We” values have been evident over the past decade. Once successful business models that embraced exceptionalism and fierce competition are failing and going the way of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. These cycles influence the effectiveness of networking, too. In a “We” cycle, the strength of an individual contributes to the strength of the whole. For example, when established professionals partner with newer, “junior” professionals, both of the partners and the consumers each benefit from the relationship—win, win, win. Knowledge and wisdom are shared, and then blended with new ideas and innovation. This increases the value the end user receives from the relationship.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, traditional marketing strategies focus on hype, promises of bigger, better and more and ‘guarantee’ dramatic results with minimum input. Consumers today are tired of these messages, and instead they are drawn to messages of authenticity, transparency and lasting relationships. They want to work with companies and people who deliver on their promises and actually care about those they are doing business with.

What does this mean for you as a member of a networking group? While business schools and economic experts will speculate and deliberate about the causes of the current economic downturn, knowing the current trend of society’s values can help you succeed by doing what you’re already doing–building relationships through networking. The philosophy of Givers Gain® matches the current values of a “We” cycle in society today.

Good networking groups are all about building relationships and working together as a community to help others reach their goals. What goes around comes around in a very real sense. Business networking is an ideal place to capture the power of this concept to help you reach your own goals by helping others reach their own.

Word-of-mouth will heft a heavier punch in the coming years as well. Your customers will listen more attentively to the recommendations of those they know, like and trust. In today’s global market, a word of recommendation can reach others across the globe. So can a heated complaint. Consumers want to see that you walk the walk more than they want to listen to you talk the talk.

Faceless corporations and big businesses are struggling. For many, they’ve lost the personal connection with their audience or customers. As an entrepreneur, there is no need for you to fall by the wayside with failing businesses. By working together in this “We” cycle, you can help build each other up through relationships and referrals, increasing the success and profitability of businesses in your community. These small actions will be far-reaching and may do more to turn this recession around than many other larger-scale efforts

By participating in networking and working to give back to business owners and community, you will be doing your part to create a stronger economy worldwide—and a stronger global economy makes a better world for everyone.

I’ve read Pendulum and I was so impressed with it that I wrote an endorsement for it. This book is a must-read for anyone in a networking organization. I feel so strongly about this that I’ve arranged with Michael for all readers of my blog to get a free copy of the book. [www.penduluminaction.com/bni] All Michael asks is that you cover shipping and handling costs (shipments outside the US are more).

Get your free copy of Michael and Roy’s book today. Read it. Then use the insights they share to keep building relationships in your market, because Givers Gain®—especially in the current “We” cycle. As you give to other businesses through networking, they will give back to you, too—and that is how we all can take part in pulling the economy out of a recession.

“Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest”string(87) "“Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest”"

September 18, 2012
, , , , , , , , , , , Author, Book, Building Relationships, Connections, Economy, Educational Resources 1

Earlier this year, I was asked by Darrell Gurney (pictured below) to write the foreword for his new book, Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest, and I gladly agreed for two reasons.  First, Darrell walks the talk–he completely understands the importance of building genuine relationships in networking and he is the epitome of a master networker.  Second, I believe this book is an invaluable tool for people across the globe in forging new career paths, especially in our current economic climate where the competition for jobs can be a huge challenge for the majority of people.

Today is the official book launch for Never Apply for a Job Again, and I highly encourage you to visit the book’s website and watch the short videos on the site which explain what the book is about and how it can help people worldwide use networking to secure jobs without struggling through the conventional, highly competitive job application process.

In short, the book outlines the way for professionals, new graduates just starting out, returning military folks, and all others to approach an uncertain job market with certainty by knowing and being known by the people who have the power to launch careers.

 Darrell teaches how to:

  • Break outside of limiting “rules” by which you unconsciously live in relation to networking
  • Meet people, be memorable, stay top-of-mind, and maintain connections with influential door-openers
  • Employ ten, time-tested principles for launching an effective “stealth” career campaign
  • Have your fascinations and passions lead to research and relationships
  • Network like a pro, regardless of whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert
  • Conduct backdoor meetings to gain massive referrals
  • And more . . .

80% of all jobs are filled before they are ever advertised and this book is the solution to being left in the dark and not getting a chance at the unadvertised jobs.  To quote Darrell, “The most effective career-enhancement tool since humans arrived on the planet is the good opinion and favor of others.”

If you want to learn more about how to advance your career by leveraging the good favor of others whom you’ve built genuine relationships, visit the Never Apply for a Job Again website by clicking here.

Double Dip Recession?string(21) "Double Dip Recession?"

October 31, 2011
, , , BNIBusinessIndex.com, Business, Economy, Global Business 3

The third quarter survey of the BNI Business Index was not very promising for business around the world.  The survey included responses from over 1,200 business people representing every populated continent in the world.

The number of people who said that business was growing or growing substantially in the third quarter of 2011 dropped to 66.9% compared to 70.4% in the second quarter of 2011.  More notably, the number of people who said that business was declining or declining substantially almost doubled from 5.4% in the second quarter to 9.6% in the third quarter of 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
In addition, the number of people who said they would or possibly would be hiring in the next few months dropped from 53.9% in the second quarter to a low of 45.9% in the third quarter of 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost 300 respondents left open ended comments on the survey.  There were at least three common themes throughout the open ended responses: problems related to government regulations, developing new services to offer, and increased networking efforts.

Government Regulation

Once again, government regulation came under fire in many of the open ended comments that business people shared in the survey.  There was a fair amount of frustration about “anti-business policies having a very negative effect” on the business environment.

One respondent said that his business was “down 80%” because of government “bungled schemes.”  Another response said, “Today’s business has been hurt from the government’s restrictions on business in this country.”

This kind of frustration was echoed by many respondents throughout the survey.

New Services

On a positive note, people who seemed to be doing better often discussed new services or target markets that they were developing.  One respondent stated, “We re-evaluated our strengths, costs, and profit.  We realigned our costs and added new services to our offering.”

Another person said they were “offering new service features and distinctly communicating our target market to our referral partners.  We’ve had to adjust to the market.  It’s not ‘business as usual’ anymore.”

One respondent stated, “I’ve had to change my business strategies due to the economy.  I have added more services at more price options that will appeal to a broader scope of people.”

Another person summed up this theme well by saying, “We have grown because we are embracing change.”

Networking

Networking and referral marketing strategies again came up as positive ways to deal with the economy.  One person stated, “Business is picking up due to my learning more and more about developing word of mouth and other referrals.”

One respondent combined the “new services” and “networking” themes by saying that he was doing well due to “a combination of new innovations on my products and increasing my networking relationships.”  He expressed that these things “contributed greatly to this year’s business.”

Other people made statements such as:

  • “Networking and sponsorship of corporate events is the key to growth at the moment.”
  • “My referral base is responsible for the growth of my business during the economic downturn.”
  • “We are working hard at building a strong network of positive people.”

Summary

One respondent in particular summed up the general consensus of many of the respondents very well when she said, “There is less confidence in the marketplace now than there was during this same time last year.”

Another survey respondent made what could be considered a somewhat prophetic statement—“The financial industry is out of control.  The protesters have the right idea!”

Hmmm . . . Wasn’t it Thomas Jefferson who once said, “Every generation needs a new revolution”?  It might be time for businesses to pull out some poster boards and markers.

To take the next BNI Business Index survey, click here.  I’d love to have your thoughts about how business is doing.

BNI Business Index 2nd Quarter Findings–Leaner and Meaner!string(64) "BNI Business Index 2nd Quarter Findings–Leaner and Meaner!"

July 18, 2011
, , , Announcement, BNI, BNIBusinessIndex.com, Business, Economy, Educational Resources, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, Global Business, Survey 3

The BNI Business Index is a website that was created to consistently gauge the ever-changing economic state of business based on quarterly global survey results of retailers, service companies, and manufacturing companies all around the world.


The statistics gathered from the survey results are intended to keep small business owners, entrepreneurs, and companies, as well as the media and the general public, educated and informed as to the changing state of the global business economy and the current business trends that become apparent over time.

The findings for the 2011 2nd Quarter BNI Business Index are in and they continue to look promising. Over 1,700 people responded to this survey and for the third quarter in a row, we see a rise in the index relating to how business is doing today compared to a year ago. According to the survey, 70.4% of the respondents believe that business is growing (58.1%) or growing substantially (12.3%) compared to this time last year. Only 5.4% felt that business was declining (4.6%) or declining substantially (.8%) compared to this time last year.

This quarter there were four themes that seemed prevalent:

– Being Leaner & Meaner
– Networking
– Having a New Focus
– Government Regulations

One survey respondent best summed up the “leaner and meaner” theme by stating that his business was  becoming “leaner, keener, and meaner!”  Another person stated that they had “adapted to the business environment and things have ‘stabilized’ as a result.”

Get the full 2011 2nd Quarter BNIBusinessIndex.com Survey Report by CLICKING HERE.

TAKE THE CURRENT BNIBusinessIndex.com Survey by CLICKING HERE NOW and GET A FREE 6 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO NetworkingNow.com!!

How’s Business For You in 2011?string(37) "How’s Business For You in 2011?"

June 9, 2011
, BNI, BNIBusinessIndex.com, Business, Economy, Entrepreneur, Global Business, Survey 1

BNIBusinessIndex.com has had a facelift.  Check out the new site.

This is a website that gauges the pulse of entrepreneurs from all around the world through a very simple quarterly survey.  If you have a few minutes, look at the site and take the current survey.  It only takes a couple minutes (really)!

To take the current survey, CLICK HERE.  Note – you can get a FREE copy of one of my books (some rules apply) by taking the survey.

When you check out the site, please leave a comment here about what you think of the results from last quarter and how you think the results for this quarter might change from last quarter’s results.

The End is Near!string(16) "The End is Near!"

January 20, 2011
, , , , , Business, Collaboration, Connections, Economy, Global Business, Marketing/Sales, Sales, Survey 4

No, not the end of the world, silly . . . I’m talking about the end of the recession. Recently, I wrote about “Business Looking up in 2011” which was based on a survey of over 5,000 businesspeople and entrepreneurs at www.BNIBusinessIndex.com.  The survey was a global survey that was taken by people from every populated continent in the world.

The survey found that almost 68% of the respondents say that business is growing or growing dramatically compared to this time a year ago.  What the survey doesn’t explain is why those businesses are growing.

I have a few thoughts, based on my observations recently, which may shed some light on this and also provide insight into how you can grow your business:

  • Innovation in adversity is a key factor. I know a commercial real estate broker in Southern California who said that he had his best year ever in 2010 (and he’s been in business for 26 years).  He cited the fact that he did dozens and dozens of one-to-ones during the year to find ways to work together with other businesses.  His opening approach was to help them.  However, at the same time, it built his business in the process.  This is counter-intuitive to most commercial real estate people he told me.
  • It all starts with attitude.  A product sales company in the UK was about to do layoffs to meet payroll.  One of the sales reps wrote on the whiteboard – “we refuse to participate in the recession.”   Everyone in the office signed it.  They ended up with their best month all year and no one was laid off!
  • Look for new or emerging opportunities.  I met a residential Real Estate agent on the East Coast of the U.S. who told me he had his best year ever last year.  He said he went to investors he’s worked with in the past and told them that “real estate is on sale!”  He said to them, “don’t be one of those people who come to me in a few years and say… “I was crazy not to look at these opportunities.  I should have bought back in 2010!”  He told me this strategy has helped him sell more than any year in recent memory.
  • Be creative with your offers.  I recently met a business coach in the mid-west of the U.S. who created a guarantee for his coaching.  He said, if you follow my weekly coaching program and you don’t raise your income to at least six figures, I’ll continue to coach you for free until you do.  He said it has dramatically increased his sales and has not had to provide any clients with free coaching yet.

If you have any insights / observations about the current upward slope of business or outside-the-box tips on how to boost business despite a challenging economy, please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Making Connections to Start Your Own Businessstring(45) "Making Connections to Start Your Own Business"

January 17, 2011
, , , , , , , , , , , , , Business, Connections, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Recommendation 8

I recently got asked a really great question on Ask Entrepreneur: Where do I get connected with people who can help me open a business?

Though there is evidence that business is currently on the rise and the economy is moving in a positive direction, the recent downturn in the economy prompted many people who found themselves unemployed to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and consider starting their own business.

This begs the question above–are there efficient ways to get in touch with people who can help you start your own business?

The answer is yes, and here are my three recommendations:

1) Go through your contacts and talk to people you personally know who have started a business. Set an appointment.  Let them know what you are doing and ask if they’d give you an hour of mentoring.  If possible, meet with them in person.  Show up with specific questions written out in advance.  Send them the questions prior to the meeting so they have a good understanding of what kind of information you’re looking for.  When you meet, focus on those questions, write down the answers, and stick to the time frame you promised.  If the conversation goes well, ask if you can meet with them in the future.  Follow this process with two or three people who have opened a business successfully.  I guarantee you will find this to be very valuable.

2) Find a business coach who has experience with start-up businesses. Hire them to coach you through the process.

3) Read, read, read!  There are a lot of books out there on opening a business. I have personally reviewed many of the books published by Entrepreneur Press on starting a business and they are excellent.  Go to EntrepreneurPress.com to see some of them.

I strongly encourage anyone genuinely interested in starting their own business to pursue the endeavor. I have owned my own business for almost thirty years (that’s a picture of me at top right, when I first started my company, BNI, and was running it from my house and garage with only one other employee in the mid ’80s) and it continues to be an amazing and fulfilling journey. I don’t think I would ever go back to working for someone else.

Business is Looking Up for 2011string(31) "Business is Looking Up for 2011"

January 10, 2011
, , , , Announcement, BNI, Business, Economy, Entrepreneur, Global Business, Marketing/Sales, Survey 3

My company has recently created a “business index” to gauge the economic state of business based on global survey results of retailers, service companies, and manufacturing companies all around the world.

The statistics gathered from the survey results are intended to keep small business owners, entrepreneurs, and companies, as well as the general public, educated and informed as to the changing state of the global business economy and the current business trends that become apparent over time.

The January, 2011 BNI Business Index Report (based on the 4th Quarter of 2010) represents the first report published by BNIBusinessIndex.com.

Over 5,000 businesses from every populated continent in the world participated in this survey. According to our findings for the 4th Quarter of 2010, 67.8% of all businesses surveyed stated that business was growing or growing substantially compared to the same time the previous year.  Only 7.9% stated that business was declining or declining substantially.  Just over 24% of the respondents felt that business was flat during the last quarter of 2010 compared to the same time period one year earlier.

This appears to be very good news for the recession weary business community.  For more details on these and other findings, go to www.BNIBusinessIndex.com.

Take a moment to share with me how business is doing for you.  Do these findings track with your experience?  Let me know here.