Our businesses are NOT growing and developing

Business people are focusing their activities in the wrong direction. Sure in order to experience success one has to work hard; however, there has never been anything called "Work hard and Get Rich". There is a book written by Napoleon Hill some time ago called "Think and Grow Rich". Yet, many haven't read it though they are seeking success. 

If you are to be a leader, you have to be a reader. 

Success is a system. Yet people are not getting it because they are not receiving the information that is all around.

The title of this article will probably wonder what I mean, well here's what I mean:

• Entrepreneurs know how to put money into their businesses, but they don't know how to get it back out: When you make an investment into a business, then stop trying to get paid via a salary. When you do this, you are demonstrating the wrong mindset. You have to have a strategy that you can - legally - use when you are in business. Business people don't want to invest in learning about the different forms of business setups. It seems like attorneys suggest the incorporation so they can get the fees for incorporating the entity. The people, their clients, who are in business don't understand why they even incorporated. 
• The business has a lot of moving parts, being good and something doesn't mean that you'd be good at running a business in that area. Here's what I mean. E.g. a good plumber doesn't necessarily run a great plumbing business. They want to focus on plumbing. They don't want to do the administrative aspects of it. Therefore over time, the really successful plumbers realize that business is a team activity. 
• Why don't businesses grow their profits and thrive? The simple answer, the principles have the wrong mindset. Many don't have the mindset for handling large sums of money. When they do get the breaks they go on spending sprees until they get back to the level of money they are comfortable handling. Oftentimes, they make bad decisions along the way. There is a need to ask and answer some long, hard questions. 
• Dealing with businesses over the years, I have found that the owners are quick to settle within a comfort zone rather than strive to go to the next level. Does this mean that their goals are set too low? Perhaps not, they set it to what they want. E.g. Some people just want to have gainful employment rather than leave a legacy. What this tells me though is that we seem to be conditioned to study for a grade rather than have the discipline to study to get paid. Studying to get paid doesn't have to be formal. It can mean just reading, listening to the material or even taking short courses to keep informed about developments in business. 
• Not enough business people know/understand taxation, therefore they are unable to do proper tax planning to make the tax structures work for them. The result is the business haemorrhaging by paying more taxes than absolutely necessary and failing to make claims to which they are entitled. 

Are there other considerations? Yes, but this is not a consultation to diagnose every scenario that impacts all businesses. Just enough to get you to recognize that you need to have someone in business development help you. 

Feel free to visit our website to get a bit more information on how we can help businesses. Additionally, you may contact me directly so that our team can assist you. 

Personal impacts on professional performance

Dragging oneself off the bed to face the uncertainty the day has to offer is quite common nowadays, yet it's not the reality that most welcome though they live it. 

Many of us would have thought that we were experiencing problems until we heard in the news that Ukraine was invaded; their entire sovereignty was stripped from them in a matter of hours. Their relationship changes were not only at a personal level in terms of death from one cause or another, but their international relations were changed in a way that they are to grapple. 

For many, lives were changed as situations with which we were familiar were eroded. No longer can we say goodbye to loved ones in the traditional sense; communing with others we've known for ages came to a grinding halt. Pressures from too much contact were brought to the fore. Life as we knew it evolved without any of our input or permission. Really?!?

So what is this going to do for businesses? 

In short form, we are going to need to be more aware of the mental needs of those with whom we interact. Everyone has experienced trauma in one form or another. This is not something that can be swept under the rug in the hopes that it would go away. 

What are the impacts on professional performance? Has this ever been measured? Has it ever been considered? 

The complexity of the human being means that businesses have one more thing to consider, yet they must be careful so as not to be taken advantage of while they are building their awareness and coping mechanisms to function is this quite different environment. 

Are there lessons to be learned from previous pandemics? Not likely since news would have traveled at a much slower rate. Nowadays, everything is instant. Things that take place within one region can be instantly relayed in a completely separate section of the globe at light speed. 

Social media can potentially make most people public figures, especially if they are in business. So we need to be quite careful of how we manage our experiences as a people. Remember, all it takes is one negative story and all your marketing dollars, programs and reputations built can become undone in an instant. 

Who's telling your story? 

Language is going to be key in managing your own publicity. Are we paying attention to the elements of our lives recognizing that just about anything can become public? The most innocent of comments can be relayed with a twist that completely conveys what was never intended. 

We need to manage our own press and reputations. Credit scores, opinions, police certificates of character should be supportive at most - not responsible for managing the extent of our reputations within the public domain. 

What are you known for? 

Do you serve charities? Help with groups that experience challenges of one sort or another? Become known for something positive. Learn to research something even if it's recipes where you can then do compare and contrast critiques. How can you become an expert or renowned within a particular area? 

E.g. I am known to be quite good in the area of business development particularly as it applies to SMEs and their operations. I write within the areas so that people who don't even know me can read my work and form an opinion as to if they believe they can benefit from my services offered. More often than not the answer is yes. 

Volunteering 

When was the last time that you volunteered for a cause? Through volunteering, you can meet people that you would not have ordinarily meet. Build relationships with influential people. They get to observe your work ethic through partnering with you to fulfill the requirements of the cause. Some people have been known to advance their careers using this method of serving. Always remember - givers gain. 

Sometimes, the activities that you engage in while you are spending time with yourselves can benefit you and others with whom you interact. You may very well end up being a repository of knowledge in your fields of interest. 

If you learn nothing else today, remember - that what you do personally can impact your professional performance in a positive manner.  Keep striving for excellence. 

The roughness of life and business

 If there's one thing that this pandemic taught us, it is that life can be quite rough. Prior to it, we may have been shielded from the ravages of the world's pressures. Our seeming insulation from the challenges in the news was something that was sorrowful, but didn't really impact us directly - so we sympathized. 

Well along came COVID and give us a fresh perspective, where we were rapidly moved from sympathy to empathy. The reality of the tragedies came quite close to home and NOW we're directly impacted.

The thing is, the impact was so comprehensive it was felt in all aspects of our lives - personally and professionally; physically and emotionally; let's not forget financially, even as we struggled with the nuances of adapting to new measures that impacted us operationally. 

There are lots of people hurting, and though we try to mask it. Thinking it's the business of no one else, the reality is that it impacts those around us, even if they only observe. It so happened that the various elements of our lives have collided and the results are tragic. It doesn't matter if you're in school or working, if you're retired or haven't even entered school yet; everyone was impacted in some way. 

Society says we should keep looking forward, keep moving forward. It says we can do nothing about the past; however somewhere there's a niggling thought from the recesses of one's past that seems haunting. It creates doubts, harnesses fears and uncertainty, simmers the spirit in a way that timidity can bubble to the surface leaving you off balanced and out of sorts. 

Grief has been a key element - loss of relationships through break ups, displacement, death; often without any closure and with a sudden happening that no one was prepared for. One moment someone's there and the next, sometimes in the same day, they're gone. Our coping mechanisms have been taxed at a new level, and one realizes that they can be lonely in a room full of people since no one takes the time to understand their perspective. 

Business, schools, home life, and social interactions have all gone topsy-turvy and  everyone is now in an unfamiliar ground where tensions are riding high and frustrations are rampant. 

We now as a people have to interact within an environment where the people are going to display new and unfamiliar behaviours that we are not accustomed to and will never become used to since they will change rapidly with each hour that ticks by. 

There will be a need for entities to revise their interactions with those they seek to serve. Areas of address will include: 

• Customer interactions
• Operational functionality - there has been significant disruption which has impacted supply chains significantly directly impacting the ability of needs being met adequately.
• Marketing methods and means - there's a need to reintroduce the social in media used to communicate by companies e.g. too many are using this as a go to without first finding out if their public is used to / competent in accessing social media and online platforms. This is so especially for the elderly and some younger people. 
• With the gap in schooling, consideration will have to be taken to using more verbal social media since the reading/comprehension skills of many users has diminished significantly. 
• Financial integrations and programs including banking, insurance, financial transaction documentations and tools
• Legal considerations including contractual obligations, intellectual property, real property, etc. 
• Taxation programs and privileges
• Environmental aspects where the entities need to be more aware of what's going on and the impact on the public. Are the offerings in alignment with the value systems of the public. There's a need to identify where the public is placing their emphasis on as it relates to value. 
• Competency is going to be a key factor going forward since service levels are being frustrated by the lack of delivery on the part of many organizations

Is the roughness real or perceived? You be the judge of that. However, you should note that it is best to consider the impact of one's actions / inaction and how they will be interpreted by those you are seeking to serve. 

If we take enough time to observe we can see the differences pre / post pandemic. The question is are we willing to make the adjustments and if so how willing are we to invest in the future of our people. 

I have a confession to make...

Over the years, the longest job I've ever held is for approximately 2 years. When I stumbled upon an industry called timeshare, my background it hotel management, it gave me the mindset due to the types of environments I've had the opportunity to work within.

Timeshare is an industry that I would recommend to anyone and everyone should be exposed to in their younger working lives. Why? You learn how to handle rejection early. 

In life, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is rejection. The word NO cripples many who are on their path to success. It can come from the market place where you are trying to gain a foothold, and if it's something that's really big; the rejections/objections can come from within your own household. 

Timeshare taught me how to cope with the reality that you will face stumbling blocks in all aspects of your life. It is an industry that puts you on trial every day since you cannot rest on the laurels of yesterday's successes. Everyday you get up you start at zero. Everyday you must make progress towards your goals. 

Is it hard? You bet. However even though it can be described as words that the word challenging don't aptly describe, it can be also quite rewarding. 

Fast track to running a practice for as many years as I have. Seeing clients experience satisfaction even though they may not have all had the money to pay. Improving their lives and the ability for them to support their families and livelihoods. I'd do it again. 

Sometimes, not everyone can pay for your services directly. They can however open doors through referrals that you ordinarily wouldn't have been able to open. In time, you'll learn that more important than money is grace and favor. 

My grandfather, told my father, who told me and I shared with my son; "Where manners and respect will get you, money won't get you. If you have manners and respect, you'll go places that people with money will never reach. You can walk in the company of very successful people as an equal." 

I love business development. I love solving problems that others can't. I love my career so much that it doesn't seem like work. Am I where I'm supposed to be? Not yet. 

It's a journey that keeps challenging me. As the reputation continues to spread, people call from all walks of life from various places and countries. Keep hungry, keep learning, keep serving; life can be interesting and provides many opportunities for you to make a positive contribution. Yes, I also serve NFPs, not for profits. It's my way of giving back. 

Though I may not have loads of money, I am a philanthropist with my time. I always maintain, if I lose money, I may get it back. However if I lose time, it's gone forever. Use your time wisely. 

My confession? I love helping people experience a better life. 

Developing magnificent mindsets

 This is a new year globally and for many that's the only thing about it that's new. Why do I say that? They are bringing old mindsets into the new year. 

So as I wish you happy new year. I will also go one step further and wish you happy new thoughts. Here's what I mean:

• Try not to be paralyzed by taking action due to fears. The rewards can be huge once you step out in faith that good will take place. Plan properly. 
• Read positive material that enables you to think in possibilities. Look for the templates that can lead you towards the success that you're seeking. 
• Develop strategic relationships within your network. Edify the people with whom you interact. If you cannot edify them then they are probably not suitable for your network. 
• Have standards, both personal and business standards are key and necessary for maintaining a semblance of order in one's life. 
• Work to live don't live to work.
• Develop additional skills and your body of knowledge during the course of the year. 

This year my theme, which will course through most of what I do is, #coexistwithcovid. It's a mindset that we must adopt to thrive within this environment. 

My writing will not be for everyone. I firmly believe that leaders are readers, so I'll be using less graphics  and more on the content. The articles will be shorter and more direct, therefore meeting your needs more quickly. 

If you are seeking to improve yourselves and your businesses, then you may just benefit from the content here. I encourage you to follow us on your preferred social media to receive the updates.

Now, let's make 2022 exceptional. 

Really men?!? Haven't we been tokenised enough?

International Men's Day [IMD] passed recently and I was ONLY made aware when i received the greetings via social media from well meaning females. This got me thinking. 

As I thought, a number of questions came to mind which would probably bring me under scrutiny of both sexes. (I really don't care what you identify as, that's your business not mine). That's for another time. 

I began to search and here's what I found when checking for the origins and its significance. 

• International Men's Day 2021 
• Here's what Wikipedia says about it 

Earlier I mentions the questions that came to mind. I'll share them since they may cause you to think about things more deeply rather than just at the surface level that many of us have become accustomed to of late. 

Think on them, discuss them, really delve into the meanings for you and your society so that the next time IMD comes by there would be some meaning, some significance, and we would be prepared to truly celebrate men. 

Here are some questions, you may have more. 

• What is International Men's Day about and how does it concern me as a man? 
• Why did it begin? 
• When were men going to be informed? 
• How are we celebrating men internationally and its not even known at the local level? 
• Is man fulfilling their God given role and purpose? 
• Do we as men know what that is or we just ignorant of our roles and purposes? 
• Why do some women think we need validation by them? 
• What contributions would have been made to life having lived? 
• Is it about conquering or developing a lasting legacy? 
• Why despite all that men do they are heavily criticized for what they didn't do? 

Sure they are other questions that come to mind, however I will leave those for the inputs of others so inclined to comment. 

Dr. Jerome Tealucksingh of UWI Trinidad and Tobago in honoring his father's birthday commemorated it by creating something that serves men and boys through a global initiative. How do we as men take it to another level of significance? 

I studied hotel management - Here's why.

Coming out of school can be a process that has you being fairly uncertain as to what you're now going to do with the shiny CXC certificates. You come out into the wider world realizing that unless you go into another school system a number of things will change. 

• No three vacations a year
• You have to literally earn your keep to sustain your livelihood
• Uncertainty of whether you'll see your school friends again and when
• Making choices about studying further or going to work, both of which can seem daunting. There's no natural progression. 

The world has a lot of choices which can be overwhelming since no amount of visiting the guidance counselor in school can ever prepare you for. You have to think about what you would consider fair remuneration should you work. Ongoing school has a plethora of choices, many of which you never heard about since it's not as easy as choosing a subject area. 

I kind of stumbled onto hotel management at Barbados Community College. When I went to the interviews I was still uncertain as to what I wanted to do. When I learned about the program I asked what it entailed and I learned about the practical attributes coupled with the theory. This intrigued me since the time at which I came along experience and qualifications were played off against each other by many employers; if you had one they wanted the other. The game still continues I've learned - frustrating to the applicants who just want to work. 

Internships are where the theoretical information comes together. You learn that though you studied formally, there is still a lot to be learned from those who have no formal training but loads of experience. Internships allow you to learn how to function within a practical setting. 

My firsthand exposure via internships enabled me to become a believer in their significance afterwards. They proved invaluable permitting me to work in every single area of the hotel both large and small. This permitted exposure to areas that I would not have had should I have followed the conventional route if study. 

We built networks of colleagues from around the region both here in Barbados as well as in The Bahamas. When faced with issues, I personally was told, hotel management is not just what happens in the classroom, it is a way of life which must be handled accordingly. Talk about preparation, we never received any pampering/sheltering of any sort within the work force. Therefore we were more equipped for the transition to the world of work. 

Our studies were intense, and doing field research were often told that we were functioning at a level higher than our qualifications we were pursuing. We committed to excellence and professionalism. Like anyone else, we face challenges within the workplace, but our experiences allowed us to function at a greater level of maturity. 

I would recommend it to anyone who is searching and uncertain of their career paths. You gain insights that can only auger you well in you chosen area(s). 

Since 2020 we have formally founded the UWIAA CHTM where we are a virtual, global network of people with very diverse backgrounds within and outside of the industry. We are a resource that tourism entities across the region may draw upon for assistance.