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Starbucks: The Modern Day Coffee Phenom
Starbucks: The Mastery Behind the MarketingStarbucks is a modern coffee mecca-empire that seems to be on the lips of every corporate yuppie in America. And this is not by coincidence, it's by careful marketing design. Why has Starbucks been such a great example of corporate branding success?Starbucks Coffee and Cafes opened in 1987 with about 11 locations in the Seattle Washington area. Little did we all know back then that by the year 2004, Starbucks would practically be as American as apple pie, and as talked about as another slice of Americana, McDonalds restaurants. Under the management of current CEO Orin Smith, Starbucks does not show any signs of slowing in growth.How geni

In the consultancy business, you are only as good as your last job.

Some suggestions for developing your area of expertise? Write articles on your area of expertise, speak at conferences, seminars etc, and join professional organisations that focus on your area of expertise. If you are that way inclined, join the committees of these organisations. You can always start your own website or blog on your area of expertise as well.

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see th

What Does a Gerbil Wheel and YOU have in Common? 7.5 Secret Questions that can Change Your Life!
1. Do you seem to be running and running and running every day and getting nowhere just like a gerbil?2. As you lay in your bed at the end of each day, do you think about tomorrow and see grey?3. Are you tired of just having a J.O.B.(Just Over Broke!) and doing the same thing day after day after day never getting ahead or feeling excited about your work?5, Wouldn't you rather wake up in the morning, JUMP out of bed and rush to get dressed so you can get to work?6. Wouldn't you love to live your life purpose, making people feel good, making a difference in the world and make a good income as well?7. Are you good with your hands?7.5 Would you like to make your own hou

During my career as a manager and since I myself became a consultant in 1987, I have had many colleagues and acquaintances move into the consultancy profession. Sometimes this move was by choice as a genuine career move. In the late 90s however, the proliferation of consultants was exacerbated by the downsizing of organisations and so, people who had been “cut” and who were unable to find a similar role in another organisation tried the consulting path – often with little success and a great deal of pain.

The following suggestions on becoming a consultant have been developed as a result of my own experience, my advice sessions with colleagues starting out on their consultancy career journey and the lessons I have learned from watching people either succeed or fail to make the grade as a consultant. My belief is that there are at least four things that one must do to develop a successful career as a consultant:

Firstly, decide on an area of expertise and "research it to death!". Become a real "expert" in your chosen field. Organisations are looking for people as consultants to fill a gap in their skill base, knowledge, expertise etc and that's why they go to a consultant (otherwise they would find the expertise internally).

When starting out as a consultant, it's tempting to be able to say "Yep, I can do that" when a prospective client asks for help, even though you may not have a great deal of expertise in that area. Sometimes the need to keep an income coming in can be a very tempting reason to take these type of jobs. I have a colleague who eventually became quite successful, but in her early consultancy career took these type of assignments because “There must be a book published on that – I’ll read up on it”. My observations were that she was in fact already an expert in a particular field, but at the time was not aware of it. Her area of expertise? Process management, and so, reading up on a book merely gave her the context for her area of expertise.

However, over the long term for most of us it does no good to take on assignments where we are not the true “expert” as the client will most likely not be entirely happy with the outcome (even though you may learn a lot in the process). In the consultancy business, you are only as good as your last job.

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see the

Sleight of Brand
You can create great relationships by name dropping. You may say that most people do not like those that are constantly dropping names. If it is done discretely, you will find that it can bring you more business and help to make more business relationships. For example, I had a customer that was struggling with their own identity and wanted to develop their own brand. The problem was that they were doing too many things to concentrate on the one brand. One day they came across a product that was being sold in Europe and not in North America, even though most people in America knew of its existence. They decided to be the distributor for this product in their state and capitalize on the fact that the product was already a

tant have been developed as a result of my own experience, my advice sessions with colleagues starting out on their consultancy career journey and the lessons I have learned from watching people either succeed or fail to make the grade as a consultant. My belief is that there are at least four things that one must do to develop a successful career as a consultant:

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see th

Engineering Professional Development
Engineering is a highly technical field, and all engineers should undertake structured professional development in order to maintain their personal and professional expertise. Many professional development institutes encourage and enable engineers to remain professionally competent through proper advice, guidance and support services.Although professional development programs for engineers might concentrate on one skill set, it is advisable to choose a program that gives a broader perspective and promotes self-managed lifelong professional development. Engineers should also adopt a structured development plan that would demonstrate your commitment to your profession, and should also develop the habit of regularly

kill base, knowledge, expertise etc and that's why they go to a consultant (otherwise they would find the expertise internally).

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see th

Home Based Business Internet Style
The subconscious mind is a very powerful thing. If you have a negative or lazy attitude about you, then you will have no choice but to be negative or lazy. If you mope around and complain then you will achieve nothing. If, on the other hand, you are upbeat and cheerful, then you will generally have a good day and achieve quite a lot. If you dress successfully, people will treat you better than if you dress like a bum. Sad fact I know, but it’s the truth in today’s society.I found years ago that in a home business you need to put just as much effort into your appearance and your attitude, if not more, as you did when working in secular employment. I’ve had to learn to improve my telephone manner, my enthusiasm

because “There must be a book published on that – I’ll read up on it”. My observations were that she was in fact already an expert in a particular field, but at the time was not aware of it. Her area of expertise? Process management, and so, reading up on a book merely gave her the context for her area of expertise.

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see th

Advertising 101
Advertising has truly become a part of all of our lives as consumers, as business owners, as parents, as concerned citizens. We simply cannot escape from its presence no matter how hard we try. Considering how pervasive advertising is in our daily lives, it's no surprise that people have such extreme views about it.Many home-based business owners want to steer clear of it altogether. They might dabble in marketing or use some sales strategies, but most don't want much to do with actual advertising. Unfortunately, this is a mistake on their part and it usually comes as a result of not understanding the purpose of advertising.So what is the true reason for advertising? According to Michael Corbett, author of

In the consultancy business, you are only as good as your last job.

My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular "hands on tools for new managers", so you can see the results at “Tips for New Managers” (www.nationallearninginstitute.com/index_files/Leadersandmanagestipsforsuccess.htm)

Secondly, find a mentor who can assist with your development over the longer term. These people are not so easy to find, so be patient. They must be experts in your chosen field of expertise and be willing to pass on their knowledge and experience freely to you. You also need to develop a good personal relationship with them. I've been lucky enough to work for one many years ago (Dennis Pratt author of "Aspiring to Greatness – Above and Beyond TQM", Business & Professional Publishing, Sydney, 1994) who became my mentor and who has remained a mentor for me ever since.

Thirdly, find a coach. This type of person is quite different to your mentor. Your coach is someone who will be able to help you in developing your skills as a consultant (as opposed to developing your area of expertise). These people you must find very early on in your career as a consultant, because they are very good "process" managers (as opposed to "content" managers, content being your area of expertise).

They can often be bosses you work for (so choose wisely) or business partners with more consultancy expertise than yourself. Sometimes your mentor and coach can be one and the same person, but this is rare. One of the differences for spotting a coach from a mentor is that your coach will have a commercial interest in your success (boss, partner, business associate), so he or she is committed to you for the short term. Your mentor on the other hand, will not necessarily have the same commercial and vested interest and will become your mentor because of his or her willingness to share their knowledge and the extent to which you build the relationship with them, and so will be committed to you for the long term.

Finally, gain experience. This generally only comes with time. When I say experience, I am not so much referring to your experience as a consultant (although this will come), but your experience IN your chosen area of expertise. For example, let's say in my case it's "hands on tools for new managers" - I really do need to be a new manager before I can offer other people advice on their own deve

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They started out as a small, family owned retailer and gradually began to spread beyond its small town roots to towns across America. Along the way they changed the company’s name and quickly became known for offering low prices on a wide variety of items. Consumers flock to them and they are opening more stores annually in the US than any other retailer. I’m talking about Wal-Mart, right? No, Dollar General! Let’s take a closer look at another one of America’s retail success stories, the Dollar General Corporation.

How would it feel to control your career and business because you have a strong personal brand?

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