Archives for September 2014

5 Habits of Outstanding Problem Solvers

September 9, 2014 by Christine

You're an entrepreneur, so you've probably got a pretty good idea of just how important it is to be able to solve problems quickly and creatively. However, it never hurts to take a moment to hone your problem-solving skills so that you can be more prepared when the next issue arises.

Here are some of the habits that you’ll find are common in many of the world’s best problem solvers:

Remaining objective. It’s easy to have a narrow focus when approaching a problem, putting all of your energy into one or two particular methods of solving it. However, the best problem solvers understand that they need to be
The commitment of time and resources that is necessary at the outset can leave many business owners frustrated or exhausted. We’ve experienced this ourselves in our own business operations, so we know just how unpleasant it is and how it can come close to crushing the motivation you had that led you to start the business in the first place.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.

objective and look at the entire picture, considering all possible solutions and analyzing a problem as though it’s brand new.
Understanding all the hurdles. Outstanding problem solvers list out all of the potential obstacles that could get in a way of the solution to their problem, and are prepared to overcome those obstacles as they pursue that solution.
Using a nonlinear approach. You should be able to reverse engineer a given problem to get a new perspective if you really want to be able to find a good solution. Not all problems can be solved with a strictly linear approach. Getting that new point of view could be the difference maker you need to come up with the right solution.
Working with other open people. Why not get the help of some other open-minded friends to get more brains on the case? More minds means more perspectives and ways to approach the problem. Make sure that these are open-minded, creative people that don’t tend to revert to the same way of solving a given problem, as they will not hold you back in finding a solution.
Get creative with your data. If you’ve performed a lot of research relating to your given problem, don’t just get lost in the numbers. The numbers you have in front of you are meant to be a launching pad, not a solution in themselves. They should shed some light on the issues that you face and help you figure out how to approach your solution.

Let us at Viral Solutions help you find your creative spark and solve the problems that you face within your business. Contact us today for more information about how you can get started with our services.

Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer | Viral Solutions LLC

Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.

Filed Under: Analytics Tagged With: entrepreneur

Refocus via De-Cluttering Your Mind: 4 Simple Strategies to Getting Back on Clear Track

September 8, 2014 by Katie

Are your thoughts all over the place? Do you start one project only to be disrupted by the Monkey of Chaotic thoughts jumping throughout your head?

Fear not, you're not alone. According to world-renowned, wellness expert, Dr. Junger, you may need to De-Clutter Your Brain in four simple steps:

Slow down, get comfortable, and breathe. Yes, you read that correctly. In order to de-clutter your mind, you must first chill-out. Easier said than done, certainly one can empathize. However, take a couple moments to switch your stressful environment, turn on some soothing music, close your eyes, and slowly listen to your intended breaths.
Actively listen to your breaths. Listen to the sound of your breaths, feel your lungs expand, imagine the air being carried throughout your body as healing and de-cluttering agents to your ever-so-stressed cells. Take the magic-school bus ride through the anatomy of your body and visualise your cells rejuvenating. Take mental pit-stops at locations of your body that feel more congested, such as your mind, resume your healing and intended breathing to aid in releasing negativity and replacing with clear, loving, and positive energy.
Thank the distraction(s), identify where it came from, and move on. You may calm your mind for a moment or two only to be distracted by your Monkey of a to-do list jumping right back at you. This may be a “have to” and you have the “choice to” act on your distraction. It could come from your built-in worry, guilt, or whatever emotion system that is connected with the go-go, mental clutter aspects of your life. Recognize this thought and move on with your continued de-cluttering of your mind. Work on acknowledging your emotions that can trigger such thoughts, and manage in more effective and loving nature. This is your time. The distraction was simply that and now use your keen skills and love for yourself to continue with your mindful, de-cluttering practice.
Rinse & Repeat as desired. This process can be done anywhere, anytime, and as frequently as one needs to get back on track and de-clutter the traffic jam of unproductive thoughts. Through purposeful redirection and refocus you take control of your thoughts, which then shifts your energy. This energy helps to put you back on track, feel empowered, and refreshed to aid you getting what you need to get done with purpose and clarity.

Doing so can be achieved with these four simple steps and can be done whenever, wherever, shared to help whoever – all in as little as 5 minutes! Let’s start today.

Great Reads…

Inc.

Beliefnet.

Clean Blog.

Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC

Katie Doseck, PhD | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.

Filed Under: Analytics Tagged With: listen

Offline Hashtag Use: which hashtags to use and how to use them

September 7, 2014 by Christine

You’re likely familiar with using hashtags on your favorite social media sites. However, it’s important to let others know that a specific hashtag exists and should be used for a given situation. Oftentimes, this means sharing your hashtag online and off. Use the tips below to let others know which hashtags to use and how to use them.

Use hashtags on signs. Whether you’re hosting a training course, seminar, workshop, convention, or even a party, prominently posting your designated hashtag alert attendees to its existence. Make sure to let them know which social network or (networks) you will be using. For example, you may want attendees to post photos on either Facebook or Instagram using your hashtag. Use images of the appropriate social networks’ icons so that attendees can instantly understand your intentions.

Use hashtags on business cards and brochures. If your hashtag is intended to be used on an ongoing basis, consider including it on your business cards, brochures, and other marketing materials. For example, if you host a weekly chat on Twitter, include a short blurb encouraging others to join you each week on Twitter using your designated Twitter chat hashtag.

Use hashtags on office signs. Passersby might not be inclined to follow a company they don’t know on social media sites simply by seeing that they have social media profiles. However, they might be curious about your niche. An intriguing hashtag on your office sign, company cars, and other signage could draw them into a conversation, providing you with an opportunity to connect.

Print actual hashtags. Buy some heavy tag stock at the office supply store and print a batch of tags containing your hashtag in large print. Depending on the nature and scale of the event, it may make sense to have your hashtag tags professionally printed. Hand these out at your special events so that attendees both know what to do and don’t have to try to remember your hashtag.

Hold a hashtag-related social media contest. Social media contests are a great way to get more likes and engagement. Make it easier for your customers and prospects to participate in your hashtag-related contest by having printed instructions readily available. Again, you could print tags or postcards containing the contest details.

Using hashtags on social media sites is a fantastic way to connect with others. Make sure they know which hashtag to use by sharing your hashtags online and off.

Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer | Viral Solutions LLC

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: hashtag, social media contest

5 Steps to Starting a Successful Company

September 5, 2014 by Christine

If you're just getting started with the early phases of planning out your new startup company, you’re probably a bit overwhelmed with all of the potential responsibilities and tasks that you have in store for you. While there isn't one single roadmap to success that you can follow (if only it were that easy!), there are a few steps you can take to at least set yourself up for a smooth launch.

Here are five steps you should consider following to start up a successful company:

Always start by identifying a problem that you’ll solve.

Your business doesn't necessarily have to be something revolutionary, and you shouldn't obsess over making it the next big thing. Instead, focus on finding a real problem that people encounter on a regular basis and Starting a Successful Company determining a simple way to solve that problem. This will be much easier if you focus on proven markets that have clear problems within them.

Establish your niche within your chosen market and get the word out.

If there are other companies that focus on solving your chosen problem, figure out a way that your company will approach that problem in a unique, appealing way. Once you have this figured out, you can begin to get the word out about your new company, generating some buzz on social media and beginning to form a content marketing strategy to help you engage with potential customers.

Look for assistance.

Even in the earliest phases of your business, it’s a good idea to start looking to assemble a team of professionals that you can trust, people whose skills complement yours. Make sure you have people who are good with finances, tech, marketing and other important areas of your business. Perhaps you’ll be able to find multitalented individuals who can handle multiple areas of your company in the early going.

Begin building around your mission.

Always have a destination or goal in mind with your company, and formulate the plan for your business around that goal. This will help you down the road as you look for investors and as you start having to worry about managing growth. No matter what, that goal should be consistent. But remember, it’s also important to remain flexible so that you can adapt to changes within your market.

Maintain a focus on quality.

Even when things start to get really busy, you need to make sure you're delivering the best product that you're capable of. This is the most important ingredient to making a successful business.

Have any questions about any of these tips? Contact us today at Viral Solutions and we'll be happy to chat with you about your vision for your startup.

Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer | Viral Solutions LLC

Filed Under: Analytics Tagged With: marketing strategy, niche

Grow Your Customers, Build Your Business: 4 Strategic Seeds to Grow Your Clients' Garden

September 4, 2014 by Katie

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. – Mahatma Gandhi.

Take a moment and let those words sink into your heart, soul, and passion for doing business. Ask yourself, “do I put the customer first, and respect the opportunity to serve him before the needs of my own?”. In today’s self-centered culture of doing things, many organizations fail to truly serve the customer. In doing so, they also fail themselves.

The objective of this article is to pin-point four strategies that you can implement today to plant your seeds of customer growth – growth in the relationships with your customers, to better serve them, and to better the opportunity you’ll gain through that service:

Listen. Really listen. Turn off your cellphone, email notifications, and any other distractions that could interfere with the quality of the time with your client. Show respect. Listen to what he or she needs, wants, is curious about, or simply be the ear to vent their frustrations. Let them know that you’re listening through active eye contact, confirmation, and interactive not interruptive dialogue.

Ask Questions. Building and maintaining a positive relationship with your customers requires you to understand their needs, wants, goals, challenges, and dislikes. This requires interaction via dialogue. These questions can clarify concerns that you may not have fully understood while he or she was sharing insight, or wasn’t stated, but was implied. Clarity and understanding is essential to growing from the current point to the next.

Bridge the Gap. This simply means putting together a client-focused strategic plan to achieve the desired outcomes from what was discussed, questions that were answered, and forming a specific strategy to aiding the client reach his or her full potential. This is the opportunity to roadmap the steps and actions required to get from the current situation to the milestones and to the main objective. The analysis aspect of bridging the gap is not only your analysis, rather, it is a joint culmination and understanding of between you and client of what, why, how, when, and by whom confirmation. It is a beautiful partnership that fully synthesizes where both you, and your client are today, and where you want to be.

Contribute. The roadmap is nothing without action. This action comes in the form of specific contribution that fits the needs of client, not your needs. The detailed interactions, analysis, and roadmap aid you in getting the visual of what, why, how, and by whom. The contribution aspect, is holding up your end of the bargain to fully perform as identified. This includes: outstanding customized communication, specific objectives, specific initiatives, specific key performance metrics, dates of performance, and organized outcomes that all fit the client. Contribution with the client’s goals and objectives in front-seat provides you with the opportunity to serve and grow your client.

Building the relationship with the client is a starting point, but truly partnering with the client aids you in providing a more meaningful service that will grow that relationship.The fruits of your labor will be rewarded with dynamic yields of success within the client’s garden. That success will ultimately aid in growing your own garden.
Great reads…
Hess, E. (2012). Growth to Greatness Strategies: Smart Growth to Entrepreneurial Businesses. Ivey Business Journal. Walker, E. (2014). 40 Eye-Opening Customer Service Quotes. Forbes.
Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Business & Accounting at Stevens–Henager College
Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC

Filed Under: Analytics Tagged With: business, listen, purpose