Successful Blog

If you want to be happier at work, quit doing these 5 things

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By John Murphy

Forests have been demolished for the paper that has been taken up by books written about things to do to be happy at work, and in you life overall. In my experience, I think it has been an awful waste! I would say that 10% of those books have been great, 50% are pretty ok, and the other 40% absolute rubbish!

However, I have not come across too many that talk about things NOT to do! Maybe it is just me, but I learn best by not just knowing what I should do, but also by what I should not do!

So, in the interests of those like me, here is a list of 5 things to quit doing – and I promise you that not doing these will make you happy!!

1. Being fearful

Fear is something that is so prevalent, but no one wants to talk about it. People fear losing their jobs, not getting their targets, not getting that promotion – and even, people finding out that they are not as good as they think they are.

They are afraid to start that new business, go for that new job, change their career. And what happens? They do nothing!

They do not take that first step today because they are afraid that this is not the right moment, the right time of the year etc.

Now is the right moment – take the first step today!

2. Moaning

Moaning about anything only makes you feel worse – along with those who have to listen to you.

There will always be something that is wrong or not to your satisfaction, but don’t moan – do something to correct it!

Focus on doing whatever it takes to make it right. Also, don’t participate in general moaning – be the one who demands that you all do something about it. Show leadership!

3. Interrupting

Let others speak! Yes, I know you have loads of pearls of wisdom to share with all and sundry, but remember the golden rule – if you want to be listened to, you must first be a good listener.

No one listens to the orator on the orange box! So, practice the art of listening, and then you will become the person whose opinions are valued.

Also, just so we are clear – being silent is not the same as listening! For most, when they are silent they are not listening, just thinking of what they are going to say next!

4. Lecturing

There is nothing worse than being that boring “know it all” who keeps telling others what they should know, and, by definition, what he or she knows!

I have seen it far too often as people progress in their careers they take on the air of the pontificator and the fountain of all knowledge. Very often it is well meaning, but it just doesn’t work – you sound like a bore!

The sad thing? Even when you do have something to contribute, no one notices!

Share knowledge with humility, don’t lecture.

5. Not letting go

Last, but not least, and this one is a biggie. Let’s be honest, this challenges us all! This creates such a bad atmosphere and destroys the culture you want.

We all work in teams, and not letting go destroys any hope of that team growing and flourishing.

We all make mistakes, we all get things wrong – so forgive and move on. If you don’t, you will let this become a cancer in your business – and I don’t say that lightly or glibly.

What would you add to this list?

Author’s Bio: John Murphy a business coach who writes about what makes executives and business owners more productive at www.johnmurphyinternational.com. You can find him on Twitter as @jmicoaching.

The Easiest Way to Generate and Test Business Ideas

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By Michelle Rebecca

Generating business ideas

Some people are under the impression that starting a business requires risking it all by going out on a limb and trying to conquer a huge market. They also assume they’re going to have to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. While ambition is a good thing, the reality is if you’re a solopreneur who’s looking for a reliable way to start generating additional income, you can give yourself a big advantage by starting with what you already know.

For example, if you have a law enforcement or military background, you may be an ideal candidate for starting a private investigator company. Or, if you want to run a business that’s completely online, you could create a site that makes it easy for people to find the best security company in their area by connecting them with companies that have already been verified.

As that example shows, regardless of your background, there will be multiple ways for you to utilize your existing knowledge and apply it towards starting your own business. What’s great about the strategy we’re about to discuss is if you come up with several ideas but don’t know which one is best, you can let potential customers answer that question for you.

Take it for a Test Drive

Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever to test a business idea before fully committing to it. While isolated research can be very useful, there’s no substitute for actually knowing if people will be willing to pay for the products or services that you plan to offer.

If you want to use the same strategy that people like bestselling author Tim Ferriss have utilized to test the viability of their ideas, all you need to get started is a website. While creating a website may seem like a daunting task, you really only need one page to run this type of test. As a result, you can use any free service that makes it easy to create a page online.

The Goal

The goal of this page is collect contact information from visitors who want to be your customers. The beginning of the page should be focused on your sales pitch, followed by a simple form where visitors can submit their name, phone number and email address. Once someone submits their information, you can display a message that explains you’re still getting off the ground but truly appreciate their interest in your new business.

By driving some traffic to your site through avenues like social media or PPC, you’ll be able to see what kind of interest your idea actually generates. If you’re happy with the results, you’ll know that this is a business you should pursue!

Author’s Bio: Michelle Rebecca is an aspiring writer who enjoys blogging about a vast variety of topics. She loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience. You can find her blogging about social media at SocialWeLove.com, and you can reach her on Twitter at @Mich_Rebecca.

Important news about Internet sales tax changes

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small business and internet sales tax changes

By Bill Fay

Small Businesses and Nexus Rules

If your business is involved in online sales and you don’t have a legal representative interpreting whether you should or should not be collecting sales tax, now would be a very good time to “lawyer up!”

Not satisfied that business owners have enough head-spinning rules to deal with on a daily basis, Congress has come up with something called the Marketplace Fairness Act (S.336). It passed through the Senate 75-24 on March 23. The vote is purely symbolic because it was non-binding and only indicates the Senate supports the legislation.

A similar bill exists in the House. Interpreting the wherefores and whereases of this legislation is going to take experienced legal skills … and some really good guesswork! More on what “might” lie ahead in a moment.

First, let’s take a look at the rules as they currently exist. They are a tad confusing, but not nearly as complicated as what may or may not be coming, based on the whims of Congress.

Right now, you must collect and remit state taxes based on your “business nexus,” a term subject to some interpretation, but which generally speaking means you sold to someone in the state where you have a physical presence. That physical presence could be your office, property you own or lease, or people you employ to do work in that state.

Court-Ordered Interpretation

That is based on a 1992 Supreme Court ruling (Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota) that said that a business had to be physically present in a state before that state could require it to collect taxes. Having customers in another state was not enough.

The Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota ruling originally involved catalog sales. Internet sales weren’t around in 1992, but once they sprang up, it was decided the same rules would apply.

When Internet sales boomed, some states created a gray area in the law by interpreting “physical presence” their own way. People realized that they could buy items online, especially large appliances, and avoid the sales tax. The $2,000 refrigerator at Amazon cost $2,000. If you bought it down at the street and added sales tax, it was $2,120. States were losing out on that $120.

That did not sit well with state governments, but there was little they could do. Twenty-four states did form a group that tried to make online retailers voluntarily collect and remit the sales taxes, but that has had very limited success. Their average collection for the period from 2005 to 2010 was a mere $30.7 million, or about $5 million a year.

E-commerce growth kept skyrocketing, but the states knew they had to wait for Congress to come up with a law that gave them business nexus over Internet transactions across state lines. It took a while, but the federal government appears to be coming through with the Marketplace Fairness Act.

New Rule is a Doozy

The MFA would allow states to force Internet retailers to collect state and local sales taxes, if they do more than $1 million in sales, and remit the money to the appropriate place, just like the brick-and-mortar stores do. States would have to implement provisions of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) or meet the minimum specifications spelled out in the SSUTA, including providing retailers with free and regularly updated software to collect and remit sales taxes.

Huh? As tangled as that is, it only gets more puzzling as you go along.

There are approximately 9,600 taxing districts across the United States, each with its own requirements for registering and filing. There also are an incredible number of definitions of what is a taxable good and what isn’t, and let’s not forget the special “tax-free holidays” some states sponsor.

Imagine trying to keep up with all that! Or, as the legislation suggests, hoping your state provides “free and regularly updated software” to do so.

This purpose behind this is a noble one. It’s aimed at leveling the playing field for brick-and-mortar stores, which complain that customers window shop merchandise in their outlets, then go home and buy the item over the Internet because they don’t have to pay sales tax.

States obviously lose money when that happens. How much do they lose? Estimates vary, with one source putting it at around $12 billion for 2013. Whatever the amount, you know no government wants to miss out on a chance to spend/waste that kind of tax money.

What’s Next?

So what should small business owners selling online do? And no, punting is not an option.

For now, all you can do is check your business nexus – i.e., Do you have a physical presence in that state? If you do, collect sales tax when you sell to customers of that state … then sit back and wait on Washington.

The good news is, given the pace of play in D.C., you should have plenty of time to find a lawyer who can effectively interpret whatever Congress ultimately produces.

Author’s Bio: Bill Fay is a staff writer for Debt.org. Bill has a wide-ranging background in reporting and writing, including for daily newspapers and magazines and also for public officials.

“The Secret” for Bloggers

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You’ve heard of The Secret, the system that applies the laws of attraction to fulfill your wildest dreams?

Basically, you write down or make a tangible representation of your goals and then let your subconscious mind do the work of drawing those things into your life.

I do think there is magic in documenting your dreams, but I have a slight twist on The Secret that I’d like to share.

Step 1: What do you want?

Make a list of all the wonderful things you’d love to happen for your blog. For example:

  • 20 comments per post
  • 100 social shares
  • TV interviews or appearances
  • Asked to guest post for influential blogs
  • Linked from other blog sites
  • Listed in top blogs roundups
  • More than 200 subscribers

Step 2: Give it generously.

Start doing all of those things for bloggers you admire. Sincerely get out there and comment, share, ask them to guest post for you. Ask them to do a video interview on your blog. Write a big list of bloggers you feel need more attention. Subscribe to new blogs.

Then watch what happens.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupe

Are You a Go-Getter or Just Content Where You Are?

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Life is full of choices. That being said, which ones will you make when it comes to your career?

For better or worse, it is not uncommon for employees to be on the go in this day and age.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker today remains at each of his or her jobs for 4.4 years, while the forecasted tenure of the workforce’s youngest employees is about half that.

Ninety-one percent of Millennials (born between 1977-1997) figure on staying in a job for less than three years, according to the Future Workplace “Multiple Generations @ Work” survey of nearly 1,200 employees and 150 managers. If you do the math, that figures out to some 15 – 20 jobs over the course of their working lives.

As 2013 recently finished its first quarter, you still have a sizable year of opportunities awaiting you, some you never could have predicted.

Whether you work in a job you love or one you can’t wait to leave, there are opportunities in both. The question is, will you make the most of them.

For starters, those in a job they can’t wait to get out of need to ask themselves a few pertinent questions.

Among them:

* Why do I not like it here?

* Am I doing all I can to make the best of the situation?

* Is my personality contributing to why this job is not working out?

* If I go get another job, will I feel the same way about my career?

For those in a job that they love, some interesting questions to consider include:

* Why do I like it here?

* What can I do to make this an even better situation?

* Is there an opportunity to move up the ladder and get more responsibility and a raise?

* If I were to leave here, would I end up regretting it?

In a day and age where the economy continues its up and down path, and a day and age where many people remain on the outside looking in when it comes to work, it is even more important that you consider yourself fortunate to have a job. Along with that feeling, never take it for granted, because there is more than likely someone out there who could fill your seat tomorrow.

If 2013 is your year to make things better at work, consider these tips:

* Look to go that extra mile when it comes to helping your co-workers, improving office morale, and giving customers that extra attention;

* Look at the bigger picture. Even if you are currently not happy in your position, leaving it now may hurt you in the future. Sometimes it is better to gut it out in order to win over time;

* Look at taking as many skills away from your present job as possible. Unlike the days when workers stayed at their jobs for several decades, many of today’s workers move around every few years. Learn as much as you can now, allowing you to apply it later.

Whether 2013 is the year you shine at your current job or take your skills elsewhere, always be thinking about how lucky you are to have a job in the first place.

Photo credit: davykestens.be

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics for different sites, including Reputation.com.

It’s Official—The SOBCon Chicago 2013 Final Program

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SOBCon Chicago

With only 24 days to go (how come you haven’t signed up yet?) we’ve got a big announcement for SOBCon Chicago 2013.

Liz and Terry have finalized the program, and it promises to be amazing. We knew that great things were in store when the speaker list was revealed earlier this year, but now Liz and Terry have pulled everything together to create one of the best events in the industry. So what do you have to look forward to? (View the full program here.)

Day 1

Terry and Liz will launch the event first thing Friday morning. As we announced last week, Sean Ogle will lead Block 1: Building Relationships: Turning First Contacts Into Customers and SOBCon alumn Steve Woodruff will introduce the Block 1 Model for your Mastermind session. Following a short break, we’ll get to hear a special presentation from master storyteller Chris Brogan. The morning will wrap up with a Hot Seat Sponsor Session featuring Hawkeye Media and ShareASale.

After lunch (the Summit Event Center offers a fantastic spread), we’ll get back to work with Block 2: Anticipating Response: Let Your Customers Drive Your Strategy. Led by Ric Dragon, you’ll have plenty of material to work with when Carol Tice introduces the Block 2 Model.   Once you’ve Masterminded your strategy, you’ll enjoy Angel Djambazov leading a discussion with the brilliant Sonia Simone.

To wrap things up, we’ll close the day with Jeannie Walters’ Block 3: Adjusting Perspective: Seeing What Your Customer Sees. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned when Jane Boyd reviews the Block 3 Model.

Day 2

You’ll want to set your alarm for day two because you won’t want to miss a minute. After a get-you-going breakfast at the Summit Event Center, we’ll hit the ground running. Barbara Jones will challenge us to support our customers in Block 4: Connecting Strategically: Support The People Behind The Brands That Help You Thrive. Once Barbara makes her case, Alli Worthington will highlight how you can get the most from the Block 4 Model.

If you’re still not fully awake, SOBCon favorite Steve Farber will energize the room with his memorable special presentation. A Hot Seat Sponsor Session featuring our friends at Yappen will finish the morning.

Following a great lunch (the perfect chance to talk with new friends), we’ll tackle Block 5: Integrating Offers: Identify And Serve Multiple Customers with Diana Mullins. To help you identify your customers, Katherine Burdick will introduce the Block 5 Model. To break up the afternoon, Justin Levy and Tabitha Dunn of GoToMeeting will share a special presentation with the group.

Finally, we bring day two to a close with Block 6: Analyzing Experiences: Capitalize on Customer Feedback. Innovation expert Drew Marshall will guide us through this last session, and Terry will explain the Block 6 Model to help us finish strong.

Day 3

One of the most popular parts of SOBCon, Give-Back Sunday will highlight the excellent work done by three nonprofits:

Mark Carter will host the morning and help us help others.

I know that’s a lot to take in, but I want to make sure you understand how much Liz and Terry have packed into one weekend. You will literally learn more in 72 hours than you have in the last four months. You can’t afford to not be in Chicago and in the room. So I strongly suggest you snap up one of the few seats we have left. See you soon!