Jon Stewart’s Goof Can’t Bring Down a Mood of Exuberant Youth and Joyful Relief

Jon Stewart announced on national TV: “I would just like to say, if I may … that at 11 o’clock at night, Eastern Standard Time, the president of the United States is Barack Obama.”

OK. So maybe he wasn’t exactly right… I mean seriously, truth-be-told, Obama was actually the President-Elect and unfortunately Bush was still President at 11 o’clock EST, last night.

It’s OK Jon, we know what you meant. Great job by-the-way! Thank-you for your election coverage.

Thank goodness CHANGE (Inauguration Day) is coming!

Congratulations and Good Luck!

GOBAMA!  

 

 

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Obviously, if there is a problem that continues to plague the system you are using, then you need to find the root of the problem and fix it. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to explain this to several organizations that I have come across recently. Their response is the same. “Yeah. OK. Whatever.”

How hard is it to notice the issue, start a dialog about resolution, and move forward to track the problem from root to result?

I urge everyone in business whether you are a lowly CSR or the CEO to forge ahead and listen to what your customers are telling you. The quickest way to lose business is to ignore the obvious issues that seem to crop up in the day to day operations. Get on ground level. Spend a day in the trenches.

Resolve to resolve!

This message brought to you by STRAYER UNIVERSITY ONLINE and the “not my job/not my problem” attitude that works wholly against their current marketing campaign. If you throw millions of bucks into marketing and then lose every customer you gained from that marketing effort because of poor response to their needs, what was your true ROI?

Zip. Nada. ZERO! Food for thought.

~PPP

What If… Part II

What if…

• you never had to call and complain because someone took the time to make sure “it” was right the first time?
• when you did call it was handled by live people who were concerned for you as a valued customer and who worked quickly to resolve your issues?
• every business adopted standards of service similar to Wal-Mart or Target and for ANY reason, your purchase is cheerfully refunded?
• what if the customer really is ALWAYS right?

WOW!

Yep. It could happen.

Is today your day to smile?

Smile and let that smile be remembered and repeated as if contagious.

Be the smile through your business values and service to others.

Be powerful enough to move someone to change something about themselves for the better; even if only to make them smile.

Be the change that you want to see reflected in the smiles of your customers and staff.

~PPP

What If… Part I

“It just doesn’t have to be this hard!” is one of my favorite sayings.  

Each day, we are overwhelmed in many aspects of our lives.

Why? Because other humans are in our lives. We depend on others as we move through our life and for that reason, each and every human should be a force for change.

Why? Because it would make everyone’s life easier, fuller, richer and better.

WOW!

Yep.

~PPP

Random Beginnings

Welcome to my world. I’m glad you’re here.

The Zen of Cheese isn’t just a blog about embracing change or being motivated to move forward, however, it is one person’s honest opinion about how simple ideas can act in positive ways to influence individuals and businesses to remember the roots of a simpler time, when service was king, marketing was truthful and believable, customer relationships were valued, and people cared about the job they do.

I’m reminded of a joke :

Q: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None. The light bulb has to want to change.

Not everyone likes change. Others thrive on it. The thing to remember in either case is that the change doesn’t have to be big, doesn’t have to be expensive, and doesn’t have to be permanent if it doesn’t work.

What you’ll find here are everyday thoughts and honest opinions on how to improve, adapt, change, move-forward, grow, and create a business and life that is just a wee bit better.

~PPP

(Peace, Prosperity, Patience)

Crisis Preparation… It’s Just Good Business.

In light of recent natural disasters in the U.S. and around the world, I thought a moment to reflect on survival was appropriate.

Are you prepared for any business disruption that may occur?

If you answered no, then you are among the estimated 40% of businesses that will fail due to a disaster; either human or natural.

“Businesses that plan for disaster before it strikes generally have less damage, less economic loss, and less downtime than those that do not prepare” according to government experts at FEMA.

Businesses should consider several elements when preparing for disaster:

1. Protect your staff.
2. Protect your building.
3. Protect your data.
4. Protect your inventory.

A critical step is to prepare a plan that will continue your business operations in case almost everything is destroyed. Good planning includes provisions to relocate to a previously identified site, retrieving data – including employee, customer, and vendor records, and the ability to operate efficiently with a small staff of key individuals.

Another critical step of any business recovery plan should be to ensure you have acquired enough insurance to cover loss and damage in the event of a catastrophe.

“One of the benchmarks of a community’s recovery after disaster is the number of businesses that are back in operation.” According to FEMA, “businesses that prepare an effective disaster plan, including a plan to continue operation in the aftermath of destruction, will contribute the most to the community’s recovery.”
The basics of disaster recovery planning are:

STEP ONE: Identify the hazards your business faces.

STEP TWO: Identify how vulnerable you are using a vulnerability assessment. This will help identify the threat your business faces and help you prepare your disaster plan.

STEP THREE: The business preparedness plan.

Resources available on the Internet are an excellent way to help you identify the hazards faced by businesses similar to yours, including identifying vulnerabilities and may help prepare your business through planning and guidance to face any disaster; natural or otherwise.

Monkey See – Monkey Do:

Most large businesses have disaster recovery plans in place. Just because you are a small business does not mean you can skip this important step in business planning. It is estimated that some 40% of small businesses close because of disasters. Even the less dramatic disasters that are more common, such as fire, power outages, and technological disasters like computer crashes can cause a business to fail if that business has no recovery plan in place.

Take a hard look at your business and its risk. Decide, what are the most likely disasters and what are critical functions that need to continue operating after that disaster has taken place. You should not only plan for the disruption of your business but also for the disruption of your supply chains, such as if your vendors are suddenly unable to provide the things you need to run your business.
Here are some steps that you can take to protect your business in the event of crisis:

Protect the people:

Look at the interior and exterior of your business. Consider its security, and consider how vulnerable the contents of your business are. Make a list of employees who know first aid or CPR or have emergency training or who can assist in the evacuation of employees and customers from your business. Make sure you maintain an up-to-date 24-hour contact list for all your employees that include their addresses and phone numbers. Arrange for two way radios pagers or text messaging, if the phone system should fail. Keep flashlights, first-aid materials, an AM/FM radio, extra batteries and nonperishable food items on hand and have a least 1 gallon of water available per person, per day.

Protecting property:

Backup. Backup. Backup. You cannot be expected to recover if you cannot access the information you need to run your business. Backing up your data and the information for your business IS CRITICAL. You should already backup your data on a daily or weekly basis. Moving this backup to a safe location is the next consideration.

* Snail-mail a copy of your backup to a trusted friend or relative in another city.
* Backup using a subscription service online.
* Backup using a hard drive that is then stored in a safety deposit box.
* At the very minimum, keep photocopies or scanned copies of imported paper documents like licenses and insurance policies, away from your place of business, and make sure you have adequate insurance coverage to help speed your insurance claims.

And one more thing…

Cover Your Ass(ets) or C.Y.A. as it’s more affectionately called, is always a good thing. Make sure you adhere to the letter of the law when it comes to protecting personal information from anyone involved in your business; from staff to customers. They have rights and they have laws to protect them from irresponsible employers and businesses.

Privacy and security is very important and it’s equally important that you be a responsible business-owner and protect those rights. And don’t forget, in the U.S.; it’s the LAW!

Keep your business running:

Consider alternate vendors from a different geographic area in case your main vendor is out of commission. Plan an alternate business site. This could be your home, the home of an out-of-town relative, or it could be the site of a similar business to yours that you develop a mutual aid agreement with. Keep a list of emergency contact names and numbers of key customers and keep them informed of the status of their orders.

Is your business prepared?

Ask yourself these questions and it should help you assess whether your business is prepared for a large disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane or a small disaster like a computer crash or fire.

• Have you determined what parts of your business need to be operational as soon as possible after disaster? How do you plan to resume these operations?

• Do you and your employees have a disaster response plan to assure your safety and take care of yourselves until help arrives?

• Are you able to communicate with your employees and key customers after normal business hours?

• Can your building withstand the impact of a natural disaster and is your data and information sufficiently protected?

• Are your files and records such as your human resources records protected?

• Are you prepared to stay open for business if your vendors are inaccessible or if basic needs cannot be found such as electricity and water?

• Do you have a plan in place to continue your operations even if you can’t reach your place of business?

• Have you consulted with an insurance agency to ensure your coverage is adequate to help you get back on your feet as a result of a disaster?

These questions are all necessary and can help you realize if you’re prepared or not for a crisis that may disrupt your business.

If you answered no to one or more of these questions, then perhaps you should start investigating how you and your business will recover after a disaster strikes.

A final thought…

Protect your reputation.

All of the above advice will go far to protect you and your businesses reputation in the face of crisis. How fast you are back up and running will go to great lengths in showing your community, your peers (and competitors), and your customers that you can handle crisis and prevail.

All too often however, businesses tend to forget the little things like reputation. Reputation takes a lot of resources to build but can be destroyed quickly and at little or no cost. That being said, lest we forget that a devastating business crisis can also include product issues, scandals, bad press, poor service, pissed-off customers and angry former employees.

You would be wise to figure out early in the game how you as an owner and how your management and employees will react and respond to BAD PR… will it be your worst nightmare or your shining opportunity?

The time to answer that question (or respond to any crisis) is well before it occurs.

~PPP

3 Must Know Questions For Business

To keep management’s strategic thinking fresh and responsive, there are three basic business planning questions that need to be asked and answered:

“What business am I really in?” is a defining statement all business should ask. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Are you really in the business you think you are in?

“What do my customers want and expect from my business?” lets you answer from the consumer POV (point of view). What’s the word on the street? Do your customers love your company and your products? How’s your service? Listen to what your customers tell you either in-person or by their buying habits.

“In a year from now will my business needs change and will my customer’s needs and expectations change?” if answered correctly can be the catalyst to implement processes and technology that can keep your market share active and growing. What about 3 or 5 years from now? It’s never too late to consider where you and your competition might be in the short-term future and long-term future. Many niche markets are created by following the research, watching the trends, and gut instinct.

Don’t be afraid to walk a different path if you see a need for that product or service.

~PPP

Good, Better, Best… Relieve Death by Powerpoint

You open your in-box just in time to see a memo from the boss:

“Mandatory meeting this afternoon”

You panic – knowing that you’re about to spend the better part of the day NOT doing all the work that should be done, lamenting how much further behind you’ll be by the time the meeting is over, and agonizing over having to sit through another dreadful PowerPoint presentation.

This familiar scenario plays out across workplaces on a global scale and “Death by PowerPoint” is a real affliction.

Just ask anyone who has had to sit through the drone of a presenter whilst the slides on the screen contain kindergarten level clip-art, cluttered graphics, lots of bullets and so much text you’re left wondering why there was a presenter at all…. you could have just read it yourself and found out the same information.

We’re going to try and fix that with the help of all the PowerPoint resources we have come across over the years and hopefully you’ll walk away with one good tip, one better presentation, and best of all… we’ll save a life.

Highly recommended that you start with Presentation Zen

~PPP

Cosby for President? Way to Go Bill !

Bill Cosby for POTUS? What an interesting concept.

An email circulating a request to place Bill Cosby as a write-in candidate on the November ballot has come to my inbox. It’s a typical false rumor/urban legend e-mail from some one that must have thought they were contributing to politics in a positive way. Even snopes.com has verified this is probably not from Bill Cosby or as they claim not even from the late George Carlin would we have heard this type of humor.

As funny as it reads; it’s really not funny at all when a simple e-mail can recognize how far off-track our government has taken this country.

I have to say there are quite a few points of this supposed platform that I would certainly agree with. Some of these suggestions I would really like to see happen. Some I can see wouldn’t work over the long term and only be beneficial on the surface but hey… we can still dream of a country that manifests itself in great ways, can’t we?

Is it time for our government and the “elected by-the-people” politicians to realize that sometimes you have to take a step back in order to go forward?

Perhaps he’s onto something here?
Perhaps Obama will take notes?
Perhaps the citizens of this country are fed-up with the BS of the last decade?

Here’s the e-mail, judge for yourself:

I HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
HERE IS MY PLATFORM:
(1) “Press 1 for English” is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.

(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country’s attitude. NO imports, no exports. We will use WalMart’s policy, ‘If we ain’t got it, you don’t need it.’

(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border. (six month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn’t put nuttin in, you ain’t gettin nuttin out. The president nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.

(6) Welfare – Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.

(7) Professional Athletes –Steroids – The FIRST time you check positive you’re banned for life.

(8) Crime – We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

(9) One export will be allowed; Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we’ll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it’s a worthy cause.

(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.

Sorry if I stepped on anyone’s toes but a vote for me will get you better than what you have, and better than what you’re gonna get.

Thanks for listening, and remember to write in my name on the ballot in November.
God Bless America !!!!!!!!!!!
Bill Cosby!!!!!!!!

~Now wasn’t that refreshing?

~PPP