Then I thought for a moment... "I am a chameleon!"

I've lost count of the number of times I've evolved my technology consulting business in the last decade. The moment I get a sniff of a trend, I move. Taking risks or trying new things never really has been a problem for me. Actually, I don't see them as a "risk" at the time - just a good idea!

Besides the obvious of always being ultra sensitive to how I am perceived by virtue of my e-mail habits, Web site and technology use, there are a handful of issues I think about almost constantly that I believe have kept my business healthy and ahead of the curve. I make a point of reviewing these issues at least once each week to ensure I am addressing the topics that are most important at that point in time.

So, how do I plan for the future? How do I make business decisions in an online environment that is always in flux? Just ask anyone who has been in my office and has asked me these questions - they were then promptly handed my Fortune Telling 8 Ball! For one thing I have never predicted - this gig never existed previously so how could I possibly make any sort of presumptions? There simply is no predictability ability. (Say that fast 3 times!)

So when asked to explain how I've gotten to where I am today, here is a list of things I am constantly thinking about when it comes to my business:

• What hasn't been done yet that is still a ripe "opportunity." Folks, there are still a ton of them out there! What products, services or opportunities do available information and data indicate may hold potential for my business?
• What has been done that can be done better? What ideas have been implemented by others but with tweaking, changes or improvement can be used as a tool for my business? Unlimited opportunities here as many online are still not doing it right!
• Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently. The old corporate culture or old school business methodology many times will hold you back when getting involved in the online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't just think "outside the box"; think under it, over it and
  Mortgage Broker Marketing that Gets a Returning Real Estate Agent
  Are you tired of putting time, energy and money into mortgage broker marketing just to end up with an agent that never seems to follow through? Let us say you meet with an agent and feel like you have made a connection. But weeks go by without hearing from that agent. You make follow up calls, it all sounds good, but the agent still does not call, return your calls, or send you clients. What is going on?It sounds like you have just encountered the passive Realtor. A passive Realtor can be incredibly f
  oblem for me. Actually, I don't see them as a "risk" at the time - just a good idea!

  Besides the obvious of always being ultra sensitive to how I am perceived by virtue of my e-mail habits, Web site and technology use, there are a handful of issues I think about almost constantly that I believe have kept my business healthy and ahead of the curve. I make a point of reviewing these issues at least once each week to ensure I am addressing the topics that are most important at that point in time.

  So, how do I plan for the future? How do I make business decisions in an online environment that is always in flux? Just ask anyone who has been in my office and has asked me these questions - they were then promptly handed my Fortune Telling 8 Ball! For one thing I have never predicted - this gig never existed previously so how could I possibly make any sort of presumptions? There simply is no predictability ability. (Say that fast 3 times!)

  So when asked to explain how I've gotten to where I am today, here is a list of things I am constantly thinking about when it comes to my business:

  • What hasn't been done yet that is still a ripe "opportunity." Folks, there are still a ton of them out there! What products, services or opportunities do available information and data indicate may hold potential for my business?
  • What has been done that can be done better? What ideas have been implemented by others but with tweaking, changes or improvement can be used as a tool for my business? Unlimited opportunities here as many online are still not doing it right!
  • Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently. The old corporate culture or old school business methodology many times will hold you back when getting involved in the online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't just think "outside the box"; think under it, over it and
    Frequency & Monetary Analysis For Subscription Based Services
    Frequency (F) and Monetary (M) analysis, form together with Recency (R) the framework of RFM analysis. Though recency is the strongest predictor of future behavior, frequency and monetary analysis act in a complementary mode (to recency), to create a complete picture of the Customer behavior. There are many cases in which Recency analysis not coupled by Frequency & Monetary analysis, can give a misleading picture. For example, a new subscriber is very recent, but appears to have a low monetary value because she started u
    n for the future? How do I make business decisions in an online environment that is always in flux? Just ask anyone who has been in my office and has asked me these questions - they were then promptly handed my Fortune Telling 8 Ball! For one thing I have never predicted - this gig never existed previously so how could I possibly make any sort of presumptions? There simply is no predictability ability. (Say that fast 3 times!)

    So when asked to explain how I've gotten to where I am today, here is a list of things I am constantly thinking about when it comes to my business:

    • What hasn't been done yet that is still a ripe "opportunity." Folks, there are still a ton of them out there! What products, services or opportunities do available information and data indicate may hold potential for my business?
    • What has been done that can be done better? What ideas have been implemented by others but with tweaking, changes or improvement can be used as a tool for my business? Unlimited opportunities here as many online are still not doing it right!
    • Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently. The old corporate culture or old school business methodology many times will hold you back when getting involved in the online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't just think "outside the box"; think under it, over it and
      Having the Correct Attitude Will Determine the Success Of Your Business
      Having the correct attitude may almost seem like a trivial thing among all of the daily tasks that need to be accomplished with running any sort of business. Although, having the correct attitude will determine which direction your business will continue to grow, and ultimately the success of your business.While there may be a long list of items that lead to the demise of a newly started business, one of the top things to focus on should be one’s attitude. Having the correct attitude is one of the single most impor
      I am constantly thinking about when it comes to my business:
      • What hasn't been done yet that is still a ripe "opportunity." Folks, there are still a ton of them out there! What products, services or opportunities do available information and data indicate may hold potential for my business?
      • What has been done that can be done better? What ideas have been implemented by others but with tweaking, changes or improvement can be used as a tool for my business? Unlimited opportunities here as many online are still not doing it right!
      • Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently. The old corporate culture or old school business methodology many times will hold you back when getting involved in the online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't just think "outside the box"; think under it, over it and
        Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses
        I have been running a small business for nearly ten years and have used various forms of marketing ideas to help promote my services and to attract new customers. In this article, I write about these marketing strategies which I hope will benefit the people who read it.When I was twenty-three, I had what I believed was a good business idea. I was going to offer a speech coaching service as I had managed to overcome a speech impediment and believed that the techniques which had helped me could help other people as w
        online are still not doing it right!
      • Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently. The old corporate culture or old school business methodology many times will hold you back when getting involved in the online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't just think "outside the box"; think under it, over it and to all four sides.
      • Profitability ratios. Where you have cash flow and where your profit is can be two different areas or they can overlap. Continually reviewing this information allows you to tweak your program positively. We are all in business to make a profit, right? You need to identify where these areas are and cater to them while at the same time addressing and minimizing any drains on your profitability. Without profit, you don't have a business.
      • Efficiency. What can be done, changed, modified, added to ensure that time is used most efficiently. What areas can be improved upon? What tools can you put in place to make more time available? Find them, learn how to use them and put them to work for you.

      Many times it is difficult to step away from the day to day business of running your business to take the time to look from the outside in. And, sometimes we have to look at our business models and make the right decisions for all the right reasons not just what we are comfortable with. Put your ego on the shelf, look at the facts, available opportunities and do your due diligence.

      My standard reply when asked how I've run my technology business successfully for the past decade? "Have a plan. Then, if necessary, be prepared to toss it out the window and create a new one tomorrow."

      "We are chameleons, and our partialities and prejudices change place with an easy and blessed facility, and we are soon wonted to the change and happy in it."~ Mark Twain