http://ja-nae.net/blog Adventures In: Experimentation, Imagination & Sophistication Tue, 15 May 2012 17:22:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-create-a-talented-team http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-create-a-talented-team#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:53:39 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3789 I was talking with my friend Kathy over lunch who had a clever idea for a business but did not believe she had the skills necessary to execute it.  This made me think of how most people believe successful people are multi-skilled individuals with jack-of-all trade talents and abilities.  But the truth is one of the most ubiquitous trait of a successful business owner is being able to find and keep the right people for the right jobs. Successful businesses attract the right talent.  Therefore, becoming a talent magnet should be at the top of every manager’s list.  Here are three habits you should cultivate in order to create a team of talented individuals: 1.       Build relationships with talented people before you need them.  Don’t wait until you need someone with a specific skill before engaging with such a person.  For example, you might be able to handle your own accounting now, but when your business grows you’ll want a talented and reliable accountant to handle that end of your business.  Never stop networking in your industry.  Determine who has the talent are and what inspires them about their work.  Cultivate these relationships early because they will come in handy [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-create-a-talented-team/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/productivity-101-how-to-run-a-meeting http://ja-nae.net/blog/productivity-101-how-to-run-a-meeting#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:20:39 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3791 I ran into an old friend at a recent networking event who has worked at an office for many years.  Probably his biggest complaint about the business world is the constant meetings.  How often do we hear about meetings where nothing is accomplished and everyone feels like they wasted their time?  It’s become an office cliché.  There’s even a website called meetordie where you can determine just how much money a business wastes on an unproductive meeting. But, believe it or not, meetings were originally intended to serve a purpose.  And, whether we like it or not, meetings are a necessary evil for just about any business to get work done. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t improve on the concept of meetings and make them valuable to you and your attendees.  Follow these four steps to make your meetings more meaningful: 1.       The fewer the better.  Getting everyone’s input can be valuable, but when time is of the essence it just isn’t worth it to invite that guy who works in the mail room.  Keep attendance limited to just the people who are directly involved in the meeting’s objectives.  Before sending out the meeting memo, ask yourself if all [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/productivity-101-how-to-run-a-meeting/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-get-paid http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-get-paid#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:50:02 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3793 My buddy Luke is having trouble collecting from a client of his.  The client wants him to continue doing work, but has not paid him for the work he has already done.  As a freelancer, every single dollar means the world to him.  Like many small business owners, Luke has to feed his family at the end of the day. Has this ever happened to you? Does it still. Well, you are absolutely not alone. Most of the entrepreneurs that I know deal with this in one form or another. Even me. So, when you’re trying to do the right thing by your client and still keep yourself in business, where is the line drawn? What could you have done even before the work began? Mike Monteiro doesn’t mess around when it comes to collecting payment.  In his Creative Mornings video, “F*ck You.  Pay Me” he shares some hilarious insight into his strategies for collective payment for creative service industries. Check it out: 2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo. Here are some familiar and irrational excuses he’s heard from clients. Do any of them sound familiar: “We ended up not using the work” “Really [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-get-paid/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-fail http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-fail#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:48:50 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3729 I have a friend who has acquired many different skills, from automobile repair to computer programming.  One time when I asked him where he learned so many skills, his answer was simple – he taught himself through “trial and error.”  He allowed himself to fail until he learned the skill. This has made me think a lot about failure and how important it is to allow yourself to fail.  All of my successes have come from failure.  Projects never end up the way I originally intend, people who seemed like they could be accountable could not, and businesses took longer to make a profit than I had anticipated. But the English language has made us equate failing with being a failure, when in fact failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we never allow ourselves to fail, then, unless we are born perfect, we’ll never attempt to learn or do anything that risks failure.  When I started my first business, I made many mistakes and “failures” before I got it right.  I didn’t give up or get discouraged because I understood that failing was just a step towards success.  And I was right. In order to succeed, you must [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-fail/feed 1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-minimize-risk http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-minimize-risk#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:06:58 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3732 This morning, I spoke to a group of women entrepreneurs over breakfast.  After the talk, one of them came up to me and asked how I assess risk. She disclosed that she had a few businesses and they have never really taken off the way she thought they would. She asked me what I would do if I was in her situation. That’s easy for me to answer, because I’ve been in that situation many times!  There are a ton of ideas that I thought would be good project and ventures – and they just weren’t.  I’ve had ideas crash and burn just like everyone.  It’s all part of the process and it led and led to a lot of trial and error (and a loss of money). Fortunately, I have learned from these experiences and developed a system for what businesses I start and how I invest in them.  And now you can benefit from my mistakes and experience by following my rules: 1. Less is More. When I am assessing a new product or service, I determine the value of the minimum product or service I can create to shop around.  How can I bundle the most minimal version [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-minimize-risk/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/is-success-attainable http://ja-nae.net/blog/is-success-attainable#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:49:12 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3727 My good friend Chuck is a big ideas guy.  You know, one of those guys who has about 15 fantastic ideas a day.  But when he starts to implement them, he often stops suddenly, usually right before the work finally pays off.  Why?  Maybe it’s a loss of interest, or new projects come up, or it’s just a lack of follow-through required to be successful.  So, when we sit down and talk, he wonders why he isn’t as successful as he thinks he should be and cannot understand why. Sound familiar?  Maybe like someone you know or are. Allow me to let you in on a big secret that I have learned through my own countless trial and error.  Successful people do not necessarily have some incredible talent, skill, or ability that makes them a success.  They simply have learned to deal with the biggest obstacle in the way of success, themselves. Why does Chuck, and a lot of people you and I both probably know, so often abandon big ideas when they are so close to completion?  The reason might be because of how we feel about our goals and dreams.  Dreaming of success makes us feel better about [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/is-success-attainable/feed 3 http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-you-should-be-power-napping-for-productivity http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-you-should-be-power-napping-for-productivity#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:40:12 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3499 “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” It’s the rallying cry of the overwhelmed, the busy go-getters who haven’t the time for sleep.  I recently proposed how a to-do list can save your life in this article.   But if your plate is too full for a little shut eye, like mine, then you may be missing out on the productive benefits of power napping and a good night’s sleep.  Productivity never stops with me, and I am always looking for new ways to improve my productivity.  But don’t doubt the power of the power nap – it has proven to actually increase your overall productivity in the long run.  I have been power napping since college and it has allowed me to work four jobs and take double the course load while at Northeastern and New England Conservatory. Joe Spring reminds us in “How to Take a Nap at Work” that a lack of sleep increases stress and compromises the immune system.  If you’re worried about productivity, think of how much time you’ll waste sick in bed!  Meanwhile, a power nap can reduce stress, lead to quicker reaction times, and improve overall fitness – all of the things that make us [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-you-should-be-power-napping-for-productivity/feed 1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-time-management-tools-you-must-know http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-time-management-tools-you-must-know#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:26:06 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3344 When you have a traditional, corporate job, deadlines are created by your responsibilities and obligations to your bosses, partners, and associates. But when you are an entrepreneur with your own home business, the only deadline is death. Hopefully, that is a long ways off; but that just makes it harder to discipline yourself to look at the big picture of your life and how you spend your time. ]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-time-management-tools-you-must-know/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-your-business-with-100-a-hit-overseas http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-your-business-with-100-a-hit-overseas#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:20 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=3130 I love the intrepid entrepreneur! Paul Horn, here, is just one of them. So excited about starting his own venture, that he has not been able to put my book, “How to Start a Business with $100″, down for even a moment. Here he is enjoying it as he tours the English countryside: Where do you take your copy of “How to Start a Business with $100″? Take a picture and send it to me. You could win a free copy of my next book! Don’t have a copy yet? Find it here! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider buying my book, How to Start Your Business with $100 because it will save you thousands of dollars and you should find what you’re looking for.]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-your-business-with-100-a-hit-overseas/feed 1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/are-you-sending-mixed-signals http://ja-nae.net/blog/are-you-sending-mixed-signals#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:12:44 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=2945 I bet we’ve all had our fair share of dates who give off mixed signals. They hold your hand, look deeply into your eyes, kiss you goodnight—and then you never hear from them again. Or that friend who always seems excited to see you, but consistently declines your lunch invitations. It can leave your head spinning. Unfortunately, this is a problem in business, too, with clients who tell you one thing but expect something totally different. In today’s podcast, “Are You Sending Mixed Signals?”, I ask you to take a look inward to see if you are guilty of giving off a confusing message. I’d like to hear from you! What do you do when you receive mixed signals from someone? Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/are-you-sending-mixed-signals/feed 1