Ceptara

Summary

• Small business is hard.  How do you know you're prepared to be a small business owner, and how do you create a better stronger business?
• Make sure you are on the right path. Are you executing your passions? Is it easy to dedicate time to it? Do you have a plan? Do you believe in yourself and your vision?
• Build a system for success. Create a vision of the future. Build a repeatable system and execute well. Instrument for success. Improve what doesn't meet expectations. Maintain momentum.

• Decide what problem to fix
• Do something new or differently
• Check to see if it helped
• Capture and standardize the new practice

SUMMARY

• Focus on action not messaging, use tasks to track work
• Establish projects to make tasks manageable
• Process your inbox to zero using the 5Ds
• Block time for planning
• Focus on what's important, subordinate everything else

• ASQ announces a Quality Body of Knowledge (QBOK®)
• QBOK Embraces Personal Excellence
• QBOK declares Pursuit of Personal Excellence as, Personal Mastery, Quality Fit, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, and Personal Quality Philosophy
• How will it be integrated into certifications?

Summary

• Five lessons learned: use 360 reviews, goals apply to your whole life, connect daily tasks to your goals, think win/win doesn't apply to every interaction, block time to sharpen the saw.
• Engineers (technical types) have a difficult time with the soft skills, i.e. there are soft skills?
• Self reflection and growth only comes when you're ready to hear it.  Just like many programs, you can't work on something until you admit that it's an issue.
• A personal mission statement is the foundation upon which all decisions and actions are based.

Summary

• Focusing solely on your customer can stifle growth and innovation
• Leading your customer is possible through a consultative relationship which can help find mutually beneficial ways of increasing profit margin
• Creating a new market for your products or harnessing a new technology can take a completely different business model that the one that made you successful in the first place

SUMMARY

• Small business owners should understand each of their marketing channels and have specific goals for each channel
• They should articulate their web channel needs before creating a design and selecting a technology platform
• The best sites are first designed in the small business owners mind before a technology platform is selected and implemented
• Small static sites work just as well as complex and dynamic Content Management Systems depending on the goals for the web channel

Ceptara will be participating in the Global Six Sigma and Business Improvement Awards in Orlando, FL starting on October 14th, 2009.  Nominations are being collected until June 5th, 2009.  Visit www.tgssa.com and complete the Awards Entry for the opportunity to win recognition for your organizational excellence

Join me May 9th for the ASQ Quality Professionals Career [Day]. I will be presenting Ceptara's Personal Excellence [methods] and [tool] to help folks manage their way to a new assignment. Additionally, along with Laura Gregg, we will be presenting an hour on starting a business as well. It promises to be a day of networking and seminars to enable folks re-invent themselves in the economic downturn.

On April 15, 2009, we provided a 60 minute [class] on what it means to be Personally Excellent and how to start achieving it. We had a good turn out and I promised the attendees that I would update my blog with a few pointers we talked about in class.