Bruce Outridge
Artist | Author | Radio & Podcast Producer | Television Host
Are You Causing Safety Issues Because of Poor Time Management?
Everyday our lives seem to get busier, filled with more duties, and linked to the point there seems to be no breathing room. Not too often do I have to venture out in traffic at peak periods. My former life in trucking started the day at 3 am most mornings and traffic was a regular part of my life. Now that I am self employed I can arrange my hours to better suit my schedule. However once in a while for a meeting or event I have to leave the same time as everyone else in my city. I always leave earlier than most to the point of extreme so I don’t have to rush. There is nothing worse than arriving at a meeting at the last minute rushing in all out of breath and unfocused, not a good first impression.
The other day however I was amazed at the people driving that seems to be in such a hurry to get to work. Some were tying their ties, on the phone, or half a sleep. The point was that I must have got cut off half a dozen times because they are running late. Time management is essential and keeping your cool is equally important. It may be in your best interest to leave earlier and go to the office and get some work done or do like I do and go early in the morning and find a coffee shop and do some writing or work. If you slow yourself down you will see how much rushed the rest of the world is. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. You can learn more about his products and services at www.outridge.ca
Are You Spending Too Much Time Alone?
As much as I like social media and use it myself it can trap you into feeling you don’t need to leave your office or home and meet new people. Any marketing plan must be balanced and an online social media plan is no different. I caution people about staying where life is comfortable, get out meet people, stretch your skills, you will find your business becoming more successful and will be building an off line network in addition to your online program. Human interaction can never give you the same success as dealing with people face to face.
Enjoy the cartoon
Entrepreneur or Manager, Which One Are You?
There are a few people in this world that I admire and if I had to list them all it would go on for a very long time. I’m not talking movie stars or music heroes although I admire some of those as well, I am talking about people who have stepped up to the plate in one form or the other and created their success. Now there are people we don’t even know that have attained that status and there are people who are well known that have achieved success in many areas of their life. I applaud all of you whether you are known or not. My look of success is not that of fame, fame is fine if you get it, but in my mind that shouldn’t be what defines you. Success in my mind is your own vision of success, whether that means you have the family life you want, or you have achieved the business success you hoped to attain, or you are still climbing the ladder and doing life your way, you are all successful. One person that I look up to is Sir Richard Branson. I admire him because he has played the game under his own rules, success or not.
The other night Richard Branson was being interviewed on the news about his success and the space program he is involved with. The interview was only five minutes long, but during the interview he did say something that really struck me. He said, “Some people are managers and some people are entrepreneurs.” Now that may not sound like a profound statement, but it got me thinking about why some people are good at what they do and others aren’t. Recently I was in talks with a company about being hired to do some work with an executive team. They wanted a creative approach to things but all the questions focused on managing the team. Needless to say I am not the managerial type, I like the creativity of the entrepreneur. In the Branson interview he went on to explain that he is a true entrepreneur and that his success has come due to having great people in key positions to handle his businesses. He went on to state that if it was he managing things they would have failed miserably. His success is due to coming up with great ideas, getting them started, and then finding good people to move them forward on a day to day basis.
So if you are having trouble running your operation, you may be more entrepreneurial than managerial. You may need to get some good people into your organization to move it forward leaving you the time needed to create and formulate new ideas. Take a look inside yourself to see where you fit in to your success program.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. He helps entrepreneurs have successful careers. Form more information on Bruce and his programs visit his website at www.outridge.ca or www.bruceoutridge.com
Taking the Time to Reorganize
Most entrepreneurs I know are so busy that life seems to fly by at the speed of sound. The days start to flow into each other and before you know it another year has gone by. That happens to all of us and not just with work, but with kids, life and so on. As they say you should stop and smell the roses once in a while, you should also do the same with work. Stop, take a look back at what you’ve accomplished, look forward down the road to see what you would like to accomplish. Reorganizing is like spring cleaning, it rejuvenates you, creates a new space, and adds new vitality.
When’s the best time to do this reorganization? The best time for me is when you’re reviewing your profit and loss statement which I suggest at least annually, but semi-annually or quarterly is better. Look at the numbers, look at the products or services, which ones are moving, which ones are stale? Don’t go down the road for a whole year to find out you’ve been going in the wrong direction. My business has been successful because I have been able to change direction in a short period of time when I have come across an opportunity. As entrepreneurs our best plan for success is being able to change at rapid pace. Larger companies can’t change directions as fast as we can.
Remaining successful is about change, and change is about knowing the direction that is best for you. Don’t get caught behind the eight ball because you didn’t look at flow of your business. Stop, evaluate, and reorganize!
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant for entrepreneurs. More information can be found on his websites at www.outridge.ca or www.bruceoutridge.com
How Far Will You Go For Business Connection?
As many of you know these days the world of business is largely who your connected with. That is why platforms like Linkedln have become so popular. Many times just getting to know someone is half the battle in getting the sale or project. This can happen in an impromptu meeting someplace and turn into a great working relationship. This has happened to me many times. Recently I was at an event where Dragon’s Den star Kevin O’Leary was giving a talk on investing. He told a story of how he was asked to go on a television show called Dancing with the Stars not to dance but introduce someone. Kevin refused the invitation explaining it would take him six hours flying one way for a two minute line. The producer got him to think about it by relaying he would be sitting next to Steve Wozniak, the other half of the Apple Company and someone that Kevin had always wanted to meet. Kevin accepted the invitation and the end result was a large business deal that never would have happened if Kevin hadn’t accepted the invitation.
So how far will you go for a connection? My wife sometimes doesn’t understand why I go to this meeting and that meeting sometimes with no result coming out of it. I explain things work in mysterious ways and many times months later the phone will ring and someone will have seen me at an event or read my articles in the magazines I write for. In business many times the payback comes at a much later date. We may not always drive or go far to make a connection but I am sure there are many of us that go to functions, get stood up for meetings, and generally think sometimes that being an entrepreneur is just a big waste of time. Then other days when there seem to be no business in sight the phone will ring with a large order. The secret is to accept every invitation within reason whether you see the potential for business or not because meeting people is half the battle.
In this world who you know and the connections you have are the first earmark of a successful entrepreneur. Take the opportunities and have faith down the road they will lead somewhere.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. He helps entrepreneurs start successful businesses. Form more information visit his website at www.outridge.ca
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