After all, there are a number of benefits to doing so that can greatly outweigh any small personal goals, such as dropping twenty pounds, that you may be tempted to set for yourself. Setting business resolutions for the new year will…

1. Improve productivity. You might be surprised at just how much setting a few goals for yourself and your employees can lead to higher productivity. This is especially true if you choose to offer an incentive for your employees if the company’s goals are reached by the end of the year. For example, consider an employee party, gift cards, or even a bonus.

2. Raise employee morale. Once employees are aware of the new goals and their potential reward for reaching these goals, you will instantly see an increase in their morale and motivation, which will further help your business.

3. Create a more successful business overall. Once the goals are reached and even during their pursuit, you will see increased profits, higher customer and client satisfaction, and more success in your business as a whole.

4. Give you a sense of accomplishment. Once your new year goals are achieved, you and your employees will be proud and feel a true sense of accomplishment, which will lead to further motivation to complete new tasks for the next year ahead! Essentially, it is a perpetual cycle that, once set in motion, can do nothing but good for your company.

Be sure to set a new years resolution for your business today, regardless of how big or small!

Ziglar’s website posted this statement this morning:

“Zig Ziglar passed from this world today after a short bout with pneumonia. Though his time on earth has ended, he is speaking with Jesus now in his heavenly home. The angels in heaven are rejoicing and his family is celebrating a life well lived.”

Zig’s memorable style and wisdom will be missed, but fortunately, his many writings will outlive him and continue to inspire millions. In honor of his legacy, enjoy this collection of 15 of his most inspirational quotes.

“An optimist is someone who goes after Moby Dick in a rowboat and takes the tartar sauce with him.”

“Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.”

“People do not wander around and then find themselves at the top of Mount Everest.”

“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.”

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”

“You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.”

“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.”

“Life is a classroom — only those who are willing to be lifelong learners will move to the head of the class.”

“Ask yourself a question: Is my attitude worth catching?”

“Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.”

“The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity.”

“If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.”

Business Card Case Vintage Style Teal Blue | TheCuriousCaseLLC

Keep Calm and Carry On | sublimeimages

Hand stamped brass business card case | juliethefish

Map Leather Business card case | rntn on Etsy

Saddle Leather Business Card Holder | Pottery Barn

Public relations is often accompanied by moments of high stress when you are pressured to make decisions or deliver key messages on short notice. It’s easy to put your brain in crisis mode, lock-in your nerves of steel, and get to work at top speed.

While this isn’t always a bad thing, you need to remember one crucial thing: when chaos speeds up, real leaders slow down.

I came across this excellent article from Brad Lomenick on six things that leaders should do during times of great intensity, pressure, or the final hour.

1. Always over-communicate, and make sure things are clear.

2. Speak clearly, breathe deeply, and move purposefully.

3. Be methodical and calm, not intense and short.

4. List out the priorities so as to not be overwhelmed by the small things that seem to be incredibly urgent, but really aren’t.

5. Seek out quiet moments for prayer, reflection and thinking. During times of pressure, that is when we need those quiet moments the most.

6. Stay focused. Resist the urge to let things slip or just settle for something average because of the pressure to get it done. Keep your standards and levels of excellence at their highest- don’t compromise.

Next time you find yourself in a crisis, pause, take a deep breath, and slow down.

Between the three of us, we send a lot of emails at DuoParadigms. While we appreciate the convenience of emailing, it is always good to keep in mind that emails still need to have a personal touch.

I came across an interesting article from Inc.com that has some helpful tips on how to use email successfully for your business. This little tidbit at the end is something many people fail to remember:

One last tip for those of you who are determined to use email as your primary communication tool: When you write an email, please start with a friendly greeting such as Hi, Dear, G’day, Bonjour (even Yo! if that’s your thing). Please, please don’t start with someone’s name and a comma. It’s curt, it’s lazy, and it’s unnecessarily cold. It’s a pet peeve of mine, and the upside is so worth it.

Read the whole article: How Email Hurts Your Business

(photo credit: lastquest)

1. Blackberry Mobile Conferencing makes conference scheduling and calling a breeze.

Once you’ve installed the free BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing app on your BlackBerry smartphone, you’ll appreciate how it helps make joining conference calls easier than ever. It includes powerful features that make scheduling conference calls simple, and intelligence that can discover conference information and dial you in automatically so you don’t have to.

2. Evernote gives you the ability to organize all of your lists, tasks and voice notes, and sync to the Web and your desktop.

Evernote turns your BlackBerry® into an extension of your brain. This award winning app lets you remember and recall anything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as everything instantly synchronizes from your BlackBerry® to the Web to your Mac or Windows desktop.

3. MyFax allows you to send and receive faxes on the go.

Compose and send faxes from your BlackBerry®! Enter the recipient’s name and fax number, or look it up in your Contact Book. Use your default cover page setting, or select a new cover page on the fly. Type fax pages right on your BlackBerry®, or attach a document from your BlackBerry®’s file store.

4. EZBillMaker With Credit Card Processing creates invoices and more and allows you to take credit card payments.

EzBillMaker turns your BlackBerry® into a bill-making machine that saves you time and helps you make more money. It lets you create and send professionally formatted documents to any fax or email address.

5. My Sales Opportunity keeps track of prospective customers and keep notes.

My Sales Opportunities application was developed for you, sales person who wants to overachieve sales goals and close as many as possible of new sales opportunities.

List at a glance:
1. Keyword optimize your post.
2. Syndicate your content.
3. Shorten your post’s URL.
4. Tailor your status updates.
5. Post teasers on other sites.
6. Bookmark your content.
7. Comment on other blogs.
8. Seek and assist on Twitter.
9. Add to email signature.
10. Share your blog post with target customers.
11. Add your blog post to your next newsletter.
12. Ask other bloggers to mention your post.

source: DivvyHQ

Just because you sit in the cheap seats doesn’t always mean that you cannot network or meet fascinating people. In fact, it might be quite the opposite.

According to this interesting hint from Inc.com, flying in coach/economy might actually be a bonus, not a bane.

“My most interesting networking realization is that in 30 years in international business, I have yet to meet anyone personally or professionally interesting in first class. However, nearly every time I fly economy on a miserable, long flight, I am seated with someone who proves to be an interesting person and from whom I can learn something. Inspiration does not come in first class or from a consultant with an MBA!”

Jean Hoffman, President and CEO, Putney

So the next time you are tempted to purchase a first class ticket just because, think twice. The most interesting people just might be sitting behind you.

But if that is not enough to convince you, here are four more reasons why you should be using Google Apps.

1. Google backs up your data on their servers, so emails are saved securely remotely.

2. Content syncs on multiple devices, including Blackberry, Android, iPhone, and Windows Mobile devices, so you can check your email anywhere on your mobile phone.

3. Google Apps has a familiar Gmail-like design interface, so if you have a personal Gmail account, you won’t have to worry about a learning curve or training time.

4. Google Apps is free for personal, small business, and small ministry use. If you need more than 10 custom users, the prices are competitive and economical.

Need help getting started with Google Apps? Contact DuoParadigms today for information about our Getting Started with Google Apps package!

1. Use professional tools. If necessary, hire a graphic designer.
Don’t try to design an infographic in Paint or PowerPoint. For the best results, use professional tools like inDesign or Photoshop. If software like that is outside of your budget or skill set, consider hiring a professional to create a custom design for you! Here at DuoParadigms, we would be happy to give you a quote for your project and best of all, if you mention this post, you can receive a 10% off discount!

2. Stay simple. You don’t want too much information in one picture.
Don’t include all the data possible for your graphic, just the most relevant information. You don’t want your design to appear too cluttered.

3. Always double check your information for accuracy!
Be certain that your statistics and data are accurate. Double-check your numbers and look for any typographical or grammatical errors.

4. Remember to list sources at the bottom of the graphic.
Give credit to whom credit is due. Always list where you obtained the data that is being displayed.

5. Use an appealing color scheme.
You want your design to be eye-catching, so pick a color scheme that will draw viewers to the data. Bright colors work well for infographics.

6. Stick with common graphics — pie charts, Venn diagrams, etc.
If you are displaying numbers, use traditional graphing methods. This will eliminate viewer confusion and make your infographic easy to read.

7. Try several drafts before you publish the final version.
Play around with a few different versions of your infographic. Remember, your goal is to make your data appealing and eye-catching.

8. Test your graphic with an experiment group before publishing.
Before releasing your infographic to the world, encourage critical feedback from your friends, colleagues, family members, or a test group from your targeted audience.

Image source: Rego – d4u.hu

Ready to start working on your own custom infographic design? Contact DuoParadigms today for a price quote and receive a 10% off discount if you mention this post!