Bloggy Business Today

Actually 12, because I am writing the damn list and I had to include one of my own (No. 12).  And I really, really like No. 11, even though it’s not business-related.

12.   Bauer it: v.t., to do something with a ruthless, business-like, Machiavellian efficiency; inspired by Jack Bauer, the fictional protagonist of the FOX tv series 24, in which he has trained and worked in various capacities as a government agent, including US Army, Delta Force, LAPD SWAT and with the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). Within the 24 storyline, Bauer is a key member of the CTU, saving both civilians and government leaders. but often at great personal expense (from me at Quixotica; Please check out my invented slang website)“A tornado of humanity would not stop John from catching the foul ball. Nor would a toddler with a glove. Nobody would stop him. 40 or not, he was going to Bauer it …”\

11.Narcissurfing: Spending a lot of time on the Internet to see how often your name appears and what others are saying about you. Its another way of saying ‘Googling yourself,’ although a narcissurfer does it on a daily basis. (from Tom Chandler at the Copywriter Undergound) 

10. Spaghetti marketing: To spend marketing dollars randomly without a clear plan, much like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks. (from Tom Chandler at the Copywriter Undergound)

9. Hypertasking: While we’re frequently forced to multitask just to keep up at work, hypertasking is a choice for those who thrive on doing more than one thing at a time. A hypertasker combines many tasks into one in order to experience more. He may exercise, play tourist and conduct business at the same time by riding his bike through the Blue Ridge Mountains while running a business meeting via his wireless headset. (from Tom Chandler at the Copywriter Undergound)

8. Phenomeniche: A marketing phenomenon that appeals to a small niche. Example: Trading Spaces, the TV series. While not a sweeping global phenomenon, it is the undisputed titan of one modest patch of pop-culture.(from Tom Chandler at the Copywriter Undergound) 7. Leveraging our assets: This probably meant something once, but today EVERY COMPANY seems to leverage its assets. Doesn’t it make sense that a company would put its resources, whether it’s money, location or talent, to best use in order to make a profit (from buzzwhack.com)6. Permalancer: A permanent freelancer. A person originally hired on a contract basis, but now essentially a full-timer (though without the perks and benefits of a full-time employee).  (from WordSpy) 5.  Dotsam: The Internet’s wasteland of abandoned Web sites, Hotmail accounts, blogs, wikis, MySpace pages, etc., that their creators have ignored for months/years — but are still accessible on the Web. (from buzzwhack.com)4.  PowerPoint Ranger: seen in Doonesbury; also, PowerPoint Ranger is a derogatory term for a desk-bound bureaucrat more adept at making slides than tossing grenades.” ( from Blog About Town)

3. Below Zeros: This is a marketing term, not a temperature. They’re customers who cost more to serve than they return in value. Example: A customer who ties up a salesperson for 45 minutes while trying on 14 pairs of Gucci shoes, then buys a six-pack of tube socks for $1.98, complains about the price and walks out. Also known as BZs. (from Tom Chandler at the Copywriter Undergound)

2.  blamestorming: a group process where participants analyze a failed project and look for scapegoats other than themselves (from Buzzwhack.com)

1. bacn: Impersonal e-mail such as alerts, newsletters and automated reminders that are nearly as annoying as “spam” but which one has chosen to receive. (Time Magazine’s 2007 Lists)

Technorati Tags: 2007, business, buzzwords, lists, top buzzwords, top words

According to the Small Business Association, more than 50 % of small businesses will fail within their first five years.  And not for a lack of effort.  What , then, causes so many “great ideas” to fall flat?

In the spirit of end-of-the-year list articles, here are the top mistakes new businesses make: 

5.  Not listening to their customers:  Repeat after me, “The customer is always right.  The customer is always right.”  Very nice.  Listen to what your clients are telling you, both verbally and through their actions.  Ask for feedback.  Just because you have designed a machine that can make perfect slices of bread doesn’t mean your customers will see it that way.  Be nimble enough to adapt to your client. 

4.  Having too many cooks: Wait, didn’t you just say to always listen to your customer.  Yes, I did.  But have a spine too.  Make your own decisions.  Don’t make your business so top-heavy with management that you can’t make a decision quickly.  You shouldn’t have to form a committee to pick your nose.  And it’s probably not a good idea to take advice from your sister’s teenage boyfriend.  If he was so smart, he should be running the company. 

3.  Spending too much time on their business: A lot of people start their own business because they want to be their own boss and run their own show.  That’s fine.  But be a good boss to yourself.  Allow time for balance.  Exercise regularly.  Eat right.  Go to church.  Have a good time.  Empower others to do work in your own image.  Your business is never going to make if you’re the only one who can do it.  If you spend 20 hours a day working your business idea, you are going to burn out.  And quickly.  Count on it.

2.  Failing to measure performance:At the end of the day, it’s about results and production.  See what’s working and not working.  Feed your strengths and starve your weaknesses.  Don’t be satisifed with what was good enough yesterday.  Make it better today.

1.  Too much vision, not enough focus: You’re not a multinational corporation yet.  Stop dreaming so much.  Your business may be many things one day, but try to be good at just a few things right now.  Find your niche, and hammer the heck away at it.  The narrower and deeper the better.  Leave the visions to the visionaries.

It’s that time of year again.  Time to review and reflect.  Time to resolve and redress.  Time to trot out the hackneyed “list” articles.

So, without further adieu, … drumroll, please.  The top 5 business themed movies of all time. 

5. Office Space (1999): A cult favorite, this flick explores the everyday annoyances and frustrations of suburban office cubicle existence

4. The Godfather, Part I(1972) and II(1974):  Not exactly the type of business I would run, but a gripping tale about a Mafioso family and a son taking over the family business 

3. The HudSucker Proxy (1994): Tim Robbins nails this role as the naive Norville Barnes, who is installed as a moron president company in order to ensure its failure.  Barnes’ innovative (if not wacky) ideas actually work in this paean to creativity.  

2.  Trading Places (1983): Walk a mile in another man’s shoes.  Comedians Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy star in this nature-versus-nurture farce set in the unlikely world of a commodities brokerage firm.

1. Citizen Kane (1941): The ultimate rise-and-fall/American dream story of a publishing magnate who lived a full, but somewhat empty life.  Orson Welles wrote, starred and directed this cinematic tour de force, … at the ripe old age of 26

The key towards success is doing the right thing. This is what best describes ethical business practices that most managers and executives exercise today. Many professional inputs are needed to make strategical moves on how business ventures should be run today. It is not plainly a matter of knowing the proper business protocols. It still remains that business ethics must be studied and practiced extensively to make sure that all operational attributes of a business are in place.

It would be crazy to say that not all business are inclined to follow the ethical business routes practices my most corporations today. Many still want to see if they can get away with it. While some do, there is always the essence of bad business karma that may soon catch up with them.

(Source) Christmas Day, marked as a religious holiday or cultural phenomenon, is a time to reflect. The question “What would Jesus do?” has merit, whether you are of Christian faith or not.

For investors and the people who advise them, a poignant guide to answering that question can be found in the November/December issue of the Financial Analysts Journal. Your New Year’s resolutions will be better after you read “Ethical Decision Making: More Needed Than Good Intentions.”