Cell Phones or Texting–Impaired driving

You may have read or seen the press on “Personal Electronic Devices” (PED), you know those things that used to be called cell phones, iPads^®, Game Boy^® or tablet computers.  Somehow after thousands of accidents where these have been implicated as distractions to driving, Ray LaHood our Secretary of  Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board are getting serious about stopping this epidemic.

Here is their fact sheet.

We have just started a company, NNID Corp., that brings four elements together in order to help save lives.

Technology on the Cell Network that limits the Cell Phone Carriers liability by having them not serve up network access to PEDs while vehicles are being operated.  That is just like bartenders saving lives by refusing to serve drinks to those who may have their driving skills impaired.

Some magic sauce so that passengers and drivers can use their cell phones while they are not distracted.

Designing training for those people: including first responders, who have priority access, and those professional private drivers responsible for the safety of others.

Technology that provides an alternate means of network access for train and bus passengers.

See how much of an epidemic this has become:

According to a NHTSA observational survey, at a typical daytime moment in 2010, 5 percent of  drivers (or 660,000) were using a handheld cell-phone.

(http://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811517.pdf) 

In a nationally represented survey of 2,000 U.S. residents conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 69 percent reported talking on their cell-phones while driving within the past 30 days and 24 percent admitted to texting or e-mailing while driving

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/2010TSCIndexFinalReport.pdf)

Restaurant and Store Design

Its the WOW factor!

Restaurants and Stores live and breathe by the customer experience.  Just like when you meet a new person you have 15 seconds to get a favorable impression.  In a retail environment you set expectations and can WOW your customer from the first time they open the door with a harmonious and brand aware experience.

What does that mean to you?  Firstly, a great visual and integrated experience will have them telling their friends. Next, the staff will have a high standard to live up to and that does help with their ability to provide exceptional customer service.  Lastly,  new customers will come back to explore, just like a good movie, the intricacy of the environment and cohesive story that the environment portrays about your Restaurant, Store and its Brand gives them a reason to want to come back.

Don’t try to do this yourself!  Experience and skill transform what would otherwise just be a “ho-hum nothing out of the ordinary” to an extraordinary place, one that drives the right customers to become regular patrons and form the foundation of a successful business; distinctive, competitive and thriving.

Just check out what can be done by a truly talented Designer.

3d-by-D Designs

Baby Boomers to Inherit Up to $11.6 Trillion – The Best Life (usnews.com)

Baby Boomers to Inherit Up to $11.6 Trillion – The Best Life (usnews.com).

And that number just about matches the value of the businesses that the Baby Boomers own.

That man is successful who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much, who has gained the respect of the intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.

Robert Louis Stevenson, (Author)

6 Reasons Why Starting a Business is Hard

I decided to start this list at number 5, so you the reader, can fill in the first 4.

If you are seriously interested in your life’s passion and have seen a type of business that could be a fit, I can help you take the steps to get you into the right business, or know which ones to keep away from.

So here are the easier 6 reasons.

5) Energy

6) Skills

7) Resources and Money

8) Lower risk in working for someone else

9) Clear Direction

10) Customers

Is it time to consider a Franchise?

You will be in Control

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So let’s look to see if you have first base covered in finally becoming in control of your work and financial destiny.

Firstly, let’s take a page out of the Playbook of Warren Buffet.

“Invest in what you use”

Secondly, let’s assume that you are going to treat your new business like an investment and will be fully responsible for its performance.

Thirdly, it must be a business that matches your style. That way you already know a lot about the customers because they are like you. To put it another way if you are ill equipped to manage people from all walks of life, don’t have a people intensive business. If you are an extrovert and passionate, find a product or service which you can evangelize.

Lastly, be prudent about your investment as part of your portfolio. What percentage of your funds are you willing to put totally at risk on your effort? Is your partner fully confident of you and supportive? Insurance will take care of disability for you as owner, it will take care of your family and business if the worst happens. Insurance minimizes your personal risk. But you have to have insurance.

Types of Franchises

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Often people assume that Franchises are only a retail storefront, perhaps restaurants, coffee shops or card shops. Decide if you want to work in your franchise or have others do the day to day management and service delivery. The reality is that there is a very large variety of the 63 categories we represent here are a few:

Accounting
Automotive
Beauty and Personal Care
Child Care
Cleaning (Maid Service and janitorial)
Delivery
Manufacturing
Medical and Related
Pest Control
Telephone Related

Top 3 Franchise Questions

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How do I decide if I want to buy a franchise?
Franchises have a proven business system. what that means is that for the right person in the right market you can get the highest success rates and the lowest failure rates of any business. When you purchase a franchise you will receive on-going support for the life of the franchise. By on-going I mean, marketing, training and management support guaranteed by your agreement with the franchisor. When it comes time to sell and retire, a proven and organized franchise gets a higher multiple.

Why should I pay royalties?
Would you hire the best management consultant in the industry of choice to help you be successful? You should get economies of scale for supplies, services and access to customers not otherwise available. Your peers and the franchisor should stop you from making the errors that they made, and your success will be from standing on the shoulders of giants.

How much money can I make?
Investors make more money in buying a franchise than those seeking to replace a job.

It is a matter of attitude. Research the franchise, learn how others have made money, and if this fits with your style and you have the capital reserves, then take the step of due-diligence. The choice of franchise and history of other franchisees profits can be an indication of what you could achieve. It is not, however, a guarantee.

Many franchisors have printed earnings claims in their UFOC documents but they will still insist that all interested buyers call the franchises and get the “real answers”.

Next Steps
Email me and I’ll send you an overview of the process to decide for yourself if you are more suited to a franchise or an existing business.

Or:

Download from Windows Live

gcrispin@realizebv.com

Dream your Business

How do you live an exceptional life? 

One lesson I learned over the past two years was how to live an exceptional life.  Firstly, it is about dreaming what that life is like, then doing it.  Today I watched JK Wedding Entrance Dance

They took a passion for dance and expressed it at their wedding.  They started their life together exceptionally and will never forget the passion that they have.

Few of us take business that way, as a passion, as a creative and powerful force.  Just remember when you started your business the dreams you had for you product or service, how to support your customers and how it would provide you with the time and money to live your exceptional live with the aid of the business.

Don’t Compromise.  It will kill your passion and much more too.  Take particular care with your ethics, a slip could let your passion slide away. This will require you to yell at people, to say no, not take no for an answer, and to never never give up.

Of course their is the mundane chores that need to be done, prioritize a time for those and get the work done.  Leave the rest of the time to leading and energizing those around you toward the purpose of the business, your time and energy will be multiplied many times over.  You will know you are succeeding both; internally, and when your customers evangelize the business. 

It starts with a Dream – Soichiro Honda had a dream and made it a reality.  It requires character and perseverance Dan Rather said: Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.

So how do you build an exceptional Business?

Dream it, and have a passion for what you do without compromise!