5 tips that will completely change your approach to your business

Today's Business Tips

5 tips that will completely change your approach to your business

ziglarvault.com

Are you tired of hearing the same old business quotes over and over again? Set goals, write things down, manage your time, first to arrive and last to leave…the list goes on and on!

Well, toss out everything you are used to and look at your business from the other side with these tips that you would never have thought of.

1) Don’t list your goals, list what you are afraid of

When you write down your fears, it gives them a shape and a voice. By putting them on a piece of paper, they don’t seem as scary. By compartmentalizing your fears, you realize how feasible it is to conquer them.

2) Be wrong

The only time being wrong is bad is when you don’t learn from it. If you do fail or are wrong, take away why an outcome turned out the way it did. Find a solution to the problem, reframe it, and then achieve success. Apologize, start over, do whatever you need to do to make amends. Learn from the mistake and move forward.

3) Share what you’re good at

Sometimes we feel we might be only “great” at one or two business aspects. However, it is important that we at least have a baseline foundation of the entire business. Don’t shy away from things that make you feel uncomfortable, but try them out! If you are exceptionally talented at something, make sure you delegate it out to your co-workers, learn how to teach them something, make them feel appreciated.

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4) Fast is the new slow and steady

No need to go on a predictable, gradual trend. Instead, piggyback on ideas that will skyrocket. In order to produce an unlimited income, try to find a multiplying effect. Use other opportunities and trends that work. That way, you have the freedom to pursue other avenues, if desired.

5) Time really isn’t money

You can actually decide if you need to make more money. However, you never can give yourself more time once you run out. Once you treat time with value, your time will continue to have worth. Make your time incredibly valuable.

Cracking Your PIN Code: Easy as 1-2-3-4

 Today's Business Tips

 

Cracking Your PIN Code: Easy as 1-2-3-4

By Lisa Scherzer  

The Exchange 

Fri, Sep 21, 2012

Yahoo! editors have selected this article as a favorite of 2012. It first appeared on Yahoo! Finance in September and was one of the most popular stories of the month. Readers joked about people who use the most common PIN codes, and shared how they came up with their own. "My pin number is my post office box number from my time in the Air Force 30 years ago on a base that no longer exists," wrote user Nick. "Feel free to hack that."

If you lost your ATM card on the street, how easy would it be for someone to correctly guess your PIN and proceed to clean out your savings account? Quite easy, according to data scientist Nick Berry, founder of Data Genetics, a Seattle technology consultancy.

Berry analyzed passwords from previously released and exposed tables and security breaches, filtering the results to just those that were exactly four digits long [0-9]. There are 10,000 possible combinations that the digits 0-9 can be arranged into to form a four-digit code. Berry analyzed those to find which are the least and most predictable. 

He speculates that, if users select a four-digit password for an online account or other web site, it's not a stretch to use the same number for their four-digit bank PIN codes.

What he found, he says, was a "staggering lack of imagination" when it comes to selecting passwords. Nearly 11% of the 3.4 million four-digit passwords he analyzed were 1234. The second most popular PIN in is 1111 (6% of passwords), followed by 0000 (2%). (Last year SplashData compiled a list of the most common numerical and word-based passwords and found that "password" and "123456" topped the list.)

 

Berry says a whopping 26.83% of all passwords could be guessed by attempting just 20 combinations of four-digit numbers (see first table). "It's amazing how predictable people are," he says.

We don't like hard-to-remember numbers and "no one thinks their wallet will get stolen," Berry says.

Days, Months, Years

Many of the commonly used passwords are, of course, dates: birthdays, anniversaries, year of birth, etc. Indeed, using a year, starting with 19__, helps people remember their code, but it also increases its predictability, Berry says. His analysis shows that every single 19__ combination be found in the top 20% of the dataset.

"People use years, date of birth — it's a monumentally stupid thing to do because, if you lose your wallet, your driver's license is in there. If someone finds it, they've got the date of birth on there. At least use a parent's date of birth [as a password]," says Berry.

 

Somewhat intriguing was #22 on the most common password list: 2580. It seems random, but if you look at a telephone keypad (or ATM keypad), you'll see those numbers are straight down the middle — yet another sign that we're uncreative and lazy password makers.

The Least Predictable Password

The least-used PIN is 8068, Berry found, with just 25 occurrences in the 3.4 million set, which equates to 0.000744%. (See the second table for the least popular passwords.) Why this set of numbers? Berry guesses, "It's not a repeating pattern, it's not a birthday, it's not the year Columbus discovered America, it's not 1776." At a certain point, these numbers at the bottom of the list are all kind of "the lowest of the low, they're all noise," he says.

A few other interesting tidbits from Berry:

-The most popular PIN code (1234) is used more than the lowest 4,200 codes combined.

- People have even less imagination in choosing five-digit passwords — 28% use 12345.
 

- The fourth most popular seven-digit password is 8675309, inspired by the Tommy Tutone song.
 

-People love using couplets for their PINs: 4545, 1313, etc. And for some reason, they don't like using pairs of numbers that have larger numerical gaps between them. Combinations like 45 and 67 occur much more frequently than 29 and 37.
 

-The 17th most common 10-digit password is 3141592654 (for those of you who are not math nerds, those are the first digits of Pi).

Today's Business Tips

17 Facts about McDonald's that Will Blow Your Mind

 

By Gus Lubin and Mamta Badkar 

Business Insider 

Fri, Dec 7, 2012

• 
  Associated Press/Dennis Cook, file - FILE - In this file photo taken April 6, 1988, Ronald McDonald watches as about 20,000 balloons head skyward at the opening of the 10,000th McDonalds restaurant worldwide, …more 

Before, during, and after the recession, McDonald's has been an unstoppable global force. The fast food giant can now be found in 119 countries, where it serves over 75 burgers every second.

And if you don't like burgers, the chain is great at localization with countless unique items served at around the world, and now it's taking over coffee — oh yeah, the McRib is coming back soon.

 

1. McDonald's sells more than 75 hamburgers every second
 
(Source: McDonald's Operations and Training Manual via Side Dish)

 

(McDonald's)

 2. McDonald's feeds 68 million people per day, that's about 1 percent of the world's population
 
(Source: Societe General via Dominic Chu)
3. McDonald's' $27 billion in revenue makes it the 90th-largest economy in the world
 
(Source: SEC)

4. The $8.7 billion in revenue from franchise stores alone, makes McDonald's richer than Mongolia
 
(Source: SEC)

5. McDonald's hires around 1 million workers in the US every year
 
This estimate from Fast Food Nation assumes a 700,000 domestic workforce with 150% turnover rate.

6. McDonald's has 761,000 employees worldwide, that's more than the population of Luxembourg
 
(Source: McDonald's / Statistics Iceland)

7. According to company estimates, one in every eight American workers has been employed by McDonald's
 
(Source: McDonald's own estimate in 1996 via Fast Food Nation)

8. Sharon Stone worked at McDonald's before she was famous. So did Shania Twain, Jay Leno, Rachel McAdams and Pink
 
(Source: NNDB)

9. McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys, with one included in 20% of all sales
 
(Source: QSR via Motley Fool)

 
(McDonald's) 

10. Back in 1968 McDonald airlifted hamburgers to homesick U.S. Olympic Athletes in France
 
(Source: McDonald's)

11. McDonald's' iconic golden arches are recognized by more people than the cross
 
A survey by Sponsorship Research International found that 88 percent could identify the arches and only 54 percent could name the Christian cross, according to Fast Food Nation.

12. The Queen of England owns a retail park in Slough, which has a drive-thru McDonald's
 
(Source: The Telegraph)

13. The Egg McMuffin was modeled on eggs Benedict
 
Herb Peterson invented the Egg McMuffin as a way to introduce breakfast to McDonald's restaurants. From MSNBC:

"Peterson came up with idea for the signature McDonald's breakfast item in 1972. He "was very partial to eggs Benedict," Fraker said, and worked on creating something similar.

The egg sandwich consisted of an egg that had been formed in a Teflon circle with the yolk broken, topped with a slice of cheese and grilled Canadian bacon. It was served open-faced on a toasted and buttered English muffin."

(Source: MSNBC)

14. From 2011 to 2013, McDonald's plans to open one restaurant every day in China
 
(Source: Reuters via Paul Kedrosky)

15. McDonald's delivers – in 18 countries!
 
(Source: Japan Times)

16. The only place in the lower 48 that is more than 100 miles from a McDonald's is a barren plain in South Dakota
 
(Source: AggData via Side Dish)

17. Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonald's in a year – five and a half million head of cattle
 
(Source: John Hayes, McDonald's senior director of U.S. food and packaging, via Side Dish)

Today's Business Tips

 

6 Habits of Extraordinary Bosses

 

By Geoffrey James | Inc – Tue, Oct 16, 2012 4:20 PM EDT

For the past two decades, I've been interviewing and observing successful C-level executives to discover the secrets of their success.

In a previous post, I documented the core beliefs of extraordinary bosses. Now it's time for something more tactical--the simple ground rules for managing a team effectively:

1. They Avoid Creating Superstars

Average bosses sometimes allow one employee to become the "star" of the team while ignoring the hard work of everyone else. The "star" gets plenty of recognition and attention, while the rest of the team gets shunted aside. This alienates everybody except the star and sends people the message that their contribution is not valued.

Extraordinary bosses coordinate individual workers' goals so that they intersect with and support team goals. Such bosses compensate based on how the team (rather than just the individual) performs and encourage top performers to use their talents to create a broader level of success.

2. They Remove the Nonperformers

Average bosses sometimes hire somebody who can't do the job--but then keep that person on board, hoping that he or she will figure things out. This damages the the entire team, because it creates a lower level of performance and forces everyone else to do extra work to fill the gaps.

Extraordinary bosses monitor employee performance and provide constructive coaching when an employee falls short. However, once it's that clear a person can't perform, they either reassign that employee to a more appropriate job or do him or her a huge favor: suggest finding a job elsewhere.

3. They Coach But Don't Interfere

Average bosses can't "let go" of what they're good at. They're constantly intervening when things aren't done the way they'd prefer. This not only lowers motivation but also turns the manager into a "gatekeeper" for any activity--causing productive work to grind to a halt.

Extraordinary bosses know that their primary responsibility is to let people do their jobs and provide coaching when necessary or requested. Such bosses realize that it's impossible for workers to think strategically when their time and energy are getting consumed with details of tactical execution.

4. They Put Their Employees First 

 Average bosses put most of their attention on customers, investors, other managers, and their own career. In this priority scheme, employees rank dead last--if they're even on the list. Unfortunately, employees can sense when a boss doesn't care about them, and they respond by not caring about their jobs.

Extraordinary bosses know that the best way to please investors, peers, and customers is to put the employees first. They realize that it's employees who create, build, sell, and support the products that customers buy, thereby creating investor value and advancing a manager's career.

5. They Manage People, Not Numbers

Average bosses focus on numbers rather than people. They jiggle revenue and profit numbers, monkey with statistics and data, and spend more time worrying about their spreadsheets than making things happen.

Extraordinary bosses know that numbers represent only the history of what's happened--and understand that the best way to have great numbers is to make sure that that the job gets done. They realize that their responsibility is to manage people and their activities so the numbers take care of themselves.

6. They Ask Questions Rather Than Give Answers

Average bosses think their job is to know all the answers and to provide those answers to their employees as frequently as possible. However, each time a boss answers an employee's question, that boss robs the employee of an opportunity to think and grow.

Extraordinary bosses know that people don't learn when wisdom is handed to them on a platter, much less forced down their throats. They know that a manager's job is to ask the questions that will spark, in the employee's own mind, the thought processes and ideas that will make that employee successful.

The Worst Restaurants to Work For

Today's Business Tips

The Worst Restaurants to Work For

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, 

Yahoo! Shine | Work + Money

Is your favorite restaurant mistreating its workers?According to a guide released earlier this year by a group dedicated to workplace justice, some of the most popular fast-food, fine-dining, and family-friendly restaurants in the United States -- including McDonald's, The Capital Grille, and The Olive Garden -- are also the worst ones at which to work.

"We all enjoy eating out," Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) writes on the website for its National Diners' Guide 2012. "Unfortunately, the workers who cook, prepare, and serve our food suffer from poverty wages, no benefits like paid sick days, and little or no chance to move up to better positions. When the people who serve us food can't afford to pay the rent or take a day off when they're sick, our dining experience suffers."

Related: The 10 best and worst restaurants

Ninety percent of the more than 4,300 restaurant workers surveyed by ROC reported their employers did not offer employees paid sick leave. Two-thirds of those surveyed reported that their employees routinely cook, prepare, and serve food while sick. 

Rich Jeffers, director of media relations for Darden Restaurants, owners of the Olive Garden,  the Capital Grille steakhouse, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster -- all of which were called out in the survey over possible illegal practices because workers there have sought help for discrimination and wage theft -- said the organization never reached out to Darden about how employees are compensated before publishing its guide. He noted the average hourly wage with tips for the chain's wait staff is nearly $14.50, and the average hourly wage for a busser is $11. He took exception with a survey of 4,300 restaurant workers in an industry that employs 13 million people. 

Workers are entitled to a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour if they do not receive tips and $2.13 per hour if they do, as well as overtime pay, if they work more than 40 hours per week; if tips and wages don't add up to $7.25 per hour, the employer is obligated to make up the difference. But many workers aren't aware that they're entitled to payment for all of the hours they work, let alone at what rate, the guide noted. And a wage gap exists even among workers making the bare minimum that the government requires employers to pay. "Women, immigrants, and people of color hold lower-paying positions in the industry, and do not have many opportunities to move up the ladder," the report found. "Among the 4,300 workers surveyed, we found a $4 wage gap between white workers and workers of color, and 73 percent reported not receiving regular promotions on the job." 

The guide, which was published in January but gained some newfound attention this week when the New York Times' Mark Bittman and others wrote about it, ranked 150 of the most profitable restaurants in the United States on how much their workers earn, whether they get paid sick leave, and what kind of chances they have for advancement. Darden's Jeffers said 48.9 percent of its restaurant managers advance from entry-level positions, and that the company is keenly focused on upward mobility for its employees.

A sizable number of well-known restaurant chains earned "zero" ratings because they didn't meet any of the minimum requirements for their workers -- and, contrary to what you might think, there are more than a few high-end fine-dining establishments on the list. Take a look:

Applebee's 
Baskin-Robbins
Bob Evans

Boston Market
Buffalo Wild Wings

Burger King

California Pizza Kitchen

The Cheesecake Factory

Chuck E. Cheese
Cracker Barrel

Dunkin Donuts
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Hard Rock Cafe

Hooters

IHOP

KFC

Legal Seafoods

McDonald's

Outback Steakhouse
P.F. Chang's


Pizza Hut

Quiznos
Red Robin

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Sonic

Subway
TGI Friday's

Taco Bell

Uno Chicago Grill

Wendy's


(You can find the entire list here.)

"When you go out to eat, you shouldn't get wage theft, racism, and sick cooks in the kitchen along with your meal," Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," writes in an endorsement of the ROC guide. "How the food tastes at a restaurant really doesn't matter if the people who work there are being mistreated." 

There were a few good guys on the list, mostly local places in New York, Michigan, and California. But, nationally speaking, Five Guys Burgers and Fries -- a national chain that oozes retro charm and a simple menu -- received high marks across the board.

Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.

Giving tips

Today's Business Tips

Giving tips
 

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) 

By Francis J. Kong 

  (The Philippine Star) Updated July 08, 2012 

A couple of candidates competing for county office were sitting next to each other in the local diner. One turned to the other and said, “You know why I’m going to win this election? Because of my ‘personal touch’. For example, I always tip waitresses really well, and then ask them to vote for me.”

“Oh, really?” replied the other. “I always tip them a nickel, and ask them to vote for you.”

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar has something to say about tipping. Ziglar said, “People who are doing better than good will be sensitive to the needs of others, and do the little things that make a big difference. Sometimes little things can make a big difference. 

“One morning at IHOP, one of the places at which the Redhead (Ziglar’s wife) and I periodically enjoy a late breakfast, we were served by a lady from India who was pleasant and effective. A brief conversation revealed that her husband was a medical intern, and as we enjoyed our visit together, we experienced a delightful breakfast.  

There was then a moment when the Redhead excused herself from the table. The waitress brought me the check. I signed it and included a $10 tip. The cost of breakfast was less than the tip. When the waitress returned from the cashier, I was seated in quiet contemplation. She approached me from behind, leaned over and gave me a brief kiss on the cheek, saying, ‘Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much!’ I was delightfully surprised. Then it dawned on me that, for me, the $10 amounted to a simple “thank you”. For her, it might have meant the meeting of an obligation. 

“I always tip at least $10, regardless of whether the bill is less than that. The reason is because each of my three daughters served as waitresses while they were in school, and I well remember how thrilled they were when they received a $10 or, in some cases, a larger tip.

 “Sometimes when we have abundance, when we’ve been financially blessed, we neglect to value the feelings and needs of others. That little incident, which lasted only a brief moment, made a lasting impression on me – which leads to a very important point. A little kindness, a little thoughtfulness, a little compassion, can really impact the life of another person. And it takes so little time and involves such a small investment. Yet real joy can be the outcome. Little things do make a big difference.

Today I hope you will have an opportunity to say a word of encouragement, to give an extra big smile, to use a more enthusiastic tone of voice, or anything else that will give just a word of hope. The reality is, we never know but that the other person might be in the depths of despair, and a simple act of kindness could well literally be a lifesaver. In addition, it involves joy on the part of the gifter. Joy is what you experience when you do something for someone else, someone who cannot reciprocate your kindness. Think about it. Give it a shot today—and tomorrow, too!

Zig is right.

Bless others with your blessings.

I know, I know. There are the expensive service charges right? So?! Bottomline: Be generous. Bless the guys who render the service.

Money is like manure. When you pile it all up in one place, it stinks. When spread everywhere, it becomes fertilizer.

Tipping makes someone happy. If you can be the instrument that God can use to bless someone today – then why not?