Delvin R. Chatterson's Blog, page 2
October 2, 2018
Not Trump’s Greatest Trade Deal Ever?
Not Trump’s Greatest Trade Deal Ever?
A small concession to his insatiable ego, but at least we didn’t have to put his name on it.
He will, of course, boast that the bullying, bluffs and bullshit won him a tremendous victory for America. He has never been intimidated by the truth or been inhibited by the facts. Repeating his version of the truth has worked for him, so far.
Interesting, however, that PM Justin Trudeau is also boasting of victory and a great day for Canada. (I haven’t checked the headlines in Mexico, but presume that both the outgoing and the incoming President are claiming credit for negotiating a great deal for Mexicans.)
The whole agenda of a new NAFTA trade agreement was driven by politics. So it was a necessary requirement that everyone compromise enough that they could all leave the table claiming victory. We knew the political rhetoric would follow to spin the deal in the best possible light.
Fortunately, the commentary by analysts and experts is mixed. That suggests that reasonable compromises were made by all sides to improve the trade deal without demanding too much or conceding too much. Perhaps all sides can legitimately claim a small victory having minimized the potential long term damage to their economies.
Is there a lesson here for entrepreneurs?
Yes. Be sure you’re aware of the political pressures on the other side and find a way to satisfy those needs, without giving up too much of what is most important to you.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com for more Blog posts and articles.
Join our mailing list for regular e-mails with ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
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September 7, 2018
Bookstore in a BMW – Wanna buy a book?
Wanna buy a book?
It’s been my favourite story about the 4-Ps of Salesmanship* for years. I’ve told it many times and repeated it in my book for entrepreneurs, DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY, and my Blog posts at www.LearningEntreprenurship.com
Now I’m living it! And learning more lessons about salesmanship and entrepreneurship which I’m happy to share with you.
My current entrepreneurial adventure is to succeed with a series of crime thriller
novels about the computer business in the 1980s. The first one is called NO EASY MONEY and our hero, Dale Hunter also drives a BMW, except he would have computer monitors on the back seat not books for sale on the front seat…. More on that Story at my Author website: www.DelvinChatterson.com
It has been an interesting adventure, with important lessons learned for entrepreneurs:
First, build the best product you can with all the expert advice you can get.
Don’t neglect the packaging and product presentation, marketing slogans and tag lines that will attract and appeal to your target audience.
Prepare the marketing and sales plan and get started well in advance on building an audience and understanding them.
Do your research and get the pricing right. Remember, the price is defined by the market and is not negotiable. The cost is irrelevant and only determines whether you can make an adequate profit or not on every sale.
Keep testing the product on friends and family until they tell you to STOP! You’ll know they’ve had enough of you when you get those first three important orders, “Get out!”, “Stay out!” and “Don’t come back!”
Learn as much as you can by giving the product away for free before your try selling it to strangers.
Sell like Hell!
Have fun, make money.
Just like any other business. Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
*P. S. The 4-Ps are Persistent, Patient, Polite & Persuasive.
Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com for more Blog posts and articles.
Join our mailing list for regular e-mails with ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
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August 28, 2018
Political Decisions, Risky Business
Risky business
Political decisions are risky because they’re public and they’re personal. They’re political because they’re about principles, policy and personalities. They’re important and unavoidable.
Political decisions have to be made, not just in politics… in business and in life. The question is, will the decision be guided by the principals and the policy objectives or by the personalities and the politics in play?
As President John F. Kennedy described in his book, Profiles in Courage, the decision maker’s courage and character are revealed by decisions that ignore the politics and the personal costs, but defend the most important principles and move everyone in the right direction.
Recent examples: John McCain defying President Trump and his Republican colleagues; Republicans defending Trump to protect their own careers; Maxime Bernier abandoning the Conservatives; Premier Couillard betraying loyalties prior to an election campaign.
What about political decisions in your business?
Also risky, important and unavoidable. Also revealing of courage and character.
In my own book, DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY, I describe the Seven Biggest Mistakes that entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them.
Mistake #7: Distracted by Personal Issues
Personal issues in the business are usually political issues. Especially in family businesses. Company politics often detract from good management and decision making in the business, affecting performance. Personalities and political issues may relate to the owner, family members in the business, the management team or some key staff members.
Avoiding the Seven Biggest Mistakes is a question of balance. To avoid mistake #7, keep your personality in your business plan, but keep personal issues and politics out of your business.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
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August 14, 2018
NO EASY MONEY Launching today!
Buy a book, tell a friend
Friends and family are getting the first chance to buy a book and share the fun!
Visit Indiegogo: Launching NO EASY MONEY, a Dale Hunter novel
Yes, finally you can buy a book.
The novel, NO EASY MONEY or the business books, DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY and The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans. Available in hardcover, paperback or E-book.
Advance sale at a discount for signed author copies and more perks, if you’re interested to join the adventure.
PLEASE, TELL A FRIEND!
Visit Indiegogo: Launching NO EASY MONEY
Learn more about the novel, the Dale Hunter Series, my story and how I got here, my plan and the hidden agenda!
Thank you for your interest and your continued support of my adventure in writing fiction.
Best regards,
Del Chatterson
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August 1, 2018
Entrepreneurs don’t read
And business fiction doesn’t sell
I’m trying to prove both assumptions are wrong. A futile exercise?
Maybe you can help.
First, entrepreneurs can and do read – mostly non-fiction books and articles, mostly related to business and self-improvement. I think we can agree, entrepreneurs are time-challenged and do not want to waste it on fiction. Many do try to keep current on the economic news, business issues and maybe the latest best-seller on leadership or entrepreneurship, but fiction? Not often. No spare time to read for enjoyment, except on the plane or on the beach. Even then it’s seldom fiction.
Are they missing the opportunity for some creative, lateral thinking? New sources of ideas, information and inspiration? Maybe, but their reading habits are already set and unlikely to change.
So my Dale Hunter Series of crime thriller novels set in the computer industry of the 1980s is about an entrepreneur, but it’s written for a wider audience. Appealing to both my 93-year old mother-in-law and my 14-year-old grandson and everyone in between. Different people like it for difference reasons.
You can decide for yourself. Enjoy the fun summer read!
A Free E-book copy of NO EASY MONEY at: Book funnel https://dl.bookfunnel.com/nbi0i5e10t (Offer ends Aug. 15th.)
PLEASE, TELL A FRIEND!
Any feedback, comments, suggestions or reviews are welcome.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
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July 26, 2018
Good luck or bad bounce?
Hazards of the British Open
Tiger Woods was leading after nine holes. At one point it was Spieth, also Kisner, Schauffele, and Chappell. Finally the winner, after four days of challenging conditions and 72 difficult holes of Scottish links golf, was Francesco Molinari.
How to explain it?
Yes, the best golfer won, that’s the way it usually works. And Molinari did avoid the mistakes that eliminated so many others, including strong contenders who made miraculous shots, like Rory McIlroy.
But the nature of golf is such that good shots don’t guarantee good results and bad shots don’t always end up in trouble. Sometimes a wayward ball heading out of bounds bounces off a spectator or a hillside and rolls back to the middle of the fairway. Sometimes a terrific drive rolls three feet too far and falls into a deep bunker where recovery without penalty is impossible.
Remember: Business is like golf and life is not fair. You don’t always get what you want or even what you deserve.
But the important basic principles for success remain: have a strategy and a plan, execute well, stay focused and avoid mistakes.
Be better, do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Read more articles like this one at: Business is Like Golf Blog
Friendly Competition Inspires Everybody
Stories behind the headlines
Match play: Beating one competitor at a time
Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com and join our mailing list for more ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books, Don’t Do It the Hard Way and The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans. Available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
The post Good luck or bad bounce? appeared first on Learning Entrepreneurship.
What did you learn today?
You don’t have to be in school to learn something every day
If your goal is to get better and do better, then you should be learning something new every day. You don’t have to be in school to be learning.
There are many alternative learning strategies and they can all make a difference. Read a book, take a course. Go to a training session, workshop, seminar or conference. Share stories with other professionals, entrepreneurs, friends and associates.
You can extract lessons from everywhere and everything that’s happening around you, as observer or as participant. Lessons on leadership, management, operating effectiveness, personal relations, salesmanship, marketing or customer service. Most of the valuable lessons are free!
Even during the periods when you’re relaxing, enjoying the recreation or entertainment, pay attention to the strategies, tactics, behaviour, results and consequences.
Maybe you’ll notice like I have, for example, that business is like golf. (See my Blog: Business is like golf) The game of golf frequently reminds me of the important basic principles for success: have a strategy and a plan, execute well, stay focused and avoid mistakes.
So back to my initial question, what did you learn today?
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
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July 20, 2018
Bad behaviour needs to be changed, not explained
Needs to be changed, not explained
Bad behaviour needs to be changed, not analyzed, explained, rationalized or excused.
Speculating over why it’s happening may keep the analysts and commentators busy, but it’s tiresome and irrelevant. If the bad behaviour can be stopped by removing the cause, then let’s do that, but if we cannot determine the cause, then let’s accept the fact that it will continue unless we change it.
The best way to help change the behaviour is to allow the negative consequences to be evident and obvious to the individual and to his supporters, facilitators and enablers. It doesn’t matter if it’s an arrogant politician or selfish CEO, delinquent employee or spoiled 5-year old. Let’s change the behaviour or change the player.
(OK, maybe not change your 5-year old, he’ll grow up and improve.)
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
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July 5, 2018
Enlightened Entrepreneurship – A wider perspective
A wider perspective
“I’m only in it for the money.” Really?
Hardly anyone admits to it; most of us are accused of it.
Most of us already know that being motivated by personal gain and short term profit are losing propositions. We must have a higher purpose and satisfy a wider spectrum of interested stakeholders to achieve sustainable long-term success.
We have to continuously satisfy the needs and meet the expectations of employees and customers, suppliers and strategic partners, governments and regulators, our communities and the society around us.
Yes, it can be called recognizing our social responsibilities and yes, it can still be justified by the old free enterprise principle of being in our own self-interest, to make more money.
You do not have to be a dedicated, altruistic social entrepreneur to accept that every business is a social enterprise. Every business has to deliver products or services and employment with net benefits to society and a minimum of social and environmental impacts.
An enlightened entrepreneur is aware of those requirements and manages accordingly.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Join our mailing list for regular e-mails with ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
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May 30, 2018
Results are all that matter
Wrong. Character matters
Whether you are a CEO, politician, celebrity or simply a humble hard-working entrepreneur or employee, performance is continuously being assessed by the results you achieve. Does it matter how they are achieved?
Some people think not, results are all that matter. They’re wrong.
Character matters. Ethics, attitude and approach matter. Tactics and methods matter. Success and the desired results may appear to be achieved, regardless of the behaviour. Immoral, irresponsible, ruthless, and aggressive behaviour may even appear to have been necessary to achieve the results. Wrong again.
The apparent short term gains will eventually be lost to long term reactions. The used and abused will get even. A legacy of accomplishment may be completely forgotten, when the true character is revealed. Just ask Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein or Rosanne Barr.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com for more Blog posts and articles.
Join our mailing list for regular e-mails with ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.
Check out Uncle Ralph’s books : “Don’t Do It the Hard Way” and “The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans” Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.
The post Results are all that matter appeared first on Learning Entrepreneurship.
