The Changing Face of Business

Written by Cheryl Rickman


Not long ago, words like mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, alliances and partnerships were seldom used. Withrepparttar changing face of business inrepparttar 106868 New Economy, these words are now part of everyday business vocabulary.

With many companies choosing to ‘work with’ other companies, a new breed of individual and team is achieving pre-eminence. People who can be trusted and always do a job well, plus people and organisations who grow to develop and produce optimum results. People are, after all, a company’s best asset inrepparttar 106869 fractured business arena. This is why organisational behaviour and a company’s people are increasingly being recognised as imperative elements of a company’s success.

In developing and training their people, businesses are investing in their primary assets to deal withrepparttar 106870 changesrepparttar 106871 New Economy.

Fusing Old and New to Surviverepparttar 106872 New Economy Training and development is not a new phenomenon, in prehistoric times when humans began to create artefacts, they needed to teach others how to use them. However, that was training in its crudest form with minimal ongoing development.

Now,repparttar 106873 need has arisen for increasingly dynamic development programmes that actually deal with transforming individual and organisational performance via behavioural change. Also, with each marketplace becoming more and more competitive, businesses are striving more than ever to rise aboverepparttar 106874 rest. Ultimately those companies that survive inrepparttar 106875 New Economy will be those that translate transformed individual and organisational behaviour into transformed business performance.

One way to achieve this is to focus on an organisation’s people: their values, skills and behaviour and to combine traditional values and ideas with modern and technological approaches. Growth withinrepparttar 106876 New Economy is firmly rooted inrepparttar 106877 growth of behaviour and ongoing development of teams and individuals, within a working philosophy that combines old ideologies with new vision.

Ken Buist, Founder of Transform People International, (http://www.transformpeople.com), firmly believes in this idea,

“Atrepparttar 106878 end ofrepparttar 106879 day it is their people that will make a business work, it’s their people that will makerepparttar 106880 business successful, and this can only be achieved through having commitment to common business goals, a unity and spirit of purpose, and excellent communication at all levels. My vision is simple – to transform business performance through a transformation of its people.”

Willrepparttar 106881 Real Aristotle Please Stand Up? Just as personal and organisational development are by no way new phenomenon, neither arerepparttar 106882 ideologies that providerepparttar 106883 basis for some ofrepparttar 106884 most dynamic and successful training programmes that companies embrace today. Ancient methodologies written by Aristotle and Hypocrates BC still have immense weight, as dorepparttar 106885 traditional values of family and well-being. Aristotle, born on a Greek colony in 384BC, definedrepparttar 106886 three main rhetoric styles that together formrepparttar 106887 ‘Art of Persuasion’: Ethos, Logos and Pathos. Today these ancient ideologies still have weight because, in business, we are all trying to sell something, even if it is simply ourselves, our knowledge or our skills.

Transform People International (TPI) is one example of a company that provides a development programme that focuses on people and behaviour, and combines old ideologies with a dynamic and modern approach. They combine old methods with new ideologies to transformrepparttar 106888 way their clients work and live. Transform People International call this new breed of individual who is achieving pre-eminence inrepparttar 106889 New Economy, The Trusted Adviser™.

To help companies produce this kind of individual, Transform People International have created The Trusted Adviser Excellence Programme™, which, according to Founder, Ken Buist, “aims to transform people’s attitudes and behaviour, helping them to grow and be more effective.

In order to transform you have to change thinking, and in order to change thinking you have to provide insight and revelation. In other words we don’t just aim to teach skills but to bring about fundamental and sustainable change.”

Says Ken, “Throughout history man has needed confidantes, advisers and friends, who will: · Accept you justrepparttar 106890 way you are, but challenge you to change where required · Give excellent business advice but allow you to come to your own conclusions · Give sound personal counsel when required, but don’t force their opinions on you · Are 100% loyal without being sycophantic · Continually look out for you, putting your interests first · Can be interesting and fun, yet serious and empathetic when required.”

Tips for Researching a Franchise Business

Written by June Campbell


A franchise operation can be an excellent investment for people dreaming of self-employment. Franchise opportunities fall into three basic categories: Product, Service and Wholesale Distribution. The franchise you select must be one that will maintain your interest through years to come. Not even a lucrative franchise opportunity will work for you if you findrepparttar business dull or boring. However, like all business opportunities, there are risks involved. You'll minimizerepparttar 106867 risks by doing your homework before you sign onrepparttar 106868 dotted line.

1. Conduct Preliminary Research Askrepparttar 106869 franchise company to send you brochures, pamphlets and videos, if possible. Then, locaterepparttar 106870 nearest two or three franchise operations and visit each. Talk withrepparttar 106871 franchise holder,repparttar 106872 employees andrepparttar 106873 customers to get their reaction torepparttar 106874 product or service. Hint: Askrepparttar 106875 franchisee if he or she would purchaserepparttar 106876 same franchise again.

2. Study Company Documents US franchisors are required by law to provide you with documents offering full disclosure ofrepparttar 106877 franchise opportunity. (Laws may differ in other countries). These documents could be calledrepparttar 106878 Offering Prospectus (OP),repparttar 106879 Disclosure Document orrepparttar 106880 Franchise Offering Circular. These papers provide you with a wide range of information aboutrepparttar 106881 franchisor. Look for a company that is three years old or more. Senior executives should have positive business experience inrepparttar 106882 franchise field and have a good record regarding previous litigation and bankruptcies.

3. Consult with Business Professionals Takerepparttar 106883 OP,repparttar 106884 Disclosure Document, andrepparttar 106885 franchise contract to an accountant, attorney, management consultant or other business professional for analyses ofrepparttar 106886 financial and legal aspects.

4. Learnrepparttar 106887 Franchisor's Policy Regarding Territory Protection You'll want to knowrepparttar 106888 franchisor's policy regardingrepparttar 106889 number of franchise unit's they'll establish within a geographic area. Do you have a protected territory? You don't want to discover thatrepparttar 106890 company has established a similar unit acrossrepparttar 106891 street from your operation. Additionally, some franchisors also open and operate company owned stores as well asrepparttar 106892 franchise outlets. What's their policy regarding company stores?

5. What Fees Must You Pay? Expect to pay an initial franchise fee (often non-refundable), as well as fees for startup expenses, inventory, licensing, insurance, and a "grand opening fee" for initial promotion. Anticipate annual expenses such as royalty fees and marketing fees. Find out what portion of your advertising fees goes to your own outlet and what portion goes to national advertising. Hint: Ask about hidden fees.

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