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Welcome to Your Potential & Productivity Update

In This Issue:

Note From Natalie: Being Green

Coaching with NMA: NEW! Business Mastery Mentor Program

Feature Article: Don’t Spend the Vendor Money Yet

NMA Recommends: FAQ from the Small Business Administration

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Being Green

I am so excited about my new solar clothes dryer. Have not had one in years and I had forgotten the many benefits of using one. It requires a slower pace, intention, and a certain flexibility to handle the hanging, not to mention writing yourself a note to remember to go get the clothes. It’s only been in my yard for two weeks, but already I love the idea of being more green.

What is the first thing I do when I take my dry clothes off the clothesline?

The first person to guess the correct answer and send it to me via email at Success@NatalieManor.com will receive a complimentary reservation to attend the launch of our brand new “Business Mastery Mentoring Program^(sm)” on Tuesday, October 20th. Click the Business Mastery logo for more information about our new program.

By the way, I have asked dozens of people this question and no one has gotten it right yet. Yet when I tell them the answer, they say “of course, I do that too!”

Speaking of getting answers right, this week’s article is all about asking the right questions in order to get the clarity you want and need BEFORE you spend your dollars on a vendor.

Don’t Spend the Vendor Money Yet

By: Natalie R. Manor, CEO

There are many conversations taking place right now about how to wisely utilize your dollars and create good return on your investment. This is especially true when deciding to use a vendor to help you create measurable and sustainable results for your business and/or organization.

First, let me congratulate you for considering hiring a vendor to help you. It means that you are willing take a look at what you don’t know and/or don’t do best and hire someone to help create success regardless.

Secondly, do not spend any dollars until you examine, very carefully, what it is you want to achieve as a result of working with your new vendor.

My recommendation is that when you begin your search for a vendor you ask for referrals from a trusted source. Make sure that the referral is legitimate. Ask for at least three references of the referral and call them. Ask them about the vendor’s accountability, responsiveness and ability to produce the desired results.

You do not know everything nor do you have unlimited time and resources. It is a good idea to hire a vendor to help you move through your next steps. However, it is important to know who and what you are hiring and WHY you are hiring a vendor.

Don’t hire anyone unless you’re clear about the issues you want solved and the outcomes that you want to produce. If you don’t have time to do something that needs to be done, you can hire an expert to help you. However, if they are not accurate, timely, reputable, clear, and prompt – you will end up managing the expert and not getting what you want and need.

Vendors, consultants, coaches, experts should be able to do the following for you easily and with speed and accuracy:

• Understand your needs, help you articulate the outcomes and goals to be accomplished and put together a timetable for these results
• MEASURE the results easily and should in fact have measurements for the results in their proposal to you
• Clarify your issues – the things you cannot accomplish on your own – to help you identify if these “goals” are realistic, necessary and will contribute to your growth and success
• Provide you with 3-5 references of people who are tickled pink with the measurable results they have produced for them
• Would be rehired by the reference

Your time is much too precious to waste it on people who cannot provide you with the insights, support and results you need and want.

Money is not tight. Money is now more valuable because we want to spend it wisely. Invest your dollars in people, vendors, consultants, business people, mentors and coaches that will provide you with the very best that money can buy…measurable, clear, productivity producing, sustainable results.

© 2001-2009 Natalie Manor & Associates.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Manor is dedicated to helping you solve all of your “People Issues”.  To learn how to resolve your people issues so you can maximize your potential and increase your productivity with confidence, influence and success, register for her free bi-weekly articles at: http://www.NatalieManor.com

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See NMA’s Blog

FAQ from the Small Business Administration

For many years, I have had the privilege of being a business advisor to the Women’s Business Center in New England, which is an arm of the SBA – Small Business Administration. The SBA provides an enormous amount of information for business start-ups and more mature business organizations

They just published an FAQ regarding the stats on small business and the economy.

Here is the link: http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf.

The report contains valuable and timely information regarding the numbers and influence that small business is having on the 2009 business environment that I thought you may find interesting.

NMA, Natalie Manor & Associates is an organization of mentors, trainers and coaching professionals who provide measurable and sustainable results for our clients in solving their "People Issues". We collaborate with you and provide you the tips, techniques and strategies to easily, confidently and effectively recognize and solve your "People Issues".

While NMA is best known for their mastery in solving "People Issues", their biggest impact comes from working with business owners and professionals just like you! See what they have to say at What’s Possible with NMA.