Think Big

Thinking big is the best way to move your organizaiton ahead.

How to you think BIG

B- Believe in the outcomes
I- Investigate the opportunities
G- Give Value First

How BIG do you think?

How to talk to anyone anytime anywhere for any reason!

How to talk to anyone anytime anywhere for any reason!

I must fair warn you that learning this skill may open the door to your future success beyond your wildest dreams; this skill may propel you mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. This one skill alone has built more millionaires, developed more great leaders, helped people to be more giving, solved major social problems and has help to feed the hungry. Not only that it has made more people more friends and helped people to have a richer fuller life. Learning this skill has built more marriages, raised better children, and made a difference in my life.

Ok so, I have learned this far in life that talking to people will ultimately lead to more success in life. Have you ever noticed that there seems to be some people that can just start a conversation with you and next thing you know you are talking to them as if they were your best friend? This is not a talent it is a skill; just as you learned to write and spell, you can learn to start a conversation.The questions is do you want to learn it? The thing is I don’t even think you care enough to learn it, but I will put it out, so you now have a choice:
1. Continue reading and have the life you wish or
2. Give up like so many others.

How to talk to anyone anytime anywhere for any reason!

1. Prepare your self to talk – tell your self that you are a great conversationalist and that you can talk to anyone no matter who, what, when, where, or why.
2. Pick one of the following things to start the conversation with: current events, current in the situation, current weather, current topic on peoples minds, current sports team or current holiday (there are many more these are just a few).
3. Put a smile on your face- strife and laughter can’t co-exist
4. Have a reason for the conversation- conversations must have a mission attached, friendship, friendliness, new job, or whatever
5. Start with saying hi - hello, how you are, what’s up, or whatever greeting you are used to using. The trick is to start saying it to everyone with a smile on your face. The ability to say hello to anyone, anytime, anywhere, for any reason is as important to being a good conversationalist as batting practice is to a baseball player.
6. Call Nathan Bush for the rest of this article……..(636) 399-0416

Uncover the TRUTH in the Mission

Uncover the Truth in the Mission

What is the mission statement? How does it contribute to the organization? Why is it important to have a mission? One simple word answers all these questions: VISION!!!! With out vision an organization has absolutely no direction and with no direction no growth.

Like anything that is living (I do believe that organizations are a living creature) if it’s not growing its dieing and the mission is the blood of the organization. Each employee, volunteer, donor, board member, or client should have the mission running through their veins. The mission is what keeps the doors open in hard times and what contributes to the ultimate success of the organization.

A Non-profit with not mission has no reason for existing, and non-profit with a week mission has no reason for growth; a non-profit with a strong mission shows that strength through everything it does.

What is the TRUTH in a mission?

Territory
Reality
Utilitarian
Trustworthy
Heavenly

Territory – Where will we operate and what needs are we filling.
Reality- In reality are we helping
Utilitarian- Does our mission benefit more people than it hurts
Trustworthy- Is our mission believable in that people trust the organization to achieve
Heavenly- Is there a spiritual calling to the organizers of the mission statement

If you uncover the TRUTH in the mission your organization will bleed the mission and when in battle people will see if wounded what your team bleeds. Help, healing, higher achievement, and Hero’s come from bleeding TRUTH in your mission

What’s your mission?

Customer Satisfaction Survey Instructions

Customer satisfaction is the key to success. You want customers to be happy with the products and services you provide. If they feel they have received good value for their money, your business will prosper. Getting your customers to tell you what’s good about your business, and where you need improvement, helps you to be sure that your business measures up to their expectations.

A customer satisfaction survey is one way to gather this vital information. There are any number of ways to get copies to your customers. Copies can be included with orders, mailed directly at regular intervals, sent and received by fax, whatever is convenient for your particular business. Many won’t be returned, but those that are will make it worth your while.
The customer satisfaction survey below is designed to get your customers to tell you what they really think.

No ranking of quality on a scale of one to five, no lengthy questions, just a list of key business activities and space to respond. Limiting the choices to “outstanding” and “needs improvement” sends a clear message that you expect the products and service you supply to be the best available, period. Keeping the survey to a single page makes it more likely that customers will take the time to respond. It also facilitates faxing. Be sure to include instructions on how to return the completed surveys.

Give your fax number, include stamped, addressed envelopes, or whatever it takes to make it more likely that you’ll get them back.Don’t forget to follow up on the comments you receive. If you have to change a procedure, tell an employee how you want things done, pick a new delivery service, do it. And advertise the fact that you did.

Send thank you notes to the customers whose comments caused you to make a change. Let them know that you can do an even better job because they took the time to help you improve.

One company that is notorious for great customer satisfactions is www.inbeefinancial.com to be a great internet based compay you need good customer satisfaction or customers will not return. Not for profits need even better customers satisfaction or they might as well close up thier doors.

5 Ways to Ensure Ethical Fundraisers

1. Open communication
Show donors what the money will be used for. Then as the money comes in make sure every dime goes towards whatever project your 501 (c) 3 raised money for.
2. Set obtainable realistic goals
To ensure ethics in you campaign, make sure your board, leaders, and employees set obtainable fundraising goals. There is no need to raise money above and beyond the goal. Goals that are set too high cause ethical problems because your organization obviously doesn’t need the money.
3. Give money yourself
Individuals are the ones with ethical problems not organizations. A company can not be corrupt; it is the people within the organization that are. By giving you are ensuring that the fundraising in a valid cause.
4. Strong relationships
Your organization has a responsibility to every person who has ever donated moeny to keep them updated with what the organization is doing with the money today and from this point on. It is perfectly acceptable to ask them however, if they would like to be updated on the progress of your organization. Your donors no matter how small, are the stock holders in your organization.... keep them informed.
5. Finalize plans
Never EVER start a fundraising program and halfway through change your mind...... bad idea. Make sure all plans are finalized before you raise a dime.

The basics of non-profit management

1. What is a member driven association?
This is perhaps most obvious for a membership organization- the trade association, professional society, or technology user group- or the other group created specifically to assist a profession or industry. Members of these services provide a direct benefit to them as individuals.

2. What are some potential revenue sources for organizations?
Some potential revenue sources include: Trade shows, conferences, continuing education programs, journals, trade magazines, subscriptions, displays advertising, special publications, research independent studies, books, educational materials, directories, sponsorships, networking functions, working groups, research and statistics, certification programs, grants, cause related marketing, Event by- Products, tapes, cd-rom’s, conference proceedings, websites, sale of mailing lists, warehousing supplies, franchised chapters, cost sharing alliances, fundraisers.

3. What is a basic difference between a trade association and a professional association?
Trade associations typically have corporations as members while professional associations usually have people as members. Trade associations are industry specific while professional organizations do not necessarily specify which industry they are to pursue.

4. A user group is...
A user group is a specialized type of not-for-profit organization. Its members are customers and users of the products or services. We define user groups this way because the members literally are the members.

5. The importance of a cost-benefit analysis.
It is important to decide the cost / benefit of the program to see who what when where why and how the program can sustain its self and to determine if the program is financially youthful.

10 Things To Live For

1. to embrace your values
2. to make a difference
3. to help others
4. to learn
5. to teach
6. to earn
7. to give
8. to love
9. to achieve
10. to share ideas with others

Take an opportunity to study to true meaning of thees reasons for living, and then share them with some one else. If you have noticed, on this site, I do not in any way write things that are shocking or crude or offensive. The only way others will hear about this positive site is for you to share it with them. I would appreciate your help in encouraging positive thought and share this site with two friends, it would me the world to me!

The Core Questions of the Non-Profit Sector

Why are nonprofit organizations such a significant part of the culture and local community in the United States?
Non-profits exist to help others. The benefits instilled in our culture include personal growth, career development, social development, cognitive/ academic development and it’s all to better the community.
What are five things all not-for-profit agencies should do to provide appropriate and effective customer service?
Devise a strategy. Get the top management to behave like customer service fanatics. Concentrate on motivating and training employees. Design services that make good customer service possible. Invest in service infrastructure.


What is a vision and why is it important?

A vision is the picture of what is possible for the organization. It evolves into a shared dream for your organization. Visions always picture hope and greatness, and aim at changing the world for those the organization serves.

Visions suggest future orientation
Visions can-notes a standard of excellence, and ideal. It implies a choice of value.
Vision has the quality of Uniqueness. It hints at what makes something special.

Characters of a Leader

1.Self- aware} recognize yourself
2. Self- Regulation} Thinking B 4 Acting
3. Motivation} passion to work for no money
4. Empathy} Understanding others
5. Social Skills} Charm- build networks
Emotional Intelligence

16 Potential Revenue Sources for Non-profits

1. Trade Shows
2. Conferences
3. Continuing Education Programs
4. Journals, Trade Magazines
Subscriptions
Advertising
5. Special Publications
Research
Independent Studies
Books
Education Materials
Directories
6. Sponsorships
Conference Activity
Publications
Networking Functions
Working group, Chat rooms
7. Research/Statistics
8. Certification Programs
9. Grants
Government
Private
Foundations
10. Cause-Related Marketing
11. Event By-Products
Tapes
Cd-Roms
Conference Proceedings
12Websites
Chat rooms
Banner advertising
Job Postings
13. Sale of Mail Lists
14. Warehousing Supplies
15. Franchised Chapters
16. Cost Sharing Alliances

The Guide to Social Change (How the Rich Change Society and the Poor and Middle Class Follow)

The Guide to Social Change (How the Rich Change Society and the Poor and Middle Class Follow)
The V and the D in the Humanitarian Quadrants have few tax advantages. Working out of these quadrants makes you poorer while the S and the P do get richer. It works like this: (See picture at top of page)

Because there are many more tax advantages for the S and the P they are able to keep more money. By paying less in taxes they are able to utilize their financial resources when making a social change. Think about this, would you like your children’s college paid for? Rich people are able to help their children move ahead and poor people are not because of the tax advantages associated with the humanitarian quadrants. Did you know that if you start a foundation that the money is tax free and can actually grow to put more than just your children and family through college? Social entrepreneurs and philanthropists know that money set aside in a foundation protects their assets and allows children to go to college on tax free money. However, volunteers and donors can not just send their children to school tax free.

Understanding the mind set of the S and the P are very important to making social changes. The S and the P get their governmental policies passed because their children that go to higher education are hand picked by the organization itself. Those children are going to grow up with the framed outlook to prevent society from going in the direction contradictory to what the S and the P want out of life.

A Problem with Passion?

Do your employees struggle with enthusiasm or passion for the job? Passion is not something that just happens to your employees or yourself it is a planned operation. Just as you have a plan for how you are going to market you business you should have a plan for how you are going to build passion in your company. There are four ways to build passion in your organization: developing a strong mission, building a training program, including your employees in goal setting.

Developing your mission!
What is your company’s purpose? Why do you exist? If you do not have something to live for then you merely exist, not living? Have a strong company mission is one to the biggest builders of passion in any organization. Many for profit companies could take a cure from the not-for-profits. People who work in the nonprofit industry have amazing passion for their mission. You mission should be instilled during your formal training program.

Building a training program!
When I was working for the YMCA of Greater Saint Louis one of my main projects was to compile research into understandable charts that show the efficiency of the training program. From my research the YMCA was able to determine that training (Formal) training improved employee retention rates, improved employee moral, improved the number of customers, decreased customer un-happiness, and helped raise more money. All in all I would say, in conclusion, training improves passion! What is your training program like? During formal training your company has the perfect opportunity to include employees in company goal setting.

Including your employees in goal setting!
By including your employees in company goal setting you not only help shape the future of your organization, get buy in, improve passion, and help your employee understand goal setting, you create an environment of creativity that will help fuel your organization. Having employee buy in improve the passion they have for the organization. Goals help them feel like part of the team and that they belong.

Where do you belong?

Humanitarian Quadrants (Cont.)

Why do nonprofits have paid leaders/employees?
A. Managing volunteers takes a lot of time
Planning Organizing
Motivation
Staff Placement
Leadership

What are the responsibilities of a paid leader in a nonprofit?
B. The paid people do the dirty work that most volunteers don’t want to do
C. Fill the needs of Volunteers through
1. A Mission
2. Providing Fun
3. Self- Fulfillment
4. Showing Productivity
5. Good Direction
6. Recognition

How do you keep good volunteers?
D. Good relationships
1. Treat them how you want to be treated
2. Become a social base
3. Make the job easy enough for them to be successful
4. Recognition of good job.

People in the S and P Quadrant know and understand this compleetly and this is why they are able to make the greatest social changes!!!

Humanatrian Quardants (TM)

Think back to the Humanitarian Quadrants™, many of times people will say to me “I volunteered this weekend and I made a difference.” I will in turn reply, “While it was very nice, and probably well intentioned, you did not make a difference.” Volunteering as well as Donating are on the left side of the Humanitarian Quadrants ™ . The left side of the quadrants does not make social change only the right side does. Let me explain: Social Entrepreneurs and Philanthropist are truly making the social change, you working in their system helps them to accomplish their social change.
Volunteers and donors have no control in the social arena, especially when trying to make a difference. Think back to 911, the Red Cross was responsible for collecting millions of dollars for the incident. What happened? The Red Cross received to many donations, more than enough to support the disaster of 911 so they redistributed to money, while they did catch some heat, they were never truly punished for not informing the donors. Why? Because it is the social entrepreneurs and philanthropist that make all the decisions for the Red Cross. They are the people in control of who, what, when, where, why, and how. Social changes are made by these decision makers. The donors and volunteers are only pawn in their strategic moves.

If you want to make a big difference you must begin to think like a philanthropist, or social entrepreneur and less like a volunteer. Instead of wasting your time you could be spending your time making a difference.

How do you spend your time?

The Humanitarian Quadrants

Lesson's Realting to Social Change:
Things the People in Power don't Want You to Know About Helping People

V= Volunteer
D= Donor
S = Social Entrepreneur
P= Philanthropist


This is a teaching tool that I will use in the future to describe how to create a social change for the betterment of mankind. Each person is from one of these, and operates in one of these quadrants during their life. While the V and the D are on the Outside of Social Change the S and the P are on the inside

Leadership, Ethics, Busisness Oh My

The foundation of an individual’s life that is not associated with their physical body, but the make up of their personality and confidence that is to search, by logical reasoning, for the understanding of basic truths (principals of the universe, life, morals, and human perception). This is the definition of ethics broken down to its foundation, to the core, to the root of the word. When discussing ethics it’s a matter of absolutes, maybe not absolute right but definitely absolute wrong. Leader-follower, follower-follower, and follower-group relationships are established in a leadership situation, and each relationship must be based on ethics or the cesspool of corruption starts to collect its bacteria that feed on the unethical ideology. There are four ways that something can be absolutely wrong and here is how: “nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself”, “hurting others with the intent of bettering myself”, and “I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”

“Nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself.”
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Be for sure of what you make greater than yourself. What you follow. What you make your God, your moral guidance, your leader. It is no lie to say that everyone will worship something; there is no doubt about that. What makes-up the person is their thoughts and their dreams. That is what makes-up their character and credibility. What you choose to follow is what you are becoming. When one views one self as the greatest and proclaims that he follows no moral guidance he is saying, he decides what is right and what is wrong. We must as a society care about the needs of others, stand strong in what we choose to worship, and remember there is something greater than me. I only got to where I am through the help or allowance of others.

“Hurting others with the intent of bettering myself.”
What is worse damaging someone physically, mentally, or spiritually? I say damaging others to better myself is worse, because when I do I damage all three. Do not take advantage of people. Give your word and stick by it. We ought always to deal justly, not only with those who are just to us, but likewise to those who endeavor to injure us; and this, for fear lest by rendering them evil for evil, we should fall into the same vice. Good people do not need laws to keep them from hurting others, and bad people can always find a way around laws.

“I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The moral sense reappears today with the same morning newness that has been from of old the fountain of beauty and strength. You say there is no religion now. 'Tis like saying in rainy weather, There is no sun, when at that moment we are witnessing one of its superlative effects.


You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership. If you have ever sat in a class, and then cheated off your friend’s homework, and then got caught. Your teacher punishes your friend but not you. It was you who in-fact cheated, and you let your fried get punished for doing nothing wrong; you are unethical and do not deserve to be a leader. Although, all leaders must make mistakes but truly be able to admit them.

In conclusion a selfish person with selfish reasons for selfish gains is unethical. All “ethics” means is that there is something greater than me. In our society people tell me all the time that I can achieve anything I want to in our culture, but what they don’t tell me is that it takes others to get there. I can not lead myself because something bigger than me will always guide my decisions. That guidance is my ethics and those who lead with ethics which have the least amount of selfishness will gain the most in the end.

Basic Elements on Public Relations

1). What are the five common elements in the definition of Public Relations?

1. Management Function
2. Two way Communication
3. Planned Activity
4. Researched Based Social Science
5. Socially Responsible

2). How is PR related to the concept of relationship management

Well managed organizations know they must have good relationship with publics important to their success. Good relationships can reduce threats such as litigation, regulation, boycotts, or lost revenues.

3). Hunt-Gruing models of PR are? Why are they important?

1. Press/ Publicity model – Coverage, Or Publicity
2. Public Info Model – Accurate information
3. Two Way Asymmetrical – influencing a particular point
4. Two Way Symmetrical – two way communication of conflict resolution

They are important because they help predict the future. Organizations that practice PR correctly are said to be successful but the organizations who don’t fail. This is important in deciding what organization to work for if you specialize in relationship management.

4). How do PR and Marketing differ.

Marketing- Process of researching, creating, refining, and promoting a product or service and distributing that product or service to targeted consumers.
PR- management of an organization’s relationships with its publics.

5). Four steps it traditional PR.

1. Research
2. Planning
3. Communication
4. Evaluation

6). Why is PR considered a dynamic process?

It is a critical thinking process involving a constant analysis and reevaluation of information. What was true yesterday is not true today.

7). Describe the role values play in PR.

Values are the fundamental beliefs and standards that drive behaviors and decision making.

Personal Ingredients

Personal development

- what goes into you?
What are your personal ingredients?

Just as it is important to know what many of the ingredients in your retail products do, it is more important to know what ingredients you need to become successful and out perform the other products in your market. As you know in the retail hair care market there are many, many, many competitors. With out having the proper ingredients in your product ultimately it will have poor performance. When you find the right formula your career will catapult upwards and you will begin to feel what it is to have the best product available. There are five main ingredients that your products needs:
1.Education
2.Organization
3.Discipline
4.Values
5.Dreams

10 Things that I Learned today

1. Banks ask for a lot more information to pre-qualify you for a loan than they need
2. Most 21 year olds don't invest in property
3. My wife is REALY GOOD at putting on make-up
4. Some people were never supposed to be business owners some how they still are
5. Giving FREE SAMPLES does absolutely no good for wholesalers charge at least $0.50 for anything
6. There is a new support group for smokers similar to AA that helps smokers and nonsmokers alike and it is sponsored by Barns Jewish Hospital
7. In sales if you can touch your customer on the shoulder, hands, or arm in an appropriate way do so, touch is one of the biggest factors to opening up a relationship and building trust
8. Repeat sales are almost as tough to get as the first one especially because they know what your product or service does its best to lock them into a long term agreement.
9. Go out of your way to please a customer
10. Don't get upset when somebody misses a meeting with you. Even if you have called them and sent them a thank you card with the schedule time and date. Stay positive, if not it will cost you sales!

You’ve got the power!

For the first time in my life I was truly able to understand the law of magnetism.

I had just finished reading one of the many books in my library. The premise of the book was that with the right attitude people and success will become attracted to you hence the law of magnetism spoke about in John Maxwell’s book “the 21 irrefutable law of leadership”. The new book I read was practical applications for the law of magnetism or law of attraction!

The unique thing about this book is you can not find it in any bookstore it is passed among the elite members of society. I started practicing many of the things in the book and guess what they worked.

Three days ago I received a phone call from one of my friends. We had not spoken in two days, not because of a fight but because we were very busy in our careers. Had asked me what was going on in my life, and I replied honestly and sincerely. The funny thing was in the past two days since we talk I had started and grew a company, Got re-involved in my religion, set up to purchase two apartment complexes, My mother quit smoking, and about 13 other great things that were happening in my life.

Nick stated “Nathan I feel like if I don’t talk to you every day I am going to miss something.”

That’s kind of the point is it? We want to be able to accomplish, produce, and grow. The Lord even Calls us to grow and be “Fruitful and Produce” We were designed for accomplishment.

The ability to capture and understand the law of magnetism will undoubtedly multiply your life by 10. The ability to magnetize people to you is available to anyone who desires.

If you have some extra time, I always make time to help people in search of bettering themselves. We can set up a lunch just give me a call. Your first test to see if you are serious about help is to find my number!!!