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Los Angeles Abilities Expo

I was trying to think how many Abilities Expos I have attended over the past five years, and I think the tally is over 15. This past weekend, I attended the Abilities Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the 4th year in a row. Over the years, this event has been held in Anaheim and Long Beach and received great attendance. This year the expo was moved to LA, and we were unsure as to what to expect for the turn out since it was in the heart of downtown.

For those of you who don't know, the Abilities Expo is a three day event that is geared towards people with disabilities. At these expos, there are transportation solutions displayed and demonstrated including wheelchair lifts, wheelchair vans, hand controls, wheelchairs, etc. In addition to mobility solutions being displayed, there are many other booths showcasing various products like incontinence, health monitoring devices, wheelchair-accessible tents, disposable medical supplies and the fishing doc pole. Organizations like PVA, MDA, US EEOC, UCP and National Center on Physical Activity & Disability also have a strong presence with representatives available to answer any questions.

It's always an eye opening experience to go to these shows, no matter how many I attend. I spent most of my time talking with customers in the Aero Mobility booth, and MobilityWorks booth who showcased VMI vans, including the Honda Odyssey with the VMI Northstar conversion. People that I meet at these shows, and all over really, are so amazing and inspiring. I met a lovely couple that was looking at some VMI vans, but they were not accompanied by anyone with a disability or anyone in a wheelchair. I asked them who they were shopping for and they told me "Our daughter". I asked them what type of disability she had (I never mean to be obtrusive when I ask people this question, but I am always curious what injury or disease one may have). They told me that she has FOP, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, which is one of the most rare genetic diseases known, occurring in about one in two million people. FOP is a disease that turns muscles and ligaments into bone. The family didn't yet own a wheelchair accessible van, because they were able to make do with what they had. Now that their daughter is 19 they want her to have more of a social life which means going out with her friends and without a wheelchair van, that won't be easy. The family found a couple of vans that will suit their needs, but it was just inspiring to talk with them and hear of their struggles with such a debilitating disease.

Perhaps the greatest component of the show is that we are all there for the right reasons. I am there as a manufacture's representative and of course to promote and educate people on VMI products. With that said, I would never recommend a VMI product that doesn't fit someone's needs and that goes the same with everyone in the mobility industry; we want people to be in the right products. I was at the show talking with a rep from Freedom Sciences and he asked if I could help out someone he was working with. None of the products they make fit this couples' needs, so he asked me to see if a VMI van would be the best fit for them.

The attendance at the here shattered last years attendance which is great. That means the word is getting out and people are finding out about this great event. I love going year after year because I get to see many friendly faces that I saw at previous year's expos. Please make a note to come and see us next year at the Southern California expo or at one of the expos throughout 2010 in New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta or Houston.

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Top Ten Things to Consider When Hiring a Tree Company

Who to Hire for a service professional to provide work at your residence can be a tough decision. There are many variables and factors, especially when it comes to tough and sometimes dangerous work such as tree service. This article explores a Top Ten list of things to consider when hiring a tree service company. These items are very informative and important to know when obtaining estimates for tree work.

1 - Safety

Safety is the most important aspect of tree work that needs to be considered when hiring a tree company. With the dangerous nature of our business, a culture and tone of safety first in a tree company is critical. Make sure that the tree company you hire has a Certified Tree Care Safety Professional on staff, follows industry safety standards, safety policy, and the company holds regular safety meetings.

2 - Certified, Licensed, and Fully Insured

Another important thing to look for in a qualified tree care company is that the company is fully insured with workers compensation and liability insurance. The tree company should have a minimum of 1,000,000 each occurrence and 2,000,000 general aggregate for General Liability, and 500,000 for workers compensation. It is not wise for a home owner to hire a tree service that is not insured for many reasons, the most important is - do you value your house, car, and belongings? If so, then make sure to hire a company that is fully insured!

Being licensed and certified are both equally important. Most of the time, it is OK for a tree company to hold a business license in the City or County where they are located, but some cities & counties require licensing in their jurisdiction as well. For certification, both the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) and TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association) certify individuals in Arboriculture. A tree care company that you are hiring should have a ISA Certified Arborist on staff, and a TCIA CTSP Certified Tree Care Safety Professional.

3 - Reputation & Longevity

Any service company that performs work at a residence should have a good reputation. There are "so called" tree professionals out there that will take your money and run. Never pay a tree service up front for a job, not even a deposit. Deposits are frowned upon by the true professionals in our industry. To determine whether the company you are considering has a good reputation some good questions to ask are these: How long have you been in business? How many certified arborists do you have on staff? Can you provide references? Do you own your own equipment, especially your crane? Another way to determine the reputation of a company is to check out websites such as Angie's List or Consumer Checkbook. The best way though is to talk to your friends and neighbors - chances are they have stories to tell, both good and bad! A company like JL Tree Service Inc who has been in business for over 35 years and has worked for both homeowners, businesses, and municipalities is most likely going to provide quality tree service.

4 - Equipment

We all remember the old expression; it is not the arrow but the Indian! Well, this is definitely true since tree work takes a special talent. However, good equipment is absolutely necessary to get the job done efficiently and safely. Make sure that a tree company has equipment such as bucket & chipper trucks, chippers, flatbeds, chainsaws, etc that are relatively newer and well maintained.

5 - Employees

Ask how many employees a tree company has. Since tree work is very dangerous, and takes special talent, it is critical that the right guys are there to do the job right. Who wants an amateur or unskilled laborer taking down a huge Oak tree over their house? Not me! A good and reputable tree company should have at least a few top climbers with over 2 years experience in large removals. A company like JL Tree Service Inc has over 18 top tree climbers with many years of experience in large removals and crane removals, 3 certified arborists & 1 certified safety pro on staff - this is what you want to look for.

6 - Location

How far a company is to your location may not seem very important, but it is. A tree company estimator must figure in the cost for travel time as a portion of the cost. If the company is close to your residence, naturally the cost should be better since travel time is less. A tree company located within 10-15 miles of your home is probably sufficient. We all know fuel prices aren't cheap these days!

7 - Industry Standards

The tree care industry has OSHA and ANSI standards to follow as guidelines for safety, general work procedures, tree pruning, and more. Make sure that the tree service you hire follows ANSI standard pruning. There are many tree men that improperly prune trees and recommend poor tree maintenance. There are many different tree species, and each tree responds differently from a diverse set of tree pruning methods. Make sure a certified arborist, or tenured professional provides their professional opinion. Topping and cutting back trees too hard are examples of improper tree care.

8 - Accept all forms of payment

Be careful of who you hire. Some tree cutters who drive by asking for your business most likely are not insured, only accept cash, and are not professional. Many tree companies will provide a free estimate. If you receive 3 or 4 estimates, they will range greatly. For example, you may receive a low bid for $1800 and a very high bid for $4000. A few others will be close and in between around $2800 and $3200 - these are most likely the two companies you will want to highly consider. It is not best to always go with the lowest bid for tree work, as there are many factors as discussed in this article. Look closely at all bids and ask questions! A company like JL Tree Service Inc accepts all forms of payment including all credit cards.

9 - Services offered

If you are a customer with a good amount of tree work to be completed, make sure that you are hiring an actual tree company. There are many 'tree cutters' out there, who do not have the correct insurance for tree work. Be careful of who you hire, especially for the larger and more dangerous here Most of the professional and reputable tree companies provide services related to tree or landscaping, such as emergency tree service, tree removal, tree pruning, tree stump grinding, tree fertilizing, tree planting, tree preservation, landscaping, grounds maintenance, snow plowing, etc.

10 - Recycle wood & debris

I can't tell you how many times I have received a phone call from a customer or municipality saying - "Can you go give me a price to haul the debris that a contractor left on the curb?". Yes, a random tree cutter cut down a tree and did not include hauling the wood and debris with their price but did not tell the homeowner - that is why the price was so good! Now the home owner has to deal with removing the debris because the City or County will not pick up debris that a contractor leaves behind. Make sure that hauling or leaving the wood & debris is clearly and written on the proposal.

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Finding Time-Saving Yoga Studio Management Software

Running and building up a yoga studio requires coordinating scheduling, marketing, accounting, class registration, class attendance, sales and credit card processing, inventory, payroll, staff management, documents, and so much more.

When you started teaching yoga, you wanted to teach yoga. Sure, you knew running a yoga studio or teaching classes involved administration, but perhaps running your yoga business is taking over your life.

Ask yourself:

How many software applications are you running to keep it all together? Are you using a fleet of spreadsheets?

The fact is there is some pretty cool software options available specifically designed for yoga studios that take care of all your yoga studio administration needs in a central, online location.

3 Fundamental Elements of A Great Yoga Studio Software Service:

Cloud computing capability (web-based software); and

Comprehensive, all-in-one yoga software that centralizes all your yoga studio administration operations.

Automation - the more the better. Typically this is easier with comprehensive, all-in-one software.

1. Cloud Computing Yoga Studio Management Software is Where It's At

Cloud computing is web-based software. You simply log-in to your account and manage your entire yoga studio on the Web. Stop with the downloads, installations, networking, and upgrades that plague desk-top software applications. Seriously consider putting your entire yoga studio software management needs on the cloud.

2. Centralizing Your Yoga Studio Software

Integrating separate pieces of software is a never-ending headache. When one application is upgraded, it then doesn't sync with other applications. What you get is a mish-mash of software that more often than not malfunctions. Instead of saving you time, you burn up time trying to get it all working together.

If you can, get yoga studio software that is comprehensive and meets all, or as much of your computing needs as possible.

3. Automation

The more you automate, the more time you save which lets you teach more or take more time off. The fact is, running a yoga studio is managing a large number of variables - students, staff, teachers, schedules, inventory, sales, etc. The goal is full classes and regular students. Automation helps you take care of the menial tasks so you can put your mind and time to activities you enjoy and that let you build your yoga business (and take a vacation).

Yoga Business Software Features to Look For

Not all yoga studios have the same needs. The remainder of this article sets out yoga studio software management features available. Go through them and see what it is you need.

1. Yoga Class Scheduling

Online class scheduling - this is an extremely customer-service friendly feature for your students. Consider the following functions you might want:

Wait-lists: let your students add their name to a waitlist. With software, save yourself the time of managing these lists. Let the software do the heaving lifting.

Student self check-in: spare your students standing in line waiting for you. Let your students scan their ID card and get to class. You also get time to set up and prepare for class.

Printable sign-in sheets: maybe you prefer physical sign-in sheets. Get software that offers a print option with sign-in templates. You can load the data later... or not.

Equipment and room rental scheduling: do you rent out rooms and/or equipment? Why not automate the process and make it easy for your yoga clientele to book your rooms and equipment themselves.

Recurring bookings: nothing builds a business like recurring customers. Make it easy for yoga students to book multiple classes and commit to your classes.

Class attendance statistics: You only know how your business is going if you can measure results. Software that produces easy-to-read reports on class attendance statistics gives you tools at your finger-tips to assess your money-making classes and classes that may not be worth having.

2. Scheduling Ease

Drag and drop functionality for booking is a real luxury. In fact, drag and drop anything is great. Make it easy for your clientele to book classes and appointments with you.

On the Cloud (web-based): Not only does cloud computing save you networking costs, upgrade hassles, and installation nightmares, but you can access your entire yoga business anywhere.

Multiple schedule views: daily, weekly, by name, service, gender and more. Birds-eye views of your schedule can be very handy when looking at the big picture.

Color coding scheduling: sure, you must memorize the colors, but in time the colors will speed up your viewing of your schedules.

3. Yoga Studio Enrollment Options

Perhaps you offer more than just yoga classes. If so, look for yoga studio management software that has the flexibility to schedule all types of events such as:

Courses: still a popular yoga class structure - a series of classes building on concepts.

Seminars / special events: do you ever have a speaker or teaching events? Make it easy for people to sign up and a breeze for you to manage the scheduling.

Plus software that enables:

Payment plan processing: yoga studios usually offer a variety of pricing packages. Make it easy to sell packages (without the hand-held calculator) by considering software that tabulates and accepts payment for yoga packages.

Payment status information: every business has some customers who owe money. Yoga studios are no exception (generally). See at-a-glance who owes you money (and how much).

4. Payment Processing

Credit card integration. Some yoga software includes credit card processing "on the cloud" sparing you the hardware to pay for and set up.

Link payments with services. This way you can produce financial statements any time to see the financial status of your business.

Membership cards (i.e. swipe cards for signing in) and ID tag capability: Lose the paper and look professional with swipe cards enabling self-check in and much faster client tracking.

5. Online Store for More Revenues

If you sell retail, why not create an online store? It's simple to do with the right yoga studio software. There is software that includes e-commerce capabilities so that not only can you track your in-studio retail sales, but you can actually start selling off your website.

In fact, you could consider partnering with yoga and health products suppliers to provide you products to sell on your online store. You can carry inventory or enter drop-shipping arrangements. The sky is the limit.

Moreover, with e-commerce, you can sell gift cards, yoga class packages, event tickets, etc.

6. Yoga Gift Card Selling Option

Gift cards are BIG business. Why not sell your own gift cards? You'll earn revenues and get more students in your yoga studio. Some yoga studio software has the capability to provide gift cards and program them with the software so that you can create them, sell them, and track usage. Other considerations when implementing gift cards for sale include:

Prepaid gift card options.

Able to track student account balances.

Loading gift cards with flexible amounts of money.

Selling your gift cards in your studio and online.

7. Email Marketing for Your Yoga Studio

E-mail marketing can give your yoga business a huge boost. If you get yoga studio software, see if you can find a product that integrates with e-mail marketing software. This way you can leverage your yoga studio software contact database with your e-mail marketing rather than having separate databases. Trust me - when you can centralize, it's worth it.

Not only can you use e-mail marketing to get more students or encourage regular attendance, but you promote sales, encourage referrals, sell products and yoga packages, promote events, send out class reminders, and more.

When you centralize your yoga studio student database with e-mail marketing software, you can segment your students so that you send the most appropriate messages to each person.

For example, if a student signs up online for a class, you can automate reminder class messages. This way you improve your class attendance, and in a worst case scenario, if the student can't attend, they'll be reminded to remove their name off the schedule opening up a spot for the wait list.

Then your e-mail system will produce an e-mail to the wait list alerting them to the open spot. Imagine doing all this manually. Automation is key.

8. Yoga Studio Inventory Tracking

If you sell retail, tracking inventory digitally can save you a lot of time. However, you need software that tracks the stocking and sale of items. Moreover, if you get software that includes inventory tracking, look for the capability to track in-store and online sales.

Again, this goes toward centralizing your operation. By tracking inventory with your yoga studio management software, you'll integrate inventory with sales which lets you produce up-to-date financial reports... not to mention save you time syncing inventory with sales and re-ordering.

9. Yoga Student Account Management

When you use cloud software, you can create accounts for all of your students - so both you and they can log-in to their accounts. This way you and your students can track purchases, their profile, class attendance, referrals, etc. This is very convenient for you and your students.

Liability: What about the dreaded waivers. Necessary, but not a lot of fun. If you let students sign up online, be sure you offer an e-waiver for them to agree to. This too is available with some yoga studio software.

10. Yoga Studio Staff Management

Whether you love managing staff or not, consider saving yourself time and the ability to manage your staff "on the cloud". Some yoga studio software enables you to do some or all of the following features:

A staff dashboard portal where you can send instructions to staff and to-do items.

Individual staff log-in accounts for each staff member.

Permission levels to various portals of your software. Again, this is where centralization works for you big time.

Staff scheduling - lose the monthly printouts and create staff schedules online where your entire staff can access it anytime from anywhere. Scheduling staff with software is much more convenient than on paper. Beside, how often does the schedule change in a month? Save yourself a few erasers.

11. Look for Payroll Management

Do you know how much you're paying out in wages, commissions, fees, etc.? It's not so easy to track with a yoga studio business given the variety of remuneration options yoga teachers opt for. There's hourly, commissions, flat rates, and combinations of these payment options.

Again, a quality yoga software product will track all your pay-rates for all your staff - no matter how complicated. It makes tallying the amount you owe easy.

Take for example, a yoga teacher that earns a flat rate plus a per student rate after a class attendance threshold is met. Okay, one class with one teacher isn't too hard to track, but imagine 30 classes and 5 teachers.

It gets complicated. Look for software that will track and tally all of this for you - all calculated with the swipe cards issued to your yoga students (if you opt for swipe cards - now you're starting to see how beneficial swipe cards can be).

Another payroll feature to look for is a punch clock for hourly employees. I'm not talking about a wall-mounted contraption. I'm talking about staff being able to quickly log into the cloud software and entering start and stop times at the touch of a button.

Finally, you want to be able to export all this payroll data into your accounting software saving you reconciliation hassles come tax time (and saving you lots of money in accounting fees).

12. Track and Measure - Look for Reporting Capability

You won't know where your business is going if you don't know where it's been and where it's at. This boils down to the financials - but not just the usual income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

I'm talking about in-depth class attendance, payroll costs, number of students per yoga teacher, yoga student and employee retention rates, no shows, product returns, and sales figures (past, present and forecasts) - to name a few reporting capabilities to look for.

13. Scalability - Get Software that's Priced to Your Studio Size and Needs

Okay, not every yoga studio wants to expand and build a huge business. That's why yoga software that scales is key. What I mean by this is yoga software that accommodates both small and huge yoga studios - and is priced according to need.

Look for here that offers different pricing packages so you can get a software package that serves your business as is - but has the capability to accommodate your growth - if that's what you do with your studio.

Where Do You Go From Here?

I've covered a lot of ground. Sure, you may not want or need all that capability. That's fine - but you might need more functionality in the future.

One thing is certain, you want to choose your yoga studio software carefully. Why? Because you'll spend a good amount of time implementing it and getting it going just right for your yoga studio. The time investment, with the right software, will certainly be worth it.

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Is Achieving Corporate Success A Simple Case Of Mind Over Matter?

Mind over Matter is a term used to encourage people to take action and do things they had previously shied away from or they don't want to do. It is commonly used by self-help groups or motivational speakers to encourage people in confronting their worst fears with skills of mind control and enhancement. Mind over matter is a basis of positive thinking mentality, emphasizing on mind power in overcoming the physical power described by quantum mechanics.

Mind over matter is a new way of thinking in the world of corporate management and academics. Studies in technology have been presumed to prove that discovery in quantum mechanics has a relationship with the human mind that the more discoveries are made on quantum technology; the more the mind power humans have to create a better world.

Discoveries in the modern science are proving the skeptics of psychics wrong that, in fact, the mind has an effect on the material world. And therefore, human poses mind over matter, making it a necessary to learn training the mind to think positively. However, before the future discoveries were made, it is true that cooperate success can be achieved by the way of management; making decisions to move forward.

By discovering that the most important assets to a company are the employees, is a case of mind over matter. Therefore, investing in the mind of employees can be a secret to success. This can be done using various mind techniques, e.g. by emphasizing, repetition and working on emotions. In addition, visualizing the process and achievements as an internal power for self-propulsion, perseverance and personal discipline, makes the wish factor into an achievable reality.

The use of mind over matter techniques develops the corporate culture and attitude of "can do", without minding about the circumstances at hand. In the current and future corporate society, competition is and will become more viscous and brutal. Therefore, without a motivated state of mind, or without an emphasis over the mind over matter culture, a company cannot sustain itself.

Corporate success should never be considered in behavioral terms; in mind over matter, employee empowerment ought to be looked at as a culture (or part of culture) of the organization and organizations should emphasize on communication and willing mind to serve.

When individuals want to work for the corporation instead of looking for the job to earn some money for their pockets, they are in fact under influence of mind over matter. Being empowered with an enhanced mind comes with the ability to adapt to a situation, to learn new skills and the power to push the system of production to achieve what seems to be impossible in normal state of mind, especially putting into consideration that competitors may not have this concept into their system.

Achievers in here world understand how to enhance the powerful mind of success through mind over matter succession factors that tends to bend to reality. The visualized image provides the mind power for sustainable physical effort within the available time frame for a targeted achievement. Therefore, mind over matter sharpens and enhances one to hone and harness the success power.

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Two Powerful Writing Insights From a Stimulating Writing Bush Camp That You Can Use

So there I was at the writing boot camp on the grassy calm and tranquil foothills of the majestic Mount Kenya - the second highest mountain in Africa. This is the country of Kenya! And I was invited to have a "conversational workshop with the young East African writers".

Though I am a South African by birth but I have spent considerable times in East Africa, in particular the countries of Tanzania and Kenya. In one of those times in 2006, August to be precise, I met and personally conversed with President Barack Obama. He was in Kenya to deliver a lecture on Effective Global Leadership - Moving the World Forward. That was one of those visits President Barack Obama made to Kenya. The first of these visits was back in 1986 while he was a young innovative community organizer in the South Side of Chicago.

At the boot camp my purpose was to centrally focus my "conversational workshop" on biography and memoir writing. After all I was invited to the boot camp because I recently wrote a book on the story of President Barack Obama. So I thought it will be worthwhile and beneficial to the delegates to pitch the workshop at the practical level giving practical insights and personal perspectives of the process I followed myself when writing the book for the whole period of 4 years.

I discussed and engaged the boot camp participants about a lot of things covering a wider field. But there were two key central practical lessons that I made sure that the participants take from the boot camp into their consciousness.

The first key practical lesson was to expound on the difference between a biography and a memoir. The two are related but distinct. To be sure and to use my own common sense and discrimination I expounded that a biography is the essentials about a person - the distilled virtues of a person and how can others learn from it. Like the book I recently wrote about President Barack Obama Moving Forward: The President Making a Better America and the World the main purpose of the book is to provide a concise comprehensive constructive account of President Barack Obama's diverse and wide ranging life story that effectively condenses into his Moving Forward Vision for America and the World. In the book many things have been omitted, compressed and telescoped. No book can be all-inclusive. This was a particular special story on President Barack Obama that I chose to tell. My presuppositions and my sympathies colored my choice and text.

Generally speaking, reading a biography the reader should aim off for the breeze: take what he or she wants, leave or adjust the rest. The reader must not accept, but must be critical and question. The biography writer is not the person who knows but a professional who conduct research, focus and interpret the facts. And all interpretations are a matter of discrimination and prejudice colored by the biographer's outlook.

A biography differs from a memoir because a memoir is the most intimate and private of the two. It is a mere presentation. It is full of innermost personal thoughts and feelings, raw as they are - without going into labor for perspectives and context as the biographer might seek to do.

The second key practical lesson I wanted the boot here participants to get was that people - or readers, their senses are naturally wired to the present times. People's feelings are attuned on present time, not the past or the future. During the writing process even though the writing might be historical or futuristic it must also be contextualized into the present times.

The present times must find itself in the history or the future the author is writing about. Writing history or biography or writing about the future is not a sum but a synthesis, one that goes on changing and accruing even while observed. The past, writes the French historian Marc Léopold Benjamin Bloch, is by definition a fact that nothing can modify, but the knowledge of the past is a thing in process which changes and progresses as people progresses.

Chris Kanyane is the author of Moving Forward!

My personality and perspectives is inspired by the 18th century French Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau. It was Rousseau who provided Europe with slogans for return to nature during the times of the industrial revolution when everybody was excited about machines and the power of them.

Rousseau argued for a shift from reliance on the head, (that is reason) to a shift to the heart and pure nature and the simple life.

Rousseau called for the human beings that are genuine in a genuine world. He advocated and kindled a novel appreciation of natural beauty, wild life, forests, landscapes, mountains and valleys. Natural life, argued Rousseau, is spiritually fulfilling, enchanting and cultivating people.

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Training Mojo - 10 Steps to Create Your Dojo

A dojo is a martial arts training center - the place where learners come to absorb technique and wisdom. You can create a Training Dojo in your organization, a place where employees come to learn about their jobs, progress to higher career levels, and discover how to become better managers and leaders. Follow these 10 steps to create your Training Dojo.

One: Create a culture of development. Many organizations lack a culture that will allow training and development to grow. You must show the organization the benefits of training, from functional knowledge to career development. Explain that a training organization can lead to increased efficiency, lower turnover, higher retention, and a culture that allows learning to happen everywhere - not just in a classroom.

Two: Obtain buy-in. Part of creating a culture of development is getting buy-in from other executives and stakeholders. In the same way you show the organization the benefits of training, break the benefits down for your executives. Try to find at least five benefits for each of their particular areas - relate the benefits to their business units' mission and goals. Place a special focus on the financial officer - show him or her the financial benefits of creating your Training Dojo. Provide case studies on organizations that have effectively implemented training programs that positively impacted the bottom line.

Three: Develop standards of excellence. Your Dojo should have a set of written standards. Don't get into metrics just yet - here, determine the training department's mission and values and align them with the company. Detail how the staff of your Dojo will have a positive impact on the company, its employees, and its income. Outline the standards that you and your staff will demonstrate at all times.

Four: Determine branding and placement. Since you have a mission and values, you can focus on a brand and its placement. Obtain assistance from your marketing department to develop a logo or trademark for your Dojo. Develop a logo that can be placed on the front door, materials, and even casual Friday polo shirts for the staff. Your presence will be tangible and linked to the standards of excellence you've written.

Five: Find an appropriate location and tools. For some organizations, developing a training department means new facilities. For others, it means taking over a slightly used space. Wherever your Dojo may be, make sure it's in a central location and in an environment that invites employees to visit. Make a list of the tools you'll want to have, such as projectors, simulated workspaces, technical and soft skills class areas. Consider colors, lighting, and workspaces. Prioritize your list and be ready to present business rationale behind each item.

Six: Select the staff - carefully. You must look for a Dojo staff that not only has technical knowledge, but also an ability to make learners of all levels feel comfortable. Remember that a person with a fountain of knowledge is a bad choice if he or she does not mix well with others. You'll want staff members who portray the vision and values of the company - and your Dojo.

Seven: Establish a curriculum committee. Choose a mixture of executives, senior managers, front line managers, employees, and members of your own staff to sit down and discuss what programs your Dojo should offer. This group can help prioritize offerings, determine what can be learned on the job versus in a classroom, and whether you'll need to offer learning in various medias. Your committee will help spread the word and propagate the culture of training.

Eight: Determine program development goals. After you've decided what to offer, have the committee help you create the timeline. Look at your resources and go for the best timeline you can. Look for external or past courses that can serve as models for what you want to develop for your Dojo. Examine the benefits of each offering and translate them into business unit benefits.

Nine: Establish metrics. You must decide how your Dojo's staff will be measured. Align your metrics with the company's metrics, but be sure to include evaluations of programs and instructors. Let it be known that your metrics are continuous and will lead to an ever changing effort to serve the organization. By doing this, you'll prove that your department will be held up to the same standards as the rest of the organization.

Ten: Visit your Dojo. If your office is located in the physical Training Dojo, be sure to visit the classrooms, drop in on training developers, and take the time to chat with training participants. If your office is remote, you must schedule time on a regular basis to visit the Dojo - your presence is credibility for every program you offer.

By following these 10 steps, you can build a Training  here that gains respect and credibility, and offers programs that have a lasting and positive impact on the organization.

Copyright 2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - Managing Director and National Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

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Top Five Grounds For Buying Curtains And Blinds

Window coverings complete the look of the windows and at the same time add a tone into the room. If the coverings that you have currently are outdated, you should go for a new look. Choose the blinds and curtains that work for every room of your house depending on how much light you want to enter.

Almost all house decoration ideas feature curtains and blinds. Why? Are these really required? Here are five grounds why you might want to put a covering on your windows.

Keep the voyeurs away - Privacy is the main reason why most people choose these window treatments. Adjust the coverings to cover your window in a way that passers-by can't take a look inside your house. Having privacy means having the freedom to do whatever you want without worrying about getting exposed.

Keep the thieves out - These treatments aren't much of a blockade. Nevertheless, thieves will more likely rob your home if there's no covering on the windows. The thieves can look inside your home and look for something that is worth robbing. A flat screen television with just a glass in between is more tempting than staring at a curtain.

Hold heat outside or inside - These coverings help you control the amount of heat pouring into your home as well as the heat flowing out. Exterior blinds are mainly designed to prevent your home from heating excessively during summer. Interior blinds keep some heat out as well. These also prevent heat from going out of your home during winter.

Let light pour in when needed and blocked when not - these covering are used to either lighten or darken a room. Close the coverings if excessive light is entering your home. Open it if your room gets too dark.

Decorate your home - Curtains and mainly blinds create attractive window dressings at a very low price. During the past years, all blinds are similar. These days, you can come up with a blind made out of metal, faux wood, wood, cellular and others.

More designs are coming out of the market. Interior designers have started exploring the artistic possibilities of these treatments. A wider variety is now available at a lower rate.

Look for the window treatments which suit the style that you want. Also look at the pattern or material. Your window treatments should blend with the overall look of your room.

These  here offer great advantages. These do not only offer a great look but also a taste of privacy, opportunity to control light as well as heat. You should consider these when you plan to redecorate your bathroom. Look for one now and see how it makes a difference.