January might be a great time to get some honest feedback from your customers

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:52:45 GMT

So few business have a process for getting feedback; so they continue doing what they've always done and wonder why their bottom line is shrinking.

Why some testimonials can be classed as 'lazy'

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:47:29 GMT

We are all told 'get great testimonials on your site or CV' and yet it appears that some testimonials are of more value than others - check this

If only more people chose to 'give' rather than 'take'

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:35:47 GMT

I know, call me old fashioned but I do sometimes wonder what's happening in the world. I've just picked up a blog on 'manners' and it was inundated wi...

If you are a speaker you'll want to know these 12 things to try in 2013

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:47:36 GMT

Alan Stevens is one of those people you just want to listen to - I don't always agree with everything he says, but I DO listen. So if you...

Update from The Herman Trend Alert - The 2013 workforce/workplace forecast

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:43:02 GMT

I live and work in New Zealand and to a degree we've been cushioned from the global financial situation - I say to a degree - we always say 'when Amer...

3 key actions to make 2013 your best year ever

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:35:33 GMT

I get a sense that we all feel 2013 is going to be a morepsotive year (lets face it it couldn't be a worse year than 2012 - fingers crossed as I say t...

The Business survival Kit. 12 x monthly tools to help you kick butt in 2013

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 03:47:36 GMT

Our new opt-in book is now available. Over 100 thought leaders from around the world donated their e-books and tools for FREE to this initiative.

Grab two of my business e-books for nothing off Amazon

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:25:23 GMT

I've just had 5 of my business books loaded onto Amazon, and two of them are being offered for free: * It's Just A Numbers Game (how to s...

Think your purpose on earth is done? If you are alive - it isn't

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:21:33 GMT

That's a kind of strangled quote from Richard Bach. The beginning of each year is traditionally when we set our New Year resolutions; something I stop...

The Top 5 challenges Facing Retailers in 2013

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:13:00 GMT

As more of us buy online, it must be really hard being the owner of a retail outlet; so I discovered these http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com...

2013 Workforce Forecast from Herman Trend Alerts

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:09:29 GMT

I'd just been feeling quite depressed about the ever rising unemployment stats around the world - partikcularly for under 25 year olds - so it was gre...

Oh no my beloved home town WHITBY is falling down the hillside

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:04:01 GMT

I couldn't believe it when someone let me know that the ancient part of Whitby is falling down the hill. The Parish Church (where my sister was marrie...

12 Things to Try in 2013

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:42:24 GMT

Alan Stevens is a master of the media world and professional speaking world - check out his http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/12_th...

Very funny predictions for 2013

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:39:52 GMT

My friend Michael Podolinsky (a hot shot trainer in Singapore) sent me his http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/podolinskys_top_10_pre...

Should you redesign your website to kick off 2013?

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:35:40 GMT

As it happens, I AM getting my site prettied up a bit, but I don't do that every year - as one of my team said once 'Ugly sites sell just as well as p...

A code of conduct for house guests (if you want to be invited back again)

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:28:46 GMT

Recently we had a house guest. He expected to be picked up from the airport; ferried around the country; picked up and dropped off when h...

Last chance to download our opt in book 'Riding The Waves'

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:43:49 GMT

We are about to take down our opt-in book 'Riding the Waves' and replace it with the 2013 book (to be announced shortly)....so don't miss out on grabb...

Did you know that drones now guard the last remaining 7 white rhinos?

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:42:09 GMT

Poaching has just about wiped out the white rhino - so every rhino now has an armed drone guarding it. Great news but so sad we've come to this. Ann

Do you know how to Ride The Waves?

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:39:49 GMT

Every day, if you read a newspaper (call me old fashioned) or catch up on what's happening around the world in whatever way works for you - YOU WILL F...

If ever there was a time we need to multi-task its over Christmas

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:48:06 GMT

Whether you are an owner of a business trying to get those last orders out the door before the big day, or someone organising Christmas events - you w...

Want to know ONE action you can take in 2013 to grow your business?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:43:44 GMT

For those of us who have staff and all the joy and despair that comes with that, check out Ian Berry CSP's tip for the http://www.thecorporat...

Want to get some cash-flow generated for Christmas?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:40:54 GMT

For anyone in retail this is the busiest and best cash-flow time of the year I imagine; however for those of us in the service sector, it is usually o...

A Christmas gift from The Corporate Toolbox to make 2013 a vast improvement on 2012

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:04:25 GMT

I don't know about you but the Christmas break is my chance to close up shop for a week or so; to give my tired old brain a chance to shut down. But f...

Arm yourselves for the battle of the mind!!

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:54:49 GMT

According to Barry Urqhart - author of 'Serves Your Right' "astute business leaders and product managers were quick to learn that the battles for mark...

2013 is the year advertising will be reborn

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:50:45 GMT

I guess we are all confused as to where to market our businesses in the coming year. We hear so many stats about marketing via social media - which to...

Who is your person of the year - 2012?

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:27:19 GMT

I'd like to nominate a couple of people: Young Malala - the Afghani girl shot by the Taliban because she wanted to be educated (and we ha...

Want to know the 3 biggest challenges facing HR specialists next year?

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:21:01 GMT

Not a lot of people really understand the role (and power) of their HR person. As an HR consultant I ensure that my client realises that people are th...

The key marketing trends for 2013

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:14:56 GMT

I know, you are probably like me, pretty exhausted and looking forward to that break over the Christmas period, but now really is the time we need to ...

Last chance to download Riding the Waves - 39 thought leaders sharing business insights

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:10:59 GMT

2012 is coming to a close. Has it been a good year for you? Hope so. The consulting side of my business went quite crazy this year, which is usually a...

Want to get your books on Amazon Kindle but can't be bothered with all the technology involved?

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:37:57 GMT

I've been in this online world for about 5 years now, and I've learned something that works really well for me. When I need something done, I don't st...

I've been 'un-black-listed'. Their mistake - my business reputation tarnished!

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:57:33 GMT

This has been a really interesting exercise - our site (www.thecorporatetoolbox.com) w...

Risk Arbitage, Sandy, Huge Problems, Supply and Demand

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:24:29 GMT

Q: How did Sandy affect world markets? Q: What IS risk arbitage? Q: Why can't huge problems be solved (anymore) Q: Does the law of s...

How do you deal with a company you don't know 'black-listing' your site??

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:34:12 GMT

Fortunately an ecademist let me know that "McAfee SiteAdvisor is warning me your site may be risky to visit" - bloomin nora - who are they - and how d...

The cost of oil to Canada. This makes terrifying viewing!

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:28:02 GMT

I went over to TED for a completely different presentation and stumbled across rel...

Do you envisage a day when CEO's will be incentivised to CREATE jobs?

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:52:45 GMT

Probably like most countries, we have seen lots of our organisations lay off staff over the past few years. We have just had our job stats posted and ...

Want and need to know how to tackle the 'boredom' factor?

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:41:41 GMT

Thoughts are that about 60% of our work-force is disengaged! That's a lot of waste prodctivity. I've always equated disengagement with boredom - there...

How can cooking apples help you be more of a success?

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:37:32 GMT

I love a good success story - Sean Brickell shares this wonderful story of http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/how_can_cooking_apples...

The republicans have just received a wake up call. The day of the WASP is over!

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:32:47 GMT

Before I get killed in hate mail - I'm probably a female WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) so feel it is OK for me to comment. I've al...

Reshaping the workplace. PWC's survey on tomorrow's workforce

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:54:23 GMT

Heard a lovely story recently. A man who had a small company in Christchurch NZ decided to take on a new employee. He hadn't done any recruiting for Y...

No wonder the USA is in such financial straits - Apple pays only 1.9% income tax!

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:48:06 GMT

We so have to push the corporate responsibility message - read this: "Like other big companies, Apple leaves cash overseas. If it brought...

Never doubt that whales and humans communicate - watch this youtube clip

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:40:45 GMT

In this part of the world (NZ) we are passionate about saving our whales - can't believe why people would want to eat these amazing creatures. <...

Our latest inspirational book now available 'Life after a Bypass'

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:52:41 GMT

I've been pretty lax of late uploading stories onto my www.neverinourwildestdreams.com...

Its coming up to the silly season - a great opportunity to network

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:33:19 GMT

Christmas is one of those times of the year that a huge part of the world's population takes time out to party - parties are great so long as people d...

Are you easily and endlessly distracted by bright shiny things?

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:24:40 GMT

It is SO easy to get distracted. Something free pops into your inbox promising riches beyond your wildest dreams, we wouldn't be human if we didn't at...

The future is NOW!

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:19:57 GMT

I just spent a day with several un-connected businesses talking about the future - how they view it; how they prepare for it and what happens if they ...

Want to know how to negotiate success?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:11:01 GMT

I love watching a good negotiator. I particularly love watching Dragon's Den when one of the contestants actually takes the Dragons on to negotiate a ...

Most countries have minimum wage rates, is it time to have MAXIMUM wage rates?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:07:16 GMT

I don't know about you but I get really angry when I hear of yet another CEO or company director being awarded massive increases in remuneration while...

Is asking questions the best answer?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:01:31 GMT

I've always admired people, who, at the end of a workshop or speech, ask really great questions. Its not something I'm particularly good at other then...

How important is the long tail really?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:33:12 GMT

I found the book fascinating, and I guess we are all working on applying the principles to our own businesses - does it work? Is it worth the effort?<...

When you survey your customers, do you ask the right questions?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:28:41 GMT

Asking great questions is not just a skill, its an art....check out http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/when_you_survey_your_market,_...

15 rules for talking over drinks according to Dr Ivan Misner

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:24:17 GMT

Meeting in a bar is always tricky for a woman - particularly if the person you are meeting is running late.....so it was great to find these rules fro...

If your sales are dipping you need to understand why traditional sales methods no longer work

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:27:27 GMT

The New Economy of Buyers By Bob Urichuck FREE Some great questions to ask yourself if YOU are your sales person, or to ask y...

3 new difinitions of stress: Singed, Toasted and Deep Fried

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:16:23 GMT

Michael Podolinsky always makes me laugh. Michael is an American living and working in Singapore - he is one of the top speakers and authors in the As...

Scarcity thinking will keep you poor - truly!

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:12:38 GMT

I'm an ideas person - I've spent almost 30 years working with organisations suggesting new ways of doing things - and for the most part the reactions ...

Laura Crawshaw (boss whisperer) suggests we should be 'reasonable'

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:05:11 GMT

I consult to the corporate world, and most managers struggle with bullying behaviours; don't know how to identify them; don't know how to deal with th...

Is the EU going to survive? Genuine question from down under

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:56:41 GMT

Over here in NZ the news doesn't sound good at all - Spain falling apart, Italy in a mess, Greece in turmoil - will it survive? Will a new model appea...

If you build it will they REALLY come?

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 02:08:38 GMT

One of our authors - Laura Humphreys attended a workshop by Roy Adams who has written a book 'If you build it will they come?' - she was so impressed ...

Want a competitive edge? Try working while your competitors are resting!

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 02:01:52 GMT

Yes we all need a break - but if November/December is normally a quiet time for you (it is for me) Chuck Blakeman offers http://www.thecorpor...

Unmotivated staff? Losing your key talent? Loyalty is now a two way street!

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:57:38 GMT

According to Charles Kovess " Australia's McCrindle Research suggests that young people tend to leave their jobs because there is no compelling reason...

If the bee disappears man would have no more than 4 years to live!

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:33:00 GMT

NZ like Australia, and I suspect most other countries, are watching in horror as their hives die. Some because of disease others because of man made p...

Got some employees behaving badly? Here are some tips for dealing with them

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 04:40:34 GMT

Our employees can be our greatest joy or our biggest nightmare - n...

I couldn't run my business without 'outsourcing' a lot of the admin tasks - do you outsource? This might encourage you to do so

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 04:37:00 GMT

I have to confess it did take me a while to start outsourcing - kept giving all the excuses - quicker to do it myself - not sure if I can afford it et...

Have you heard of 'show-rooming'? Its the latest in shopping experiences apparently

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 04:32:32 GMT

A colleague of mine - Joyce Gioia - of Herman Trends fame always keeps me on my toes with what's 'hot'. Check out herhttp://www....

We are putting the finishing touches to a massive renovation - very interesting customer service levels from all the tradies

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 04:29:41 GMT

Its the usual thing with tradespeople - have they been taught anything about customer service (or not)? Fortunately most of mine had. We had every tra...

I've been offered a $400 training programme - its yours for nada!

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 04:40:49 GMT

A Simple Way To Revolutionise Your Bottom Line - My 100% passion is showing people and organizations how to radically improve their business results, ...

Who started this and why didn't we STOP them?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:18:13 GMT

As I get older and start to sound like my parents (or even grandparents) I often find myself wondering how something actually got started; what logic ...

Do you have your own veggie garden?? If not now might be a good time to plant one

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:44:31 GMT

In NZ our bees are dying by the gazillion ......our kiwi fruit industry imported some pollen from China and we now have acres and acres of kiwi fruit ...

Want to know the 4 key skills workers of the future will need?

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:38:49 GMT

According to a Towers Watson study on Global Talent 2021 - the 4 key skills are: * Digital skills * Agile thinking skills * I...

Is leadership a dying art? There certainly seems to be a lack of it around!

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:33:52 GMT

I've just heard that NZ - instead of supporting China and their green energy policies, is sticking with the tried and dangerous oil policies of the US...

If you have kids, or grandchildren they will love these 7 stories

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 01:30:41 GMT

Every month I post an inspirational story on my www.neverinourwil...

Savvy buyers are not being tempted by traditional advertising and sales techniques

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:04:12 GMT

Most advertisers will tell us that they are pulling back on traditional advertising because it just isn't working like it used to. Sales people will t...

Want to know how to change the people you have into the people you want?

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:00:12 GMT

Then Cherri ...

Do you measure your social impact? We spend a lot of time doing it so it might be a good idea?

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:57:06 GMT

There are many schools of thought around social media and its worth - so when I picked up Graham Jones article on 'measuring' the hours we put into it...

Overwhelmed by all this online stuff you are supposed to be keeping up with?

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:55:11 GMT

I know I get very mid boggled with it all, but there are a couple of people I follow knowing that they will tell me what I need to know. ...

If you have bored workers - as the saying goes - serves you right!!

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:47:21 GMT

So many bosses complain about their staff - the fact that they don't show initiative, aren't motivated, seem to be going through the motions until pay...

Are baby boomers clogging up the job market?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:34:11 GMT

Times ARE tough - but what's new? Ever few years the boom becomes a bust. True this one is bigger than any I've seen (and Ive seen a few)!!

How do YOU stand out from the herd? Honestly?

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:26:18 GMT

I'm putting together a full day workshop for innovators (quite a terrifying prospect actually). I'm researching modernn day companies tha...

Are shopping malls becoming boring and repetitive??

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:13:56 GMT

I have a couple of favourite shopping malls - I like them because they have a great variety of goods and services. Imagine my horror when...

77% of UK Senior Managers believe they are paid too much.

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:04:56 GMT

That's right - according to the Independent - 2/3rds of bosses surveyed by accounting firm Grant Thornton said that pay was now out of control and sha...

Are you a good communicator? Of course everyone always says yes!!

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 01:11:12 GMT

I work with teams - and when I ask managers what they communicate to their staff they will inariably say 'I communicaste EVERYTHING' ...yet when I ask...

Feeling drained and tired? Check the effect of the colours you are wearing

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 01:04:02 GMT

We've all had the experience I'm sure when someone says 'Are you feeling OK - you don't look so well?' or the reverse - 'Wow you look fabulous today' ...

11 Leadership secrets you've never heard about...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:04:43 GMT

I'm constantly searching for ways to show managers how to become leaders, and this article by August Turak is just the ticket. August is ...

5 jobs that are in danger of vanishing by 2017

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:57:47 GMT

Just read an interesting article in the NZ Herald by Alanah Erkisen who predicts the following 5 positions to be gone by 2017: * Travel a...

5 sound ways to seriously improve your sales results

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 03:58:26 GMT

Most of my clients at the moment are asking for ways to improve their sales results - businesses are still hurting and are desperate for ways to STAY ...

31 elephants trek 12 miles to pay respect. But how did they know???

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:05:14 GMT

This came into my in-box - not sure where it originated but boy its worth passing on .... " HOW DID THEY KNOW? SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE...

How to coach Abrasive Leaders!!

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:43:21 GMT

We've all met one of those during our lives and careers. They are always right, don't listen, treat people like idiots etc etc. If you ar...

Are you flogging a dead horse or planting seeds?

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:27:57 GMT

Once a year I run a public workshop with an employment lawyer, teaching managers how to deal with less than fabulous performance. Normally the session...

What is Entrepreneurial Leadership and do we really need it anyway?

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:23:35 GMT

Leadership is such a massive topic - daily we read examples of terrible leadership (think Syria); and then again we read about extraordinary leadershi...

Does affiliate marketing really work?

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:17:59 GMT

I have a few affiliates of The Corporate Toolbox, and I'm an affiliate of a couple of things I think are worthwhile. Have I made my affiliates rich? H...

If you were 'put in charge' of the world for just ONE day, what would you do to make a difference?

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:24:46 GMT

I've had this blog sent to me - sadly there is no name to go with it - and it IS a NZ blog - but read it - says it all really, no matter whether you a...

Why social media ISN'T the magic bullet for self published e-authors

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 03:10:02 GMT

I thought long and hard about even blogging about this (the stats are pretty awful) - but my belief has always been - forewarned is forearmed. <...

Girls win in the battle of the sexes in the classroom

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:56:59 GMT

No surprise really - I have a son and a daughter and three grand-daughters and four grand-sons. The girls are brighter earlier; mostly learn faster - ...

Closing in on retirement? Check these 13 mistakes 55-65 year olds make before they retire

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:50:57 GMT

Oh dear - wish I'd read this when I was 45!! Check the first 5: Retiring too soon. (Me - I never want to retire) Spending to...

What banks know and do that YOU can do in YOUIR business

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:45:14 GMT

I don't think banks have a great reputation right now - in fact I'd say their reputations are probably even lower than used car salespeope!

Thinking of venturing out into the job market? Check out these tips on job market trends

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:04:43 GMT

If you are in a job that bores you to tears, or if you have been a victim of the great downsizing of the past few years and want to get back on the bu...

Do you want to know how to 'negotiate' success?

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:59:42 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Dragon's Den - I love to watch the presentation skills of the various people (or not). What comes out of those presentations for me,...

Need to energise your staff? Check out these 3 recorded training webinars

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:47:31 GMT

We've been running monthly webinars for several years now, and I've always felt it was a shame not to share them with a wider audience - so this is yo...

What is wrong with British Unions? What on earth are they thinking?

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:12:03 GMT

I left Britain in the early 70's cause I'd had an absolute gutsful of British unions. In those days we'd had the miner's strike (during Winter) (we we...

The Power of 10 - what is happening in the global conference sector

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:07:04 GMT

I speak at conferences, and of course over the last few years attendance has drolpped considerably (though quietly here in NZ the numbers are starting...

Send in the clowns. One woman's quest to bring hope to children in Russian orphanages

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:03:06 GMT

Pat Armisted is such an amazing woman. Her long term partner left her, her bisiness collapsed and she lost her home.....all within a short space of ti...

You don't have a cash flow problem, you have a 'not selling' enough problem

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:51:07 GMT

I hope Marcus Cauchi doesn't mind me sharing the story of the da...

Is the conference/meeting industry dead? Check this research

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:28:35 GMT

I speak at conferences on a regular basis and have noticed the numbers of attendees dropping. Several reasons I expect: * The financial c...

Why training 'sucks' sometimes!

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:56:00 GMT

Training is always an interesting topic - some businesses invest heavily in training their staff, others think it a waste of money. And t...

Thinking of investing in some Human Resources software??

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:50:18 GMT

As an HR consultant I am always impressed with businesses who are willing to invest in their people; there are some amazing programmes now where every...

Could we start a Human 'Responsibilities' Commission??

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:44:15 GMT

There are some 'human rights' I'm in full agreement with - but I've just been watching the British 'coppers' show and am appalled at these drunken lou...

Is your middle aged brain of any value in these nanosecond times?

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:12:54 GMT

Are us oldies past our 'use by date'? Are we too slow and too fearful of change? I personally don't think so - but then I'm probably bias...

Do you really need more Twitter followers?

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:08:07 GMT

I'll be honest, I don't really 'do' Twitter. I have a few things auto linked to my account, but that's it really. So I'm always interested in 'thought...

How do you know which project management software is the best?

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:04:54 GMT

There is so much 'stuff' out there. Finding your way throughthe minefield of 'promises' can be a very time consuming and costly exercise. ...

Is too much business training like bad, one night stand sex?

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:56:13 GMT

I had such a chuckle when I read this title, I just had to read on. http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/why_too_much_business_trainin...

How do you tell someone they have body odour?

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:52:00 GMT

As an ex personnel manager and HR manager, I was asked numerous times by managers to deal with this really sensitive issue. I always coached them to t...

Are savers and investors still getting it wrong?

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:47:27 GMT

So many people have been burned over the last few years, investing in a variety of supposedly trustworthy schemes. And yet if you put your monty in th...

How can I find time for online work?

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 04:56:27 GMT

and the last question for today - how DO you find time to keep up with all the online things you are supposed to? check out Graham Jones thoughts

What's the media pulse of your organisation?

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 04:54:21 GMT

Its a day of questions - check out this rel=...

Questionnaire - Are e.mails driving you crazy?

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 04:51:37 GMT

I love 'tests' and questionnaires, and have gathered quite a few on The Corporate Toolbox site which have been gathering dust. So thought I'd share on...

If you ever feel you have nothing, watch this video clip

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 02:11:16 GMT

A young boy, abandoned and sold; abused and neglected. LISTEN TO H...

What do customers REALLY want?

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 01:30:12 GMT

Every month (or so) I do a coffee break chat with a colleague. This month we were talking about building better relationships with your customers. Che...

My husband had a stroke last week - what a terrifying experience

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:30:11 GMT

Fortunately I was still at home when it happened, I was literally 30 minutes away from heading off to a team engagement, and he would have been on his...

What a waste of time and money the recent 'climate change' summit was!

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:55:06 GMT

Why do people bother going to these things, racking up pollution as they fly to such events when they have NO intention of doing anything differently?...

Are you guilty of sending mixed messages?

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:48:06 GMT

I guess we all do it at times - say one thing yet give off the vibe of something completely different. And the people we are communicating with know t...

Ever had the urge for a fish and chip ice cream? Me neither

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:45:24 GMT

Even when we are pregnant and have unusual cravings, I can't see fish and chip flavoured ice cream being top of ANYONE's fantasy list. Bu...

Nothing is more certain - there's turbulence ahead

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 04:07:53 GMT

I can't believe how so many countries managed to create so much mess. Greece looks to be a gonner; Spain may not be far behind - Cyprus is holding on ...

Do you keep going come 'rain, hail or shine'?

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 04:04:01 GMT

John Blake lost his young wife to cancer. He is now bringing up his two children single handed; yet no matter what - he keeps believing in his passion...

Want to know how to get your HR programmes approved?

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 04:26:11 GMT

Sadly in a downturn the first thing that gets cancelled is ALL TRAINING!! So sad - businesses should never stop training their staff. h...

Business owners should NEVER be normal!

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 04:23:17 GMT

Most business failures happen not because of poor products or services, but because they get stuck doing what they've always done. If you don't questi...

You have the power, every minute every hour

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:11:10 GMT

This is a presentation I'm doing for a local college and it reminded me that our latest coffee chat was exactly to do withhttp://www.youtube....

Want 5 easy ways to add value to your presentations?

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:42:27 GMT

After 25+ years of presenting, I never get tired of it, however, I have to make sure my presentations don't LOOK tired. I used to be a wh...

Want to know how to deal with abrasive leaders?

Mon, 28 May 2012 02:02:17 GMT

We've just uploaded a whole raft of new (and free) e-books - so thought these three would be good reference material: 1. http://...

Are you bored with your own marketing?

Mon, 28 May 2012 01:54:36 GMT

Marketing is the most important thing we do - but every now and again we all stop 'seeing' our marketing, we run out of words or new ways to entice ou...

Do you 'get' the absolute power of having 'purpose'?

Mon, 28 May 2012 01:51:48 GMT

I feel sad for our parents and grandparents, mostly they didn't have or even expect to have a sense of purpose. But my generation, and my children and...

Successful business owners respond differently

Mon, 28 May 2012 01:47:38 GMT

I'm always fascinated in 'down' times (and boy is this turning out to be a loooong 'down' time) how some business flourish rather than fade away.

Check my latest coffee break chat - not to skite rather so you can get some great tools

Thu, 24 May 2012 01:14:43 GMT

Once a month a colleague and I get together and do a coffe chat which we then post on Youtube...

Want to know (or even understand) Google Penguin?

Wed, 23 May 2012 05:44:54 GMT

I'm an avid follower of Graham Jones - the internet psychologist - why? Because he works at the pointy end of all thats coming our way web wise....

Are you defending bad business performance?

Wed, 23 May 2012 05:41:31 GMT

I've just had a long chat with one of my long term clients. I told him that 99.9% of my clients fall into the 'tough' boss category, and with them I'm...

Listen up accountants - this is what entrepreneurs need from you!

Wed, 23 May 2012 05:36:56 GMT

Its the classic 'opposites' scenario - a totally creative entrepreneur talking to their accountant trying to exp0lain their 'dream' - and the accounta...

Did you know that you can reduce anxiety with colour?

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:39:26 GMT

With never ending threats of the EU collapsing and reading about banks STILL ploughing along their same old greed track (JP Morgan and those weird inv...

Do you know who won this year's Edison Award for Innovation?

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:34:41 GMT

I bet you've heard of 'what' this man created but I wonder if you know HIS name? I didn't. The winner was Chris Anderson - founder of TED...

Are you familiar with the concept of 'lean'?

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:28:34 GMT

'Lean' is reasonably self explanatory - its the idea of doing more with less, something we should be doing in business every day of the week. Now that...

Want a test for your stress levels (or those of a loved one)?

Tue, 15 May 2012 02:06:01 GMT

I've just had a friend tell me about a lecturer who - when explaining stress to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked how heavy they thought ...

Want to know how to get on the business success train?

Tue, 15 May 2012 02:01:01 GMT

Times continue to be tough - but we have to keep chugging along - no choice really - so loved this article by http://www.thecorporatetoolbox....

Who are the 3 people you'd love to meet in heaven?

Tue, 15 May 2012 01:58:56 GMT

There was such an amazing response to my recent blog 'what would you do if you had one hour to liv...

Why virtual teams fail and how to stop the rot!

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:24:02 GMT

I've just had the absolute honour of being guest speaker at a conference where every single employee around the world, including the owners and direct...

Want 8 new ways to find business?

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:14:38 GMT

Like every other business, I'm always on the lookout for tips and tools. So check outhttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/8_steps_to_n...

What is Google Authorship? And does it actually matter?

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:34:49 GMT

I'm one of those people who has to be dragged screaming and kicking into ANY new online thing. I've so far avoided Google plus (I know Thomas Power - ...

Wouldn't management be so much easier without employees?

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:31:28 GMT

A couple of times a year I run public workshops teaching managers how to imnprove employee performance - one of the introductory exercises I get them ...

Do you bid for work by tender?

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:26:35 GMT

It isn't something I've done for a long time, mainly because I used to put so much work into putting a proposal together and never ever got the contra...

Is your business going through a 'change'? And if it isn't perhaps it should be!

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:28:05 GMT

No business can ever be static. We can never say 'we've arrived'. Business is an ongoing learning curve; an ongoing need to take risks - to keep our h...

How to make a 'bundle' from your products (or services)

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:25:03 GMT

The fabulous thing I've been able to do with all the wonderful books and whitepapers my Corporate Toolbox contributors send me - is to - every now and...

What would you do if you had only one hour to live?

Thu, 03 May 2012 02:49:50 GMT

Now that's a short time frame. Not enough time to rush out and book that world trip; certainly not enough time to do ANYTHING on my bucket list....

Companies are starting to insist their suppliers are more socially conscious. Are you?

Wed, 02 May 2012 22:13:52 GMT

According to Joyce Gioia 'most multinationals have programs that set standards for suppliers and hold them accountable. In addition, increasing number...

Steve Jobs, MTV and 9 steps to all the power you'll ever need

Wed, 02 May 2012 22:09:54 GMT

I love August Turak's (author of Brother John) articles - he always makes me think. How about this comment...... "Your audience will lear...

Do you know how to really 'connect' with your audience or customer?

Wed, 02 May 2012 22:04:01 GMT

Whether you are a professional speaker; someone who has to make sales presentations or even someone who simply has to make a farewell speech at work, ...

Does more money make you more content?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:18:55 GMT

I know we all occasionally think - if we win Lotto all our troubles will be over. Not necessarily so. This article by

Family harmony can be absolutely destroyed by MONEY!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:16:01 GMT

Many years ago I trained as a marriage guidance counsellor - and I learned that one of the biggest causes of fights and disharmony in couples and fami...

If you are feeling a bit jaded certain colours can give you a burst of energy

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:28:32 GMT

I love thelma Van der Werff's thoughts on colour - not just in our wardrolbe, but also in the foods we eat. So if you ARE feeling a bit j...

Are you finding 'goodwill' is wearing a bit thin?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:25:29 GMT

Given that the last few years have been really tough for anyone in business, and I guess we'vbe all been offering a lot of 'goodwill' just to retain c...

Want or NEED to avoid the social networking clutter?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:04:25 GMT

It is so easy to waste a day on social networking sites - yet we know we need to be there to be 'found'. http://www.thecorporatetoolbox...

Does database marketing really work?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:02:25 GMT

I'm sure we all do it - the weekly, fortnightly or monthly newsletter - I've been doing a fortnightly one for years. But do they really w...

Is it worth investing in a Qrcode?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:03:26 GMT

Just when I think I have all this online stuff sorted, someone invents something else I have to think about having or doing - check Graham Jones artic...

Chinese organisations struggling to retain good staff

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:00:48 GMT

It was always going to happen - sooner or later cheap wage centres will be a thing of the past - and here is the first sign. Check out th...

Did you know that 79% of people now use a smartphone to help with shopping?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:54:39 GMT

Just been on a webinar with Tom Poland (Australia) and he shared th...

One week to go till our Exceptional Workplaces webinar

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:08:13 GMT

I had the pleasure of meeting Katie Horton, our presenter, onsite at Jasmax a couple of months ago. Given that I do business with lots of organisation...

Boards that have equal male/female representation show a 56% better bottom line

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:08:21 GMT

Its International Woman's Day and I just happened to see this stat in the national newspaper: • Boards that have equal female/male r...

Are there any Exceptional Workplaces really?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:21:49 GMT

One of the questions I ask 'teams' when I work with them is 'what are your 5 year goals?' and I'm often told 'to be out of this dump', or 'to do every...

Want to master the 4 step process which turns web visitors into buyers?

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:08:24 GMT

then look no further. Gihan Perera is the maestro of understanding how and why customers buy - check his 4 Step Process right ht...

Your current beliefs WILL determine your future sales results

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:06:01 GMT

We are all a mass of insecurities - and they show mostly in the areas of 'selling'. If we are having challenges selling, then we need to dig down and ...

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:03:21 GMT

Once a month one of my authors and I meet up and do a Youtube video clip - grab a coffee and watch this month's latest one - particularly if you are f...

Is your life safe and vanilla? Want more excitement?

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:23:35 GMT

Terry Williams had a great, if somewhat vanilla life. He was happily married, had a great career, two gorgeous kids, but somehow felt that he need mor...

Is your business 'Flawsome'?

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:20:31 GMT

According to Trendwatching.com one of 2012's hottest trends will be for organisations to be 'Flawsome' - an authentic mixture of being honest about th...

In the big picture, the little things count

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:15:57 GMT

Although this article is written for the health sector, Steve Hiss's thoughts are relevant to ANY business - as my Gran used to say, take care of the ...

24 hours to go till our webinar How to get 10 successful referrals every month even when you are asleep

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:45:38 GMT

We all need to refresh our businesses on a regular basis, and the best way to do that is to get new clients. So you have just under 24 ho...

One of my authors heard the 3 dreaded words - You Have Cancer

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:36:02 GMT

Bruno Cortis is a heart surgeon - he actually performed heart transplants. He knew how to look after his health, his body and his well being. An...

Grab a coffee and listen to 'Changing What's Normal' a free webinar

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:34:07 GMT

After two years of hosting webinars for The Corporate Toolbox - I didn't think there would be much to 'wow' me, but Ian Berry CSP certainly wowed us y...

Top 10 Business ideas and opportunities for 2012

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:27:40 GMT

I'm a huge fan of 'Springwise' - an organisation that constantly watches for new business ideas from around the world - for example - theres now an ap...

How using 'lean' practices are helping the NHS survive

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:21:59 GMT

As the world population grows, and we are all shuffling off the mortal coil later and later, the strains on the health systems of every country are gr...

Apps don't have to be as expensive as you think

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:30:48 GMT

Check out this article ...

Check out our latest inspirational story. How a heart specialist overcame leukemia

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:28:27 GMT

Bruno Cortis MD is not only a heart specialist, but actually performed man y heart transplants. Imagine his devastation when he was told ...

Want to energise your business? Want 10 successful referrals every month even while you sleep?

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:16:41 GMT

Would you like to know how to 'Change What's Normal? in your business, your life and even in your relationships.' Then join The Corporate Toolbox and ...

Legally blind woman tackles NZ's most gruelling race

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:56:09 GMT

When you are hit with an illness that leaves you legally blind, you do not decide you are going to climb a mountain and run in one of the toughest rac...

The top skills for 2012 - do you have them?

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:17:40 GMT

This article by Wayne Turmel quo...

Leadership (or lack thereof) in the cruise industry

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:08:18 GMT

We've jut posted a new article by Chuck Blakeman nofollo...

So Kodak is nearing the end of it's days

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:57:50 GMT

Hard to believe for a generation that loved the box camera and the various new versions of that. Did you know that Kodak actually invented the digital...

Want to 'Change what's normal?' What is normal anyway?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:36:51 GMT

I love the people I meet along this online journey. Ian Berry is an ex national president of the National Speakers' Ass of Australia and one of the pe...

How do YOU deal with never ending change? Youtube clip

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:22:34 GMT

Once a month I chat with a colleague on Youtube... Never Ending Change - Coffee Break C...

My latest coffee break chat - Never ending Change - isn't Youtube marvellous

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:18:29 GMT

If you enjoy watching youtube clips, I've been doing a monthly one with a friend - Janice - you can check out our latest one http://youtu.be/...

Riding the waves is now live - it has hundreds of business tips and includes 20 free e-books/templates

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:05:14 GMT

We are now live with the book - thanks to all the ecademists who contributed. If you are already a subscriber to The Corporate Toolbox fortnightly new...

Did you know that 73% of the worlds population don't have access to the internet?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:26:17 GMT

I stumbled across some stats a while ago which quite blew my mind (courtesy of the October TIME magazine)....I thought I'd actually blogged this

Riding The Waves - New Book full of business tips, tools and templates

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:16:16 GMT

39 business experts, speakers, trainers and consultants took part in this year's new opt-in book nof...

Read the story of Arfa - a man who had 20 epileptic fits a day and risked radical surgery

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:11:53 GMT

Our 4th story of courage in the face of adversity has just been posted. Barry is a man who had horrific epileptic fits. He missed so much...

Check out our Youtube clip on Never In Our Wildest Dreams

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:23:46 GMT

In the rush to get ready for Christmas I completely forgot that I'd had one of my 'coffee break chats' with my friend Janice - http://www.you...

Coming soon - our next story of courage - when a husband tells his wife he wants to become a woman!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:49:07 GMT

I have been stunned at the courage of some of the stories people are sending me. If you have caught up with the first two stories on our ...

Our second story 'Sticks And Stones' has just been loaded

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:33:42 GMT

Christmas should be such a happy time, sadly for a lot of families it is a time of incredible stress. As you know, we've created a brand ...

If you know someone who is feeling a bit down, send them to our new website www.neverinourwildestdreams.com

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:23:16 GMT

Originally we were looking for contributors to our 2012 business optin book, but I just felt the world needed hope more than it needed more business t...

The financial mess we have created was predicted in 1867!

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:47:09 GMT

I've been clearing out my 'quotes' area on the website and found this: "Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more an...

Want to know how to generate more web traffic?

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:07:39 GMT

Check in with my hero Graham Jones - I han...

Is the EU actually going to collapse? What a nightmare if it does

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:55:33 GMT

Initially I thought the concept of a Eurpean Union was a great idea - pool resources - create growth for everyone - it seems that the reality got horr...

Two and a half days to our webinar - Lets Create A Global HAPPYDEMIC

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:48:38 GMT

Time To End The Gloom and Doom - Let's Start A Global Happydemic Enough of all this bad news! It's time to chill out and to look at some ...

Would you like to be part of my new e-book - Business Tips For Turbulent times?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:03:44 GMT

I need a few more tips for this book - I am putting together a series of exsisting articles from my website - to further promote my existing contribut...

Lets start a Happydemic! Boy we need one right now

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:06:43 GMT

In our last webinar of the year we are featuring Peter Salerno - Australian Magician and Comedian. WE NEED A LAUGH AFTER THIS NEVER ENDING BAD NEWS YE...

Would you pay to advertise in an e-book destined to hit 1,000,000?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:52:40 GMT

I'm putting together this amazing new e-book 'In Our Wildest Dreams' and someone has asked me if they could advertise in it. I'd never th...

Even the British government has had enough of these ludicrous salaries paid to CEOs

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:30:52 GMT

I blogged a few days ago about the CEO of an Australian bank who earns A$1,166,000 per MONTH. Absolutely ludicrous And then I read that t...

Never in my Wildest Dreams did I imagine this could happen

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:36:25 GMT

Those of you that have connected with me over the past few years will know that I've been building an online business - The Corporate Toolbox - the ai...

Show me the money!!

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:12:37 GMT

I was the closing speaker at a debt collection conference recently and heard some amazing stories of people taking very drastic measures to get people...

Are we happy with the society we've created? Is it too late to change?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:57:34 GMT

I picked up our National newspaper a couple of days ago and read that http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/sir-ralph-norris-quits-commonwealth-bank-a...

Training budget all spent? Staff exhausted with never ending change? Fear not - help is here...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:46:33 GMT

By this time of year most of us are feeling a bit tired and jaded. Yet we also know that the silly season is just around the corner - Christmas - and ...

Why you didn't learn to run a business at school

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:51:10 GMT

I've ranted on for years about our school systems and how they fail most of our kids - I've always thought there should be three streams from about 11...

Australians (and probably Kiwi's too) ditch $2b worth of food every year!

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:42:45 GMT

Apparently (or should that be allegedly) nearly a quarter of all landfill is made up of wasted food or organic matter that could be composted! <...

Its the 11th of the 11th of the 11th (well it is here in NZ). This has to be significant in some way

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:57:51 GMT

If you are into numerology (and most think that a lot like star signs - a lot of tosh)...but I'm always interested in investigating things. So my birt...

Are you reaching wealthy consumers?

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:08:05 GMT

I follow many 'future' type newsletters. I want to know what's happening at the pointy end of the business world, so I can advise MY clients, but also...

Is it the beginning of the end for the EU?

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:00:24 GMT

From this part of the world (NZ) things are not looking good. Greek and Italian prime ministers going to the wall - the EU slush fund down to its last...

6 steps to take when having a difficult conversation with a recalcitrant employee

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:10:10 GMT

If you employ people then you will know how much energy one poorly performing employee can drain out of you. In these days of political c...

Rakuten buys e-reading platform Kobo for $315m cash!

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:57:26 GMT

Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce company ....they went looking for expansion rather than take years to develop something themselves - a win/win for bo...

How do you help your staff deal with never ending change?

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:52:02 GMT

Sadly most businesses are so fucussed on survival they can tend to forget the effects of never ending change and fear of job loss on their staff.

Help - is the EU is on the verge of collapse? If it is, how will that affect my business and my staff?

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:10:57 GMT

How rapidly things change!! When I started planning this month's webinar I was thinking in terms of the overwhelm and exhaustion our emp...

77% of HR professionals say employee benefits have been affected by global financial crisis

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:18:15 GMT

According to Joyce Gioia, who writes the Herman Trends Report 'Employers are watching their bottom lines more attentively and the variety of benefits ...

Millions of people want to do business with you. Can they find you?

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:08:21 GMT

Every month I do a Youtube coffee break chat with a colleague - this clip was shot last Friday, the day the headlines in our national newspaper were '...

Our soon to be re-elected National government hasn't come up with a single new idea for dealing with the financial crisis

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:45:38 GMT

I just hope the governments of YOUR various countries are coming up with some creative solutions to the GFC - our National (think Conservatices for th...

How to get inside your web visitor's head

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:16:17 GMT

We are all frantically trying to understand this 'web' thing ... * how do we attract visitors? * how do we get them to stay on our ...

The longer it takes to collect your money the less it's worth!

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:05:43 GMT

Last week I spoke at a Credit Management and Debt Recovery conference. I always like to go early to listen to a couple of speakers before me, and I wa...

What can Dylan and Thoreau do for you?

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:58:32 GMT

According to Charles Kovess CSP - the Passion Provocateur - 'disruption equals change and the days of one company careers are long gone. According to ...

Can you make money being an affiliate?

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:49:21 GMT

I'ver been approached by numerous people to either BECOME affiliates of The Corporate Toolbox, or to become an affiliate of someone selling training p...

73% of the world's population do not use the internet

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:58:31 GMT

I was in a cafe yesterday waiting for someone, and found the latest TIME magazine - given this is the year that the 7 billionth person will be born, t...

Community Colleges Receiving Funds For Job Training Programs

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:05:08 GMT

America (like most developed countries) has outsourced to such a degree that they have a massive youth unemployment challenge. Coupled wi...

Will there come a time when the whole world has to have a one child policy?

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:47:00 GMT

The Earth has just hit a population of 7 billion and predictions are that if we continue breeding at the current rate the population will be 9 billion...

If you employ Gen Y's (Millenials) you will enjoy this webinar recording

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:49:31 GMT

Webinars are interesting things - because they are live, all manner of things can happen. In this webinar our presenter, Colin Dawson, to...

Breakdown or breakthrough? A personal experience

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:29:09 GMT

A month ago I got really sick. I'd had endless colds through the winter that I couldn't seem to shake; I'd had a lung infection and now I was covered ...

Does your past get in your way? Does it continue to hold you back?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:09:59 GMT

We all have baggage of some sort; adoption, broken marriages, vidictive teachers. But at some point we really do have to let it all go ....one of my s...

Do any of you run your businesses without a landline? This is a genuine question

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:02:48 GMT

We moved home and offices mid year and had so many landline problems that I decided to have it disconnected and just work from a smartphone.

I'm receiving some amazing stories for the new book 'In Our Wildest Dreams' - where's yours?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:17:38 GMT

I want your story!! I've already received several amazing stories but I want more. Lots of people have contacted me to say t...

What part of 'I'm not interested' do some sales people NOT get?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:09:48 GMT

I'm constantly chatting to people as I look for new products for my website The Corporate ...

Hate feedback? We need it otherwise we will never grow. Check out these 5 steps to being coachable

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:51:51 GMT

I guess we all hate it when someone says 'can I give you some feedback' - usually because we know it is going to be negative. But if we are not open t...

Need a Conflict Resolution Tool? Well this is your lucky day

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:43:12 GMT

Conflict is debilitating; it is stressful - it drains us. But most of us have never been taught how to deal with it. Well help is at hand...

Finally we won that darned Web Ellis Trophy!! What a stressful final

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:38:53 GMT

I admit it, the French played better than we did in the final. I had to leave the room several times during the 2nd half because the tension was unbea...

In Our Wildest Dreams. I'm looking for fabulous stories for this new e-book

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:26:50 GMT

Some amazing stories are starting to trickle in - which is great - BUT I NEED MORE.... Do you have an amazing story to tell or do you kno...

Gen Y's are starting to enter management ranks. Should we be very afraid?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:15:58 GMT

I met up with Colin Dawson yesterday - he is my 'expert' on next week's webinar. He was telling me about the Gen Y's who are starting to enter managem...

If presenting on webinars is new to you these 19 questions and answers will be invaluable

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:45:55 GMT

Last year I hosted my very first webinar on The Corporate Toolbox and was petrified.<...

Do people in your team behave like 'spoiled brats'?

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:32:50 GMT

If you are a rugby fan you will see that we are now approaching the cup final - the All Blacks (yeah) against the French (on no - not again!!). ...

Having challenges with Gen Y's? Or Milennials as they prefer to be called

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:33 GMT

Because I work with teams, I get regular 'help' calls from older managers and owners who just don't 'get' the Gen Y work force. Does thi...

Things going great? Want to keep them that way?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:24:17 GMT

It is so refreshing amid all the never ending doom and gloom to hear success stories - and I've heard a couple this week which is great. ...

Do you make presentations? Do you understand the priviledge of being on a platform?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:20:46 GMT

I've been speaking at conferences and gatherings for over 20 years, and am still amazed when I see some of the ego that abounds when people are about ...

4 Days to go for the X Factor Webinar. 3 Vital Keys to Create Success

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:12:13 GMT

Janice Davies has only been doing this 'online' stuff for 12 months. She has recently been offered a speaking engagement in the UK at $US12K and has j...

Given up on networking? Don't think it works?

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:22:06 GMT

The challenge with most things we do to generate business, is that we expect it to work INSTANTLY. Networking is an interesting conversat...

Should we give up printing materials?

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:11:20 GMT

My kids laugh at me when I print off my e-books!! Call me old fashioned, but I'm from a paper generation - I just can't imagine reading my books on a ...

The biggest environmental disaster EVER hits NZ's beautiful coastline

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:06:17 GMT

As if several earthquakes in Christchurch haven't been enough to cope with (emotionally and financially) now we have a massive container ship spewing ...

Integrity and Accountability! Coming to a city and business near you

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:42:16 GMT

Every month I do a Youtube Coffee Break chat with a colleague - for some reason we lost this one in a technological black hole - finally tracked it do...

Do your employees know their targets and how NOT reaching them affects your business?

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:25:42 GMT

After 20+ years in HR it still never fails to amaze me how many employees actually don't know what they are supposed to be achieving target wise, and ...

Want to reach thousands if not millions of potential customers?

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:12:55 GMT

Then send me your 'story' - I'm putting together next year's free e-book and am looking for 30 powerful stories - title of the book: In O...

More females are graduating than males

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:23:30 GMT

According to The Herman Trends Report citing recently published data from the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), in 32 of t...

How comfortable are you presenting via Webinar?

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:15:38 GMT

Every month I showcase a business 'expert' - lots of whom are actually professional speakers - and for most of those presenters it is their first ever...

Our Wildest Dreams. I'm looking for contributors - send me your wonderful stories

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:10:04 GMT

Chapters are starting to trickle in - but I want MORE great stories. Don't be bashful - what was your wildest dream? What was your greatest fear? And ...

Stop Dreaming; Keep Believing and Start Making Serious Money

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:15:15 GMT

After The Lehman Bank collapse, Janice Davies, a colleague of mine at NSANZ watched her training and speaking business fall apart. As if that wasn't ...

Pull Your Digit Out!!

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:57:09 GMT

I've always been a huge fan of Barry Urquhart's writing - he just seems to come up with the most amazing (and often irreverant) headings - that WILL g...

3 vital tips when selling to a difficult customer

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:54:49 GMT

This is a wonderful story about picking up on 'clues' being given off by a potential (or not) buyer. Read John Blake's article h...

4 teams left standing (in the Rugby World Cup) THREE of them are coached by Kiwi's!

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:50:29 GMT

We no longer have sych a huge sheep exporting industry, it seems we now have a Kiwi Rugby Coach export sector. Wales have been absolutely...

9 Steps to improving project delivery

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:44:28 GMT

We are all involved in projects of some type - whether it be a whole revamp of your product offerings, or just a decision to upgrade your technology.<...

Do you have what it takes to create a membership site?

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:39:18 GMT

I've always had the vision of creating a membership are on The Corporate Toolbox - one day - when I had enough traffic; one day when I had enough valu...

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Steve Jobs we will miss you SO much

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:33:14 GMT

There are some people who make a difference, and then there are others to create a tsunami. Steve Jobs was a tsunami man! Check out this ...

In our wildest dreams

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:52:20 GMT

Every month a colleague and I do a coffee break chat on Youtube .....this month I featured http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/experts/warwick...

Want to understand and weed out any hint of corruption in your organisation?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:34:21 GMT

Corruption is such a big word. We tend to think of the Watergates and the Madoff Ponzi scheme - where people are making massive amounts of money from ...

Are you getting the best out of your team?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:27:47 GMT

There is a massive difference between a group and a team. When you hear an organisation talking about 'silos' know that groups are in mot...

When your star player (or employee) falls over. The Dan Carter syndrome

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:22:34 GMT

We had a national day of mourning. It was the headlines on our 6 p.m. news and it was front cover on our daily national newspaper - Dan Carter out of ...

Are you a persistant person, or do you give up when things get a bit tough?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:26:46 GMT

Wherever you are in your business - whether you are a new start up, or whether you've been going for a while, there is one trait you will need in buck...

I'm watching the way the French coach treats the French rugby team

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:22:16 GMT

and am so not impressed. I'm passionate about teams, and a great team ALWAYS has a great leader - without exception. If a team's leader (...

Sorry I have to ask - how come the English Rugby team got away with changing the ball for goal kicks?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:12:44 GMT

And not just once but twice!! Sorry guys - I know it is mostly English people on ecademy (though I am English myself) but that is absolut...

Questions on life. Who are you? Why are you here?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:54:48 GMT

Some people seem happy to live out their lives without ever asking those two questions; increasinlgy though, I think we are a generation who does ask ...

New business ideas from around the world

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:45:38 GMT

Fortunately there are little businesses popping up all over the world - defying the doom and gloom and taking to the ongoing dreay recession with ener...

Qustioning techniques when dealing with a poor performing employee

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:20:11 GMT

Once a year I run a workshop with an employment lawyer - I teach attendees how to PREVENT ending up with personal grievances and he takes over when th...

The power of asking. So many of us don't like 'asking'

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:47:17 GMT

A lovely male colleague was having serious financial challenges - he had three small children and was trying to build an online business - finally he ...

Why high growth women entrepreneurs are poised to transform economies

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:40:27 GMT

there have been numerous articles written about the fact that if there had been more women on the boards of banks and financial institutes pre crash, ...

Think like an Octopus; work like a bee and survive like a cockroach

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:34:52 GMT

I write a regular article for a training & development magazine and given that my last few articles seem to have mentioned doom and gloom I thought I ...

37 Tips from self made millionaire entrepreneurs

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:22:30 GMT

I'm ever hopeful olf being one of those one day! But meanwhile, I try to glean what I can from those who have broken the sound barrier - ...

Have free gifts lost value online??

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:18:23 GMT

The 'free' thing is always a dilemma - how much free stuff should you give; how can you monetise your website if people expect everything for nothing?...

Businesses with a website do better than ones that don't

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:56:31 GMT

I'm still staggered at the number of small businesses that don't have a website. Hagven't they heard that people now do a Google search for everything...

If ever the world was ready for a shift in thinking it is NOW!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:17:21 GMT

I hardly dare open the newspaper these days (yes I still read newspapers)...too much misery every day. Businesses going to the wall, banks going under...

Repetition Results in RESULTS

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:11:30 GMT

We are what we repeatedly do (Socrates?) someone like that.... So often we have a great idea and when it doesn't work instantly, we give ...

Are your staff really disengaged or just bored out of their brain?

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:06:49 GMT

Hundreds of studies have been conducted over the years to find out why some employees are productive and others aren't - in my 20+ years I've always f...

Do you have the mental toughness to keep going no matter how tough things get?

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:18:05 GMT

The last few years have been tough for everyone - well almost everyone - cos even in tough times, some people flourish - how come? I want...

Do you really know the high cost of staff turnover?

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:07:58 GMT

As an HR manager of some 20+ years - I've always been amazed when organisations have no idea the cost of losing a staff member. They mostly think its ...

When friendly rivalry turns ugly. NZ apologises to the Aussie Rugby Squad

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:03:56 GMT

NZ is mid a world cup rugby party the likes of which we've never seen before. Small towns are adopting various teams and coming out in droves to yell ...

Feeling the stress of modern living? Daily doom and gloom? Read on ....

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:28:09 GMT

In a modern world, we all know that our lives come with a certain amount of given stress. But when stress starts to take over our lives, our health an...

Are your webinars gaining you more business?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:20:46 GMT

I run a monthly meet-the-expert webinar - and they are always well attended - some more than others of course - we then put the recording of the webin...

WELL DONE IRELAND!!! My heroes. Beating the Aussies at anything deserves an Oscar

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:15:36 GMT

No disrespect to my Aussie mates - but us Kiwi's know how hard it is to beath them at ANYTHING!!! They have this incredible knack of scoring in the dy...

Food for the future?? Will there actually BE any?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:23:56 GMT

In NZ our fruit and veggie prices have rocketed - caused mainly by the horrendous floods in Australia earlier this year. And as we watch the increase ...

Want and NEED to write a book?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:18:04 GMT

If you are in business and have a website (you DO have a website don't you?) then at the very least you will need to have a 'sign up' book.

If you have staff then this recorded webinar is a must listen!!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:11:40 GMT

Twice a year I join forces with an employment lawyer (Michael Smyth) and we run a workshop teaching owners and managers how to deal with poor performa...

Are you still confused about the value of Twitter?

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:03:31 GMT

then this free e-book 'Twitter for Business' by Mark sha...

Think you own your brand? I've got some good news and some bad news!

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:58:36 GMT

If you don't own your brand - who does? And if you've spent a fortune building that brand - and you find you no longer own it - what then?

I am appalled at the lack of leadership here in NZ - we are ruining the world cup

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:54:31 GMT

We've had 4 years to get ready to host the World Cup - Auckland city council told the government in no uncertain terms 'WE NEED TO FIX THE PUBLIC TRAN...

Need a pick me up? Try these 70 Tips for Success

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:56:32 GMT

I have a variety of ways to keep me enthused - cos some days - especially during the particularly grim Winter we've just had - I need a quote, or a t...

How do you stimulate new ideas - ever thought of looking at parallel worlds?

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:48:05 GMT

Even our creativity can get stuck in ways we've always come up with new ideas. Try this free e-book http://www.thecorporatetoolb...

The Welsh Rugby Team were Robbed!!!

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:42:55 GMT

How can a referee and two assistant referees miss a ball going over the posts!!! And given the reaction of the crowd and the kicker - why didn't Wayne...

Creativity is your single biggest business tool

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:35:37 GMT

I once read that if we are doing today what we did yesterday then our business is in trouble - we have to constantly innovate; to constantly be lookin...

The 7 Fatal Mistakes Everyone Makes on Their Website

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:12:49 GMT

I don't know a single person who hasn't invested a small fortune in building their web presence - and if there are any tips for us to enable us to STO...

Watch this Flash Haka in Auckland and be absolutely goose bumped!!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:58:08 GMT

We love our Haka - we know any team that faces it DOES NOT!! But a Flash Haka is something new even to us - check it out http:/...

Feeling a bit jaded about having to attend yet another Networking event?

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:58:13 GMT

We all know we need to network - and mostly its enjoyable - we get to chat to some old friends and make some new contacts - but some days (or nights) ...

100 free references for tired and grumpy managers

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:53:42 GMT

Managing staff isn't easy - some days managers (and owners) must go home wondering what they signed up for and perhaps tomorrow they'll just stay in b...

Bankers claim that they don't need to innovate! Really?

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:47:32 GMT

I was sitting in a waiting room and found this fabulous article (isn't that always the way and then you never get to finish it) but I asked the recept...

Been asked to speak somewhere or asked to make a presentation?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:59:19 GMT

Public speaking is supposedly a fear worse than death - and who nowadays doesn't have to stand up and speak?? So just in case you are one...

Do you love LinkedIn? If not, why not?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:54:03 GMT

Robyn Henderson - a global networker extraordinaire - is giving her book rel...

US job machine grinds to a halt. 14 million unemployed

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:50:38 GMT

What a tragic waste of people and talent. If you've been made redundant DON'T DESPAIR - look at the God given talents you have - package...

So many people struggle with Difficult Bosses - struggle no longer....

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:40:50 GMT

I'm sure we've all had a boss from Hell at some stage of our careers. Several years ago I read Andrew O'Keeffe's book 'The Boss'....the story of a you...

Let play commence - The World Cup is just 4 days away - yeah!!

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:24:35 GMT

Such a buzz here in little ol NZ. All the teams have arrived - and much fuss is being made of them - we are such a sporting nation. I fle...

Was on a short panel discussion on TV yesterday - the topic - our kids and how ferral they have become

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:04:48 GMT

We've just had a case of a 10 year old boy stabbing another 10 year old boy at school over a rugby dispute. TEN YEAR OLDS GOING TO SCHOOL WITH KNIVES ...

Don't fear loss of job. It's NOT the end of the world

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:07:43 GMT

Every now and again I get together with a friend and co=entrepreneur and we video a Coffe Break Chat .....I've just heard this morning that hundreds o...

Sticks and stones WILL break my bones!!

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:09:54 GMT

Elias Kanaris is one of my favourite toolbox authors - I skim most people's articles before we upload them - but I really READ Elias's....

Are our kids rebelling (violently) because they feel there's no hope for them?

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:03:00 GMT

I know I was enraged when I watched those kids smashing up businesses and PEOPLE!! How dare they - little ratbags - good kick up the backside I though...

Check out our recording on Leadership in Uncertain Times

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:56:56 GMT

It's staggering to watch what's happening around the world at the moment. Gadaffii almost gone -Syria in civil war - countries going bust - kids rioti...

Does culture affect the bottom line?

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:14:41 GMT

Describing the culture of an organisation or business is always an interesting exercise. If you ask senior managers to describe their cul...

Retirement is a bankrupt Industrial Age concept

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:09:09 GMT

Having been self employed for many years, I can't even envisage a day when I will want to retire; slow down - yes - stop working - never. ...

No sex please - we are All Black Fans

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:01:10 GMT

As you can imagine, World Cup fever is hitting us big time in NZ and its causing a few brain melts.... * We've had the Adidas PR disaster...

Want to know how to move from managing people to LEADING them?

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 03:12:06 GMT

Then you will NOT want to miss this free webinar. A New Paradigm for Leadership in Uncertain Times - The Three Universal Principles to...

So you think the older generations don't 'get' green - read on

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:45:53 GMT

I don't normally cut and paste these types of thing, but this one deserves to be passed on ..... "In the line at the store, the cashier t...

Workforce planning in challenging times needs careful thought

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:20:55 GMT

There's only one thing worse than having too many staff during a recession, and that's not having enough! Particularly if a recovery is just around th...

Making decisions in scary times - and for sure, these are scary times

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:15:52 GMT

Making decisions is always a bit scary - what if I make the wrong decision. I've always been of the belief that it is better to make a decision that t...

My 2 heroes - Warren Buffet and Bill Gates saying TAX US MORE!!

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:12:58 GMT

Way to go guys - you are my absolute heroes. Warren Buffet talks about the 'coddled billionnaires' and says ENOUGH. The 'li...

Dealing with poor performance and the cost of disengaged workers

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:45:54 GMT

If you employ staff then you will be aware that some of your emplolyees are fabulous; nothing is too much trouble - and then there are the others. Th...

Is it possible to increase the value of your website - or is that just so much hype?

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:42:50 GMT

We all spend a lot of time and money building our websites - not to mention the finances we pour into building them. Is yours getting you...

Where do your customers disconnect; get bored with your service or simply get better service elsewhere?

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:37:21 GMT

The financial doldrums continue - and will do for some time to come until we get off our debt addiction as countries and families. So mea...

Coming down hard on kids and beneficiaries - Holland shows us a better way

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:32:20 GMT

We are watching another round of 'beneficiary' bashing in the Western World (don't get me wrong I have no time for people who sit on the dole and make...

Do you want to be happy or do you want to be RIGHT?

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:16:26 GMT

So much misery in the world right now, so it is really important to work on ourselves; to keep our energy high - our belief strong and our determinati...

3 Motivation Tips - and if ever we needed motivation tips it is RIGHT NOW!!

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:11:51 GMT

Dear oh dear. I'm afraid to open a newspaper or put on the TV news. America going to the debt dogs; Europe following suit - London burnin...

Our kids know their 'rights' sadly they don't want to know their responsibilities

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:07:19 GMT

It truly breaks my heart seeing what is happening in London. As several people have said, this rioting and mob rule has absolutely nothing to do with ...

The most selfish word; the most essential word; the most poisonous word

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 01:35:22 GMT

I can't lay any claim to the following amazing thoughts - I picked this up on Facebook and tried to contact the author to ask for permission to reprod...

Results of the 'Performance Issues' Survey. Some really surprising results

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:36:03 GMT

If you have staff - or are thinking of employing staff - then check out a survey I conducted recently on top http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.c...

What quote or poem or saying keeps you going when everything is turning to custard?

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:31:49 GMT

I'm a great collector of quotes - though I hate it when people chuck them out in patronising ways - but I'm sure we all have a couple of favourites.

NZ Bosses amongst the worst in the world! Surely not

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:09:00 GMT

An article has just been posted in one of our daily newspapers stating the following shocking stats about NZ managers: "New Zealand's man...

15 Ways to beat yet ANOTHER probably recession

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:24:05 GMT

This was actually the first blog I ever wrote shortly after the Lehman collapse. It had over 2000 hits in a matter of hours .....so given the American...

Feeling battered by all the bad news from America and Europe?

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:19:08 GMT

Far be it for me to say ignore it .....I do realise that the mess both these situations have created WILL affect small business, but you know, life an...

Did the tea party realise that by getting their own way they would cause a downgrade in the US rankings??

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:06:30 GMT

There are consequences for every decision - so by throwing their toys out of the cot and refusing any mention of an increase in taxes for the rich and...

8 Expressions of a brand sound for business - interesting challenges

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:10:28 GMT

Julian treasure is a master of 'sound'.....something I guess we don't think much about when we think of our brand. But he gives us

Over the next 15 years more Australians will leave the workforce than join it!

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:52:00 GMT

I would imagine its pretty much the same in most countries. So a very different future faces ALL of us. Check out this http://ww...

So Bill Clinton left a surplus of $5 trillion and Bush left a deficit of $14 trillion

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:43:49 GMT

What a travesty that man was (Bush by the way, not Clinton) I think every potential President should, at the very least, have an IQ test!...

Want to know how to deal with poor performance without getting sued?

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:44:19 GMT

Once a year I join forces with Michael Smyth (The Approachable Lawyer) to run a physical workshop here in Auckland showing owners, team leaders and ma...

There are times when we really DO need to 'sweat the small stuff'

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:23:52 GMT

I know we keep being told 'don't' sweat the small stuff - that we worry too much about things that may never hapen. But according to Hann...

Involved in project management? Check out these 5 basic steps to help you stay on time and dollar

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:19:49 GMT

Fabulous to hear that the various buildings required for the Olympics in London are on track and on budget. What a difference from some previous Olymp...

So the English Rugby team is going to play in all black!! What's that about?

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:09:32 GMT

Talk about cat-among-pigeons......whose idea was it to kit the English rugby team out in black for the forthcoming World Cup? You can im...

20 Predictions for 2011-2012 - with some surprises

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:58:38 GMT

I love talking to people about the future - what smart people think will happen in 2 years, 5 years and 10. And of course no-one really k...

Lets spread some cheer - check out these great new businesses - life goes on!

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:51:46 GMT

I love my regular Springwise newsletter - it shows me that life goes on no matter what chaos is abounding ... For example - check out the...

So what now for America? Go on as before or make some fundamental changes?

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:45:13 GMT

We've watched the riots in Greece because their economy is stuffed - are we about to see the same in the USA? In fact are there many countries right n...

Would I lie to you honey? And if I did would you even know?

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:17:21 GMT

As an ex recruiter I was taught to look for the signs of lying (or fabricating the truth) - such things as nose twitching; sweating; not making eye co...

Stress Management Techniques for tough times

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:11:30 GMT

Stephen Warrilow is a new contributor to The Corporate Toolbox - I read some of his material and knew he was perfect for our site. So che...

So The Madhatter's 'Tea Party' have won the battle and lost the war!!

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:04:36 GMT

So President Obama has agreed to reduce spending - great - but didn't get agreement on raiising taxes. How can any right minded person think that is O...

IF AMERICANS DON'T LISTEN TO OBAMA THEY ARE TOAST FOR THE REST OF TIME!

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:06:51 GMT

Many great 'Empires' have collapsed - The Roman, The Greek, The French, The German (under Hitler) and The British. I'm sure there are many more that s...

There are times when personal agendas and politics have to take a back seat

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 05:55:42 GMT

I wasn't born during the 2nd world war but I understand all political parties stepped back and some sort of war party was formed which was a coalition...

What is the mo0st embarassing/hilarious thing that has happened to you when presenting?

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:27:53 GMT

I went along to the monthly NSANZ (National Speakers Association of New Zealand) chapter meeting earlier this week and a few of us were in the bar pre...

Why is it so unpalatable for the rich to pay their share of taxes?

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:05:47 GMT

As we watch America trash and burn and one side wants to keep looking after the social needs of the country while the other side flatly refuses to all...

To Google+ or not to Google+?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:37:45 GMT

It has been all the rage online for the past few weeks. I've chosen NOT to subscribe simply because it feels like yet another forum that I have to try...

How do you handle false (or true) accusations?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:33:09 GMT

We all watched the Dominique Strauss-Kahn situation - and as that has progressed - who are you now believing? Did he? didn't he? Was she lying? Was sh...

Australian Banks are being told to create 'living wills'

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:23:08 GMT

The four big banks in Oz have been asked by the banking regulator to draw up plans setting out how they would break up and sell off their businesses i...

Are you earning what you are 'worth?' 6 steps to turn knowledge into revenue

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:15:23 GMT

It really has been a tough couple of years - but in a downturn while some businesses go to the wall (and in this case some BIG businesses) yet others ...

The world needs a big dose of 'do something good for someone else' today....

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:16:30 GMT

We've had some amazing things happen as a result of one person doing something 'good'. Remember the woman who paid for the person behind...

Is America about to go broke?

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:04:03 GMT

Dear oh dear. And we thought Greece had problems. This is what happens when we keep overspending and printing more money so we can spend even more.

Want 10 Top Speaker Tips?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:45:34 GMT

We all have to make presentations at some stage - you may not want to be a professional speaker, you may be quite happy just getting more comfortable ...

Are you tiring of doing all that social media requires of you?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:39:45 GMT

Its hard every day to do all our blogging and tweeting etc. It really does have to become a discipline. Whether you use social media daily or weekly d...

2 questions. Are you Coachable and Why did Tiger fire his caddy?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:32:58 GMT

I've just done a presentation to would-be professional speakers and one person in the audience was certainly NOT going to be coachable. Neither will s...

When the going gets tough and the road ahead appears all uphill

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:58:29 GMT

I'm sure we all have days like that - weeks in fact. But we all (if we are in business) have to find ways to climb that hill; to keep believing in the...

How would you feel if someone said your business was worth 50% more WITHOUT YOU?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:50:08 GMT

I've been glancing at the Rupert Murdoch saga every now and again - it brings to mind the quote 'power currupts and total power corrupts totally' - th...

What The Stanford Whos Who Business Directory encouraged me to do

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:10:32 GMT

Many of you will have seen my blogs about this appalling company - IF THEY CALL YOU HANG UP IMMEDIATELY! It is 100% scam. However, I beli...

Need and want more customers? And who doesn't?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:01:52 GMT

Every business should be looking for new customers - the worst thing we can do is get complacent; work only with one or two key clients AND THEN LOSE ...

Are you aware of The World Business and Executive Coach Summit?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:55:56 GMT

It sound like a great investment of time if you: a. want some tips to grow your business b. want some tips to help you coach YOUR c...

What are the WORST telephone techniques businesses use?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:49:42 GMT

It never fails to amaze me how terrible some companies perform when you phone them. My pet hates are: * The robot! I have a hybrid Yorksh...

Experience counts! Does it?

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:16:09 GMT

When I was in the recruitment game, I would have long serving employees tell me proudly 'I have 15 years experience in this business' and I always had...

Kevin Roberts (Ex Saatchi & Saatchi) expands on 3 steps to Revolutionary Thinking

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:07:58 GMT

I've always loved anything Saatchi & Saatchi - they wre always willing to step outside the norm - to try things no-one else had the courage to try.

Do these daily 'discounts' really work?

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:00:40 GMT

Like most people I now receive discount vouchers every day in my inbox; for cafes, photographers, massages, facials. And I've always wondered if they ...

Do you target your sales effort to get the best ROTI (Return on TIME invested)?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:54:39 GMT

An interesting question - I know some great sales people who can sell in the blink of an eye; yet others are more slow burners, they take time to buil...

How small should a niche be really?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:49:17 GMT

When we run an online business we are told to find our 'niche'. For example if you are selling weight loss products - you could hone in on Weight Loss...

What are your KILLER questions when you are with a client?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:43:33 GMT

Every client meeting is slightly different, and we certainly need to be able to adapt to whoever we are meeting, but I guess over the years most of us...

Want to know how to morivate the late, the lazy and the terminally uninspired?

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:37:33 GMT

Every month here at The Corporate Toolbox we put on a free webinar on a var...

7 words a business owner can never afford to use

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:16:58 GMT

If you understand anything about 'language' you will know that people can talk themselves INTO something or OUT of something just by the words they us...

Are you on an eternal countdown? 5 steps to your next level

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:13:46 GMT

So often we want to get to the next level of our life, or career or business, but don't actually do much to help ourselves get there. El...

NZ is debating banning smoking outside buildings and in public places

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:07:17 GMT

Dear oh dear - poor smokers. I'm an ex smoker so understand the need for their 'fix'. But NZ is debating banning smoking in public place...

Sound! Is it part of your branding?

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:52:49 GMT

I guess sound isn't something we think too much about - though if you go into a retail outlet that's playing rap you could get very clear on sound! Fo...

A 90 year old woman's philosophy on life and having a great attitude

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:49:07 GMT

Its always good to be reminded that there isn't much new under the sun - but only our oldedr folk can remind us of that. Read these

How can Gen Zs prepare themselves for a world where there are very few jobs?

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:45:18 GMT

Gen Z? The kids that are coming after our darling Gen Y's (0 - 16)...what must they be thinking; what must they be feeling when they see almost 40% un...

Are you a procrastinator. Want to know how to deal with that?

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:25:59 GMT

The procrastination debate is always interesting - is it good to sit back and think through the ramifications of a big decision or is it best to just ...

The huge emotional falout that can happen when people are made redundant

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:20:51 GMT

As an HR Manager many years ago I had the hideous job of making 18 computer engineers redundant; it was horrible. For them naturally - their lives had...

Which e-book 'reader' do you prefer?

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:13:54 GMT

There are so many to choose from these days, that as an author and promoter of e-books, its quite hard to know which way to go and what to recommend t...

NZ Sports teams take a battering over the weekend

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:42:25 GMT

Sadly the Crusaders were beaten by the Queensland Reds. Both countries have had horrendous natural disasters so support for both teams was amazing, bu...

Want to know the TRUE cost of employing staff?

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:32:31 GMT

When we take on staff, we tend to think that the cost of doing that is simply in the wages aor salaries we have to pay. The costs of empl...

Has the recession created financially savvy Gen Y's?

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:22:44 GMT

It appears that it has. Well done you guys. After all, we your parents got the world into this mess - your grandparents certainly didn't - they knew a...

SEO - does it really work? Is it actually worth the effrort?

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:40:48 GMT

I'm probably like most people of my generation who are building online businesses - we just don't really 'get' SEO. All these algorythms ...

More economic pain to come - an Australian perspective

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:36:22 GMT

Sitting over here in a cold NZ (its Winter here) we tend to look at our big cousins over the ditch and think they are rich and successful - after all ...

I'm looking for people to take part in a 2 minute HR survey

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:26:51 GMT

If you have 5+ staff, I'd love to know what your top issues are right now. We hear from some organisations that they have a lack of staff...

July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays!

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:51:00 GMT

Something that happens once every 823 years.. This is called money bags. This year also, we're going to experience four unusual dates.

Recent legislation on workplace bullying - a must read if you have staff

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:28:28 GMT

Fiona White is a mediator and wrote: "At the beginning of April, the landmark case of Brodie Panlock, who was subjected to 'extremely agg...

A Pay-What-You-Can Cafe Chain? How wonderful

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:21:51 GMT

After watching the terrible conditions left by the 'greed' years of recent times, to hear about not-for-profit cafes is a breath of fresh air......

Air New Zealand - so courageous and so confused

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:17:30 GMT

During the last few weeks of the 'ash' problem blowing our way from Chile - every single airline in our part of the world stopped flying except Air Ne...

Want to know how to motivate the late, the lazy and the terminally uninspired?

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:10:35 GMT

This is a keynote I've bee presenting at conferences for forever - and our scheduled 'expert' for The Corporate Toolbox webinar can't make it this mol...

If you are a business author you need to understand the digital formats available today

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:17:01 GMT

Like other business authors, I've been wrestling with which format to use for my own (and my contributors) e-books. PDF has been the norm till recentl...

Will e-books finally finish off the traditional book?

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:10:50 GMT

I really don't think so. I've built a business around business e-books, and I certainly love the up to date info I get from hot off the p...

We've just had a senior leader in NZ explain why women earn less than men!

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:54:47 GMT

Alastair Thompson is the CEO of our Employers And Manufacturers Association - his rationale was that we take more sick leave because of periods!...

Want hot tips for creating catchy content for your web and newsletters?

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:47:05 GMT

One of our youngest contributors Latesha Randall shares 4 great tips for creating hot content http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/hot...

You can now listen to the mentoring webinar at your leisure

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:44:37 GMT

We had a great attendance at the webinar yesterday - and as always a few people couldn't make it - so we always record the sessions and then put them ...

NOT the end of the world. Despite Ash clouds, floods and hurricanes

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:57:57 GMT

Every now and again I get together with a colleague and we chat about the future - what's coming, what we can expect, how we can gear up for a world o...

We are going to be OK. We really are.

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:54:25 GMT

According to Chuck Reeves, there are two types of people in the world: those who crave recognition and those who favor results. Living veterans unders...

The OECD's 5 threats to our global economy. Not what you would think

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:50:11 GMT

I guess I would have expected something like: 1. Greed 2. Tax avoidance 3. The ever growing population 4. Food shortage...

Last chance to register for the 'mentoring' webinar

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:22:25 GMT

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about being mentored or becoming a mentor. The world needs more role models .... <...

7 million Americans a month use narcotic painkillers illegally

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:18:10 GMT

Over the weekend I read about a drug that is causing mayhem in Russiia - it is called Krokodil - it is a home made concoction ogf all sorts of hideous...

Learn how to make social media really work for your business

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:02:12 GMT

Most businesses are still grappling with this 'social media' thing. Is it worth the time and energy (yes) ...is it diffucult to do (no). ...

Be very, very careful what 'face' you show online

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:58:50 GMT

According to Gihan Perera: " last week we saw the resignation of U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner, who initially denied - and then confes...

41% of workers leave organisations within 12 months when they see no training/career opportunities

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:51:07 GMT

I read that stat a while ago so it may be outdated, but having just spent a day with a Defence Force department who are facing severe job cuts, what w...

Want to know how to create wildly successful employees?

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:56:38 GMT

I hear so much frustration from managers who complain how uninterested their staff are; how half hearted; how unmotivated. So if that sen...

Want a quick summary of Sun Tzu's Art of War? Read on ....

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:47:11 GMT

The Art of War became a very popular training programme about 10 years ago, and like most 'next-new-best-thing' seems to have faded away. ...

How to fix the financial crises around the world. Make 50% of all boards FEMALE!

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:41:50 GMT

Not long after the Lehman crash and while we watched bank after bank face closure, someone (a man actually) said that the crash would never have happe...

Are you a mentor? Do you wish you had a mentor? Would you like to become a mentor?

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:51:16 GMT

I took on my first mentor last year - why did I wait so long? He has helped me move my business forward in ways I wouldn't have believed possible.

Are your barriers self-imposed? And if so, what are you going to do about that?

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:42:24 GMT

I once read a book with the amazing title: 'How come every time I get stabbed in the back, my fingerprints are on the blade' ...

The 5 myths about the US economy (and probably everyone else's)

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:37:18 GMT

Whever a flight is delayed (and with the ash problem that has been quite frequently of late) I treat myself to a TIME magazine. This copy...

Want to know how to motivate the late, the lazy and the terminally uninspired?

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:29:00 GMT

We are constantly hearing about 'disengaged' employees these days. Managers bemoan the fact that their staff seem to be half hearted at work; do only ...

Why traditional sales management doesn't work any more

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:22:44 GMT

John Blake coaches sales managers and sales teams, and one question he gets over and over again from the business's he works with is "Where can I find...

Today thousands of Christchurch home owners find out which suburbs are going to be bulldozed

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:17:45 GMT

Christchurch continues to be hit with earthquakes; the liquifaction keeps pouring out of the ground covering whole suburns....beautiful old stone buil...

Help! The business is failing and the bank is about to take the house!

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:29:53 GMT

Sarah Lochead-MacMillan is a new contributor to The Corporate Toolbox and brings a wealth of banking knowledge to our offerings. In her f...

Don't give up, don't EVER give up, the finishing line could be just around the corner

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:22:04 GMT

How often do we quit, run out of steam, walk away, put something in the 'too hard' basket, when if we had just stuck things out a little bit longer, w...

What is the future for Greece? Very worrying

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:13:26 GMT

Talk about being between a rock and a hard place - what does a prime minister do when he is being told by the IMF 'you must implement austerity polici...

My Stangord Whos Who blogs are starting to have effect

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:07:50 GMT

I promised that I would blog EVERY day about this shoddy company until they gave me a 100% refund. So far no refund, but the blogs are starting to tak...

The market doesn't determine our prices; our prices determine our market!

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:47:33 GMT

So many organisations think that when the goling gets tough (and they don't get much tougher than the last two years) that they need to slash prices.<...

Do you let your employees see your organisations online feedback?

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:44:29 GMT

Now there's a novel thought. We are all now posting our thoughts on customer service on Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube etc. but what does th...

I finally saw my Stanford Whos Who copy!! Oh dear

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:34:10 GMT

Not only does this organisation have NO sense of customer service they don't understand marketing.....and 'keywords' doesn't appear in their dictionar...

Do you use Process Mapping? If not, why not?

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:28:21 GMT

Chuck Blakeman strongly suggests that it is never too early to process map your project or your business strategy. He finds that very few...

Did you know that 20-25% of people are procrastinators?

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:22:42 GMT

I chuckle when I'm with my son and daughter-in-law. My son makes INSTANT decisions (sometimes to his detriment) whereas his wife took 2 years to decid...

Want to know the 10 commandments of reputation branding?

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:56:52 GMT

Hannah Samuel is a 'reputation' expert. She says that 'Whenever I'm asked 'what do I need to do to make sure I can create and maintain a positive repu...

Warning! The amateurs are crowding you out

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:52:12 GMT

Gihan Perera (web guru) has a lawyer friend who is an 'amateur'. Gihan takes up the story...... "I don't mean he's an amateu...

My move from hell - and what I learned about project teams

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:36:47 GMT

They say that moving home is up their with death of a spouse on the stress richter scale - our recent move of home AND offices (both my husband and I ...

Increasingly the message seems to be 'stop chasing traffic' on our websites

Thu, 26 May 2011 20:47:51 GMT

We've seen the recent Google changes; most web gurus seem to be saying 'don't focus on SEO'; and Gihan Perera, one of the people I admire most in the ...

Do you price for profit? Really? Are you sure?

Thu, 26 May 2011 20:44:06 GMT

I presented at a conference recently where all the managers were complaining about the tough market; their solution was to discount. Fort...

If a customer complained bitterly about your products or services, what would you do?

Thu, 26 May 2011 20:30:06 GMT

I have ALWAYS had the policy with my clients (and my franchisees when I franchised my business), that if the client wasn't happy about any aspect of m...

There are moments in our lives that go beyond explanation

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:29:01 GMT

Because we are moving home and office, I am having a MASS clear out of 'suff'. And as I go through the piles of articles and quotes that ...

The changes Google has made that you can turn to your advantage

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:24:46 GMT

Gihan Perera tells us that "Google recently released a list of 23 guidelines for Web site owners, to help them build Google-friendly Web pages. These ...

Why would Standford University even remotely let its name be associated with Stanford Whos Who?

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:20:36 GMT

Sorry to be going on and on about Stanford Whos Who, but I have made a promise to myself - I will blog about this awful company every day until:...

Greece floundering even after a 110 euro bail out

Tue, 24 May 2011 20:45:02 GMT

Signs are showing that Greece will need a further bail out. This is very scary. How can countries get into so much debt - and New Zealand...

9 Ways Stanford Who's Who sucks you in

Tue, 24 May 2011 20:40:17 GMT

1. You will receive a call from a very persuasive sales person, 2. He or she will give you the impression that you are being 'interviewed' and ...

Marketing lessons we can learn from the world NOT ending

Tue, 24 May 2011 20:32:10 GMT

What a tragic few weeks - why do people even remotely believe this stuff? It is just so sad that some people actually do - and look at the misery and ...

Stanford Who's Who will continue taking money out of your credit card

Mon, 23 May 2011 22:53:23 GMT

long after you have said repeatedly - I DON'T WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR SHONKY COMPANY. Do NOT give them your credit card details.

Is your life worth living, as you make a living?

Mon, 23 May 2011 22:51:25 GMT

There are times, I guess, when we all feel as though we are on a relentless treadmill (I didn't blog for 3 days one week and my web traffic halved). W...

Watch out world - Toyota is launching a social networking site

Mon, 23 May 2011 22:48:26 GMT

Talk about diversifying; talk about being creative; talk about using a global database well. This should be interesting - check the full ...

Stanford Who's Who are the biggest scammers this side of the black stump

Mon, 23 May 2011 20:33:09 GMT

I mistakenly signed up with them in December last year - lots of promises - nothing was ever delivered yet they were taking money out of my credikt ca...

Selling is a discipline that CAN be learned!

Sun, 22 May 2011 20:29:39 GMT

I was once the only female on a computer company's senior management team - we had a visit from the big cheese and his American entourage.

Should the global retirement age be raised to 70?

Sun, 22 May 2011 20:25:34 GMT

We are all living longer; we are healthier than our parents, most 70 year olds are still fit and active, and would probably love to keep going and bei...

So the world didn't end - someone has a large dose of 'egg-on-face'

Sun, 22 May 2011 20:22:10 GMT

Why do these people do it? I remember at about 13 years of age (a VERY long time ago) someone started a world ending rumour and boy did w...

Manufacturing returning to the USA

Fri, 20 May 2011 22:31:07 GMT

We've gone full circle. After large manufacturing companies outsourced all their manufacturing to developing coutnries because of the low...

Google encourages their engineers to spend 20% of their time creating

Fri, 20 May 2011 22:26:25 GMT

Imagine that - imagine if other organisations said - right Fridays are invention day - we will spend the whole day brainstorming ideas and planning wa...

Just heard the number ONE tip for social networking

Thu, 19 May 2011 22:28:41 GMT

Listen first - sell second How about that. ann Sign up to our fortnightly issue of Powertools; a regula...

The very famous Bill Gates speech - hand to every Gen Y you know

Thu, 19 May 2011 22:11:24 GMT

I spend a lot of time educating managers how to get the best out of their Gen Y'ers - and a couple of weeks ago I remembered the famous Bill Gates spe...

The 7 most dangerous words any business can use

Thu, 19 May 2011 22:05:00 GMT

According to Catherine De Vrye CSP - those 7 words are: 'We have always done it that way.' ...

So the recession is causing an increase in bribes being paid to get jobs

Thu, 19 May 2011 21:56:51 GMT

Why are we surprised really? The article I read is from Reuters and deals with increased bribery in UK and European companies who are acc...

Why wasn't a successor already in place for Strauss-Kahn?

Thu, 19 May 2011 21:52:08 GMT

The sex scandal with the head of the IMF highlights the classic error most organisations make about their top person and their key people. They very r...

Every generation blames the one before!

Wed, 18 May 2011 23:01:37 GMT

I have a family history like anyone else - my family goes back to numerous generations of honest, hard working people. None of them ever became rich, ...

Check out these 7 Steps to effectively handling emotional situations

Wed, 18 May 2011 22:58:08 GMT

Because I am knee deep in packing up ready to move to a new office, I am having a mass clear out of years of collected 'stuff'. But every...

So Microsoft is having to offier financial incentives to keep key staff?

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:05:39 GMT

That must be a sign of the times and how fast the market changes. Years agao I remember writing about the fact that Microsoft had queues of people wan...

I posted the wrong date on the multi cultural webinar!!

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:13:50 GMT

Oh no! It is on 24th May, NOT 28th June. Mea Culpa...

Do you work in or with a multi-cultural team? Finding it a minefield?

Tue, 17 May 2011 21:58:35 GMT

Then stress no more. The Corporate Toolbox hosts a monthly meet-the-expert webinar and this month we are delighted to have as our guest J...

3 simple ways to keep up to date with all the stuff that hits your desk

Tue, 17 May 2011 20:58:54 GMT

Graham Jones is my hero - he is always so onto it. He suggests these 3 very simple ways to keep track of all the hundreds of e.mails and ...

What are the two most powerful words in the English Language?

Tue, 17 May 2011 20:56:26 GMT

Jaki George-Tunnicliffe suggests a few: "I am' is a powerful phrase. It allows you to create or affirm who you are, to determine y...

The 10 benefits large businesses have identified for using social media

Tue, 17 May 2011 20:44:50 GMT

I attended a presentation by Craig Rispin (a futurist) and these were some stats he gave for why large businesses have finally embraced social media:<...

Do women blog and use social networking differently from men?

Mon, 16 May 2011 22:03:06 GMT

I've been doing this blogging thing for a few years now - initially I was dragged screaming and kicking into it with all the usual excuses, no time, d...

So much information crowding our intrays - want a way to simplify your life?

Mon, 16 May 2011 20:24:35 GMT

I was having a scroll through our back catalogue of e-books and articles, having a bit of a clear out, when I discovered this little gem tucked away i...

Been asked to make a presentation? Terrified at the thought?

Mon, 16 May 2011 20:20:46 GMT

I recently facilitated a 3 day conference and was astounded at the end when I was told that most of the presenters were in-house staff - many of whom ...

Will the grab-a-bargain websites survive?

Mon, 16 May 2011 20:16:10 GMT

Like anything, someone comes up with a great idea and then everyone jumps on the band wagon. This is a whole new emerging sector, and it...

Want to know how to deal with difficult people and tricky situations?

Mon, 16 May 2011 01:16:54 GMT

If you have someone in your life who is giving you grief, or a situation that is causing you sleepless nights, then sign up for this f.ree webinar:

Self Belief Need a Boost?

Mon, 16 May 2011 01:12:08 GMT

The Northern hemisphere is just coming out of their long Winter, and down here in the Southern hemisphere we are being battered by storms as we START ...

Many small businesses staying afloat by using credit cards!

Mon, 16 May 2011 01:04:40 GMT

Business IS picking up for sure, but during those two very hard years, Lots of small businesses had to resort to using credit cards to stay in busines...

A complimentary 'Assess Your Business' Template

Thu, 12 May 2011 23:03:10 GMT

On The Corporate Toolbox site, we try to keep a great supply of free e-books, templates and other business tools for our audience. The '<...

How are you getting 'heard' amid all the online noise?

Thu, 12 May 2011 22:59:32 GMT

Given all the activity on all our social networking sites; how easy or difficult is it to be 'heard' and how difficult is it also to be 'found'?...

I thought I was a really good communicator. I've just found out I was wrong

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:00:35 GMT

I recently expressed my disappointment to my grown up son about the fact that he is now 37 and not once in his adult life, and/or the 10 years he has ...

Paul Allen (Bill Gates expartner) is dubbed the bitter billionaire

Thu, 12 May 2011 20:35:16 GMT

Just watched this video clip on rthe release of Paul Allen's new book 'The Ide...

Simple web page creator highlights businesses' social networks

Wed, 11 May 2011 21:55:16 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Sprinwise - great business ideas from around the world - check out this amazing http://www.springwise.com/marketing_advert...

Man on kidnap charge for tackling thieves (NZ)

Wed, 11 May 2011 21:47:19 GMT

A business owner had been repeatedly targeted by thieves was charged with kidnap when he and his workers caught some burglars - bundled them into his ...

Australia's tough love budget tackles the unemployed

Wed, 11 May 2011 21:43:25 GMT

As an HR consultant I hear both sides of this story - the organisations who can't find great employees, and great people who can't find jobs.

Do you know how to be 'present'? Really important skill in a relationship!

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:37:17 GMT

My ex husband (yes ex) had the most amazing skill - I would be trying to tell him something, and he would keep doing what he was doling - either reqad...

How do you manage your 'moods'?

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:31:33 GMT

We can't be cheerful all the time; and yes some people have sunnier dispositions than others, but we all have to know how to manage our highs and lows...

We are used to millionaire employees but now we have BILLIONAIRE employees!

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:27:31 GMT

I'm hyperventilating! Just read that 5 rel...

Survey result - which social networking sites give you the best results?

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:57:00 GMT

This was an ecademy survey I posted, so I expected the results to show highly for ecademy, but check out the results: ecademy = 40%...

So what if you are not perfect? Can you be OK just as you are?

Mon, 09 May 2011 20:34:44 GMT

As a society we seem to strive for perfectionism. Woman try to be the perfect wife, the perfect mum and still have a career. Men are urged to climb th...

Speculations that India will overtake China as the next hot country

Mon, 09 May 2011 20:26:43 GMT

It seems that while the world is frantically trying to do business with China, India is quietly becoming the next force to be reckoned with.

The number of millionaires tipped to rise 70% in 10 years

Mon, 09 May 2011 20:21:17 GMT

According to Deloitte (an article from the Independent) China will enter the top 10 of countries with the most millionaires Mexico...

So many unemployed yet organisations can't find new recruits!

Sun, 08 May 2011 22:28:18 GMT

So what's happening? I presented at a conference last week and they were having major challenges attracting apprentices - yet we hear abo...

Only 14% of people trust advertisements!!

Sun, 08 May 2011 22:25:37 GMT

I attended a conference over the weekend and one of the speakers made that claim - sadly she didn't give a source - but if that is so then we all need...

Why are there still so few women in senior positions?

Sun, 08 May 2011 20:39:01 GMT

Women are better educated than ever before in history. In most professions women leave university with higher grades then their male cou...

How good are you at managing your 'wealth'?

Sun, 08 May 2011 20:31:27 GMT

I've always been rather erratic I have to confess. I love shopping but I can, when the need requires me to, live on the smell of an oily rag. In fact ...

Should the Americans have captured Osama and put him on trial?

Sun, 08 May 2011 20:26:13 GMT

It's been a funny week! First the love and joy we saw with the royal wedding and then WHAM - Osama is taken out. I know ther...

UK e-book sales soar to 16m sterling in 2010

Thu, 05 May 2011 22:13:38 GMT

Send me your business e-books so I can help you tap into this revenue stream - ann Sign up to our fortnightly issue of Powertoo...

10 Hottest Money Making Words for your Headlines

Thu, 05 May 2011 20:29:32 GMT

I read that one of the top marketers in the world (Ogilvy) could spend a week on a headline....a hot headline in today's nano second world is even mor...

If change is happening on the outside faster than the inside - the end is near

Thu, 05 May 2011 20:24:43 GMT

I recently worked with a board of directors (an insurance company) who were watching their business shrink rapidly year on year. I asked ...

Micro-managing kills businesses! Are you micro-managing your people?

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:48:18 GMT

We tend to think that micro-managing is about middle managers and their front line staff, yet I've just facilitated a 3 day strategic planning ...

Has leadership training taken a hit during the recession?

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:38:24 GMT

Its the norm as soon as a downturn in the economy hit, most organisations put training on hold. Signs are definitely there that we are co...

So Osama is dead! Is that good news or bad?

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:32:20 GMT

I can't be at all sorry that he is dead - I can't believe that anyone who calls themselves religious can use their religion to kill, wound, maim, crip...

I'm OK you're not so hot!! Why are some people SO annoying?

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:42:56 GMT

I love people (well most of them) - there are always going to be one or two people that get under our skin - but I once heard someone say that people ...

Batteries can now be made from nature. How cool is that?

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:37:34 GMT

Imagine the change that will make - imagine the damage that battery acid makes in landfills that can now no longer happen IF WE EMBRACE THE CHANGE

You know you are here to do something amazing, have you worked out what it is yet?

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:37:10 GMT

Richard Bach is one of my heroes - he says 'If you think your life on earth is finished, if you are alive, it isn't'. So have you worked ...

50% of the worlds population is under 30!

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:29:58 GMT

Just heard that yesterday from one of my gorgeous contributors - http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/search?range=0&query=gordon+dryden&x=19&y...

Are you ready for Gen Y and Z - the biggest 'boom' since the end of WWII?

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:43:26 GMT

I'm speaking at a conference this weekend made up of 80 girl guides and their managers - they wanted me to make a presentation on Gen Y and what they ...

People fear being 'green' is too costly - how one business tripled their tornover

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:37:56 GMT

This is a story about the construction sector, but great ideas and business tips to me are cross sector. We can all learn from each other...

Raise your prices before it's too late!

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:32:04 GMT

Like most businesses I've kept my prices at rock-bottom for the past two years - I want to be able to help my customers when I know they are going thr...

Glolbal stock piles of edible oils fal to a three decade low

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:26:31 GMT

The global population expanded 85% in the past 4 decades. Yes that's right 85% in 40 years. That is actually quite terrifying.

How open to feedback are you? Really?

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:27:37 GMT

The dreaded words 'Can I give you some feedback?' - hands start sweating, your heart beats faster....cos you know it's going to be negative.

Amazon is getting e-books into libraries - FINALLY

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:02:52 GMT

Are you getting your e-books converted to Kindle yet? If not you could be missing out on a massive opportunity? Check out thisht...

Tips for a budding recruiter

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:29:08 GMT

Recruitment is probably one of the hardest jobs we do - some people interview really well; tell you exactly what you want to hear and then when you em...

The French are SO arrogant!

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:19:19 GMT

Bet that got your attention. I have recently been chatting to a wonderful lady in the States who is part of a group called The Cultural D...

Is 100% perfection your goal?

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:13:48 GMT

There are times when 100% perfection is probably vital - medicine perhaps - but for everything else 80% is probably good enough. How ofte...

How would you like your business to grow by 100,000 a week?

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:26:41 GMT

This update from AVAAZ: "There are over 8.2 million of us now, growing by 100,000 people per week! Two weeks ago, 650,000 Indians joined ...

Someone sent me a book to review with NO contact details!

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:09:12 GMT

I adore books and every now and again unsolicited books arrive in my Post Box to review and potentially market on my website. I picked up...

Are you a business owner or a business Hostage?

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:31:45 GMT

We have just bought a new house and want a builder to give us a quote for some modifications. Interesting exercise as I'm sure anyone who...

Want to know about a cost saving business process?

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:24:14 GMT

We are all looking for cost savings in our various businesses - and if we aren't we may not be in business for much longer. So I was fasc...

Older people have huge value to add to ANY business

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:15:59 GMT

I am staggered when I hear that organisations are trying to get rid of older workers by any means possible. Why? Why would you want to lose all those ...

Why 99c e-books are a really bad idea!

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:26:03 GMT

I'm marketing e-books on behalf of 270+ authors and try to keep abreast of what is happening in the marketplace re pricing. I'd read that...

21 Ways to Promote Your Blog

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:15:37 GMT

He's done it again - my main man Gihan Perera has given us hot tips for getting our blogs out to a wider audience Right http://w...

The Far Reaching Effects of Video Gaming

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:13:43 GMT

Extract from the latest Herman Report: 'Empathy is one of those character traits parents hope they foster in their children. That's why a...

'Best by' labels causing mass dumping of perfectly OK food

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:10:35 GMT

This type of labelling is being blamed for the dumping of up to $6b worth of food in the UK alone!! Presumably the same effect is being felt elsewhere...

Do you tell your target market what you DON'T stand for?

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:41:23 GMT

We spend a lot of time marketing and branding ourselves so our target market know what we DO stand for, but do we ever risk telling them what we DON't...

Are separate sites better than landing pages?

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:28:30 GMT

I built my online business knowing nothing about the online world; and all the people in the know told me I had done it all wrong - that I had built a...

The 10 Hottest, money-making words to use in headlines

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:23:20 GMT

People are now so busy, and our attentin spans are getting shorter by the day - so if you want someone to read your article or your book - you better ...

61% of compliance training is now delivered online

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:20:17 GMT

and 23% of executive development training is now also delievered online. If you want to train your people (at all levels) and don't want ...

e-books top hard copy book sales for the first time ever

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:02:39 GMT

Hard to believe I know - according to NEW YORK (CNNMoney) "The publishing tide is shifting fast: E-book sales in February topped all other formats, in...

Case Study - woman moving to work in India - how she prepared

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:57:15 GMT

Because we are becoming such a multi-cultural world where within weeks you could be transferred to work in ANY country - how do you prepare to move in...

Rent-a-Butlers provide catered picnics in Amsterdam

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:51:24 GMT

I love new ideas and innovation - and one of my favourtie newsletters is http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/business_ideas_from_spri...

Nuns demand that Goldman Sachs ends its excessive bonuses

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:45:37 GMT

It isn't often you hear Nuns getting stuck in to anyone or anything - but it seems that four orders of Nuns have had a gutsful of Goldman Sachs....

Are our customers suffering from Discount Fatigue?

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:29:50 GMT

It has been a grim couple of years for retail. There is rarely a shop that doesn't have massive discount signs all over their windows....but are we as...

Has article marketing had it's day?

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:26:01 GMT

I set off writing copious amounts of articles and then submitting them to various sites - but along with everything else it became one of those too ha...

Some companies are encouraging staff to Bring Their Own Computers to work!!

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:23:28 GMT

Companies like Microsoft, Intel and Kraft have adopted the scheme. Apparently employees are given a subsidy to select and buy a laptop or...

Want to know the number one skill for staying in business in challenging times?

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:32:40 GMT

Plenty of people will give you their thoughts on what is required to stay alive in business when fires are burning all around....courage....creativity...

Want to learn how to Navigate in the Social Media world?

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:24:59 GMT

According to Gihan Perera - Web guru - Facebook has over 600 million users; Twitter has over 200 million; and just last week, LinkedIn announced that ...

7 Myths about creating wealth and getting rich quick

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:20:47 GMT

Picked up these tips in a weekend supplement - have adapted from NZ tips to global tips: Myth No 1. Credit card debt is normal. Ongoing c...

Using Social Media to generate revenue. Twitter v Facebook

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:58:20 GMT

We hear a lot of stories about how much money people have made via social networking - and then we hear stories from people who don't! So...

The Art and Science of Setting Sales KPI's

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:52:39 GMT

Setting targets for any employee is always going to be challenging. Sometimes business owners set them too high but mostly, because they don't actuall...

Speed is a businesses greatest advantage

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:48:00 GMT

the ability to respond instantly to any shift in the markety (for better or worse) is a business's greatest weapon - which is where I think small busi...

10 Simple (though not easy) steps to turning your business around

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:08:45 GMT

We've seen a lot of businesses go to the wall over the last two years. If you are still in business then WELL DONE. Surviving is great; y...

Would you do business with YOU? Honestly?

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:04:48 GMT

I've had many experiences over the years of people I felt I could trust who then let me down. I've even had people who demanded long contracts who the...

The free market. What free market?

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:58:30 GMT

I've always had a chuckle at this so called free market - here in NZ we are constantly trying to find new markets and like the big guy who has his han...

Michael Connolly's new e-book priced higher than the hard copy version!

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:45:27 GMT

Kindle and Nook users share one thing in common: a number of them are rather upset about high e-book prices and are voting their displeasure in their ...

Just under 1 billion dollars was spent on e-books last year in the US

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:13:55 GMT

If you want a passive income then get writing e-books - get your knowledge out of your head and into a form that you can sell online 24/7.

Are these your best of times or your worst of times?

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:45:21 GMT

When you'ver been in business for a while (like 20 years or more) you start to see patterns and trends. You start to see some businesses slammed again...

Want to drastically improve your sales results?

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:39:00 GMT

It has been a dismal few years - but lets decide NOT to get sucked in any longer to the doom and gloom. Lets set some new and challenging goals - lets...

The founder of the Grameen Bank basically sacked. Shame on whoever did that

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:22:08 GMT

This wonderful man - Muhammad Yunus took thousands of people (mostly women) out of peverty by setting up micro loans. It saved thousands of children b...

How to motivate the late, the lazy and the terminally uninspired!

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:36:04 GMT

I love people - I've worked with corporate teams for over 20 years and I'm usually called in to work with a team because they are not performing. I wo...

Are you worth listening to?

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:32:37 GMT

Sadly we have all watched the melt-down of Charlie Sheen and his one person show. I'm a conference speaker and watch in amazement at how great some pe...

Irish properties being dumped at rock bottom prices. Poor things

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:54:32 GMT

Just picked up an article from The Observer - a central Dublin apartment that would have gone for 250,000 Euros in the height of the boom just sold re...

Crowdfunding. Wedding receptions at McDonalds and The Ministry of stories?

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:11:41 GMT

Just some of the great and crazy new ideas in http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/your_weekly_fix_of_entrepreneurial_ideas_-_16_march...

Do not send in your job application in TXT!!

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:05:15 GMT

Had a real chuckle this morning - read the National newspaper and there was a little snippet about a company who was advertising a job. A young guy se...

Stephen Leather is selling 2000 e-books a day!

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:57:50 GMT

Stephen Leather is one of my all time great escape writers. The 'man on the run' types of stories - love 'em. I normally treat myself to ...

How colour affects your taste and your smell

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 03:13:18 GMT

FW: http://www.colormatters.com/taste.html I know some of...

How to use the psychology of colour after a major shock

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:56:12 GMT

Do you know that colour hugely affects our lives? Do you know why rescue teams wear orange? Check out this colour ...

No-one can get past the power of social media - not even the Fortune 100

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:53:06 GMT

I've just had first hand experience of the power of social networking. I had agreed to go into the Stanford Who's Who Global Directory - and was getti...

Has anyone had any experience of Stanford Who's Who?

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 03:06:48 GMT

I have a horrible feeling they are a scam. I paid over a lot of money in December last year to be part of a so-called Global Directory. I...

Meetings, boring, boring meetings

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:39:48 GMT

I actually love meetings, though not those meetings where just one person drones on and on until we all have to stick pens in our ears just to stay aw...

Did you know that noise is a stressor - we ALL need quiet time

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:35:04 GMT

If you live in a city you will be constantly be bombarded with NOISE. Traffic noise, people noise, neighbour noise. Ambulances racing through the nigh...

So some BP bosses could face manslaughter charges!

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:22:21 GMT

There is a huge price for constantly cutting costs by overlooking safety in any business, but particularly one that is so vulnerable to weather and po...

The Great Employment Scam - do we ever learn?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:20:57 GMT

We've just had the horrific stats that say that 60% of New Zealand workers HATE their jobs - so what's that all about? Well in my book th...

The world is full of serious situations. Are you making them worse?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:13:31 GMT

The concept that what you think about most enhances that thought - for better or worse....so if you think negatively about, say, money, then that thou...

Amex set to take on Paypal - great news

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:04:33 GMT

Not that Paypal isn't great (most of the time) but its always good to have some healthy competition. Apparently (Blomberg) they are worki...

What are your beliefs around money?

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:52:24 GMT

just picked up an e.mail which mentined these beliefs: "I can't ever seem to get ahead." "It takes money to make money."

When people meet you what is their first impression of you?

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:34:17 GMT

That's a question we are often afraid to ask - in fact we may even think it impolite to ask....my belief is that not only do we need to give 100% atte...

Have you heard of The Cultural Detectives?

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:27:53 GMT

Its an organisation dedicated to helping diverse cultures learn to work together - yeah. In Auckland we apparently have 156 different eth...

60% of New Zealanders hate their jobs! What a tragedy

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:23:42 GMT

Thats the result of the latest employment poll here. I could have told them that 60% of employees are bored out of their brains - but I was surprised ...

You just have to watch this Youtube clip - only a Kiwi could do this!

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:30:23 GMT

Sorry I don't know how to give you the screenshot - I only know how to do a 'link' (perhaps someone could tell me how to put video on here??

How are you coping with your Gen Y, or Gen Why, or Gen C's?

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:15:32 GMT

10 of the 11 people I employ are Gen Y's - I am a Baby Boomer - and we have had some interesting conversations over the past couple of years I can tel...

Turn one idea into hundreds with this free e-book

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:02:03 GMT

I met this gorgeous man many years ago just after I'd written my first hard copy book. His question of me 'what do you sell the book for Ann?' and I s...

China is finally running out of cheap labour

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:31:25 GMT

The one child policy is finally affecting Chinese productivity. 'Each year the number of new workers joining factories is smaller than t...

Can you trademark generic phrases?

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:21:14 GMT

I've just had an interesting reaction to an article I posted on The Corporate Toolbox site on behalf of one of my contributors. I won't m...

What games are giant supermarkets really playing?

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:45:09 GMT

I'd already become used to: * Fruit that takes a fortnight to ripen * Tomatoes that are utterly tasteless * Cucumbers wrapped...

The 10 Best Questions to ask in your lifetime

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:30:40 GMT

I've always believed that if a part of your life isn't working its because you aren't asking the right questions. I just chatted to one o...

Why run webinars? Isn't that marketplace already crowded enough?

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:24:13 GMT

I've been running webinars for over a year now. Once per month I invite one of my authors to be our star of the month - and yesterday http://...

Consumption spending in India + China set to be US$5.1 trillion by 2015

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:14:07 GMT

Currently the middle classes in both countries spend 2.9 trillion - so soon to double. I wonder how many of us have a Chinese or Indian s...

Seth Godin's 7 challenging questions for leaders

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:44:17 GMT

I'm a Seth raving fan - he askes great questins. How about these for leaders? * Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?

Powerpoint is now part of our everyday lives - do you do it well?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:10:59 GMT

I've just run a webinar this morning and part of what the audience gets to look at during the one hour presentation - is your powerpoint. What does it...

Did the world change while you were busy looking the other way?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:06:59 GMT

Being in business will always be a challenge; there's all the day to day 'stuff' we need to do just to keep sales happening, but we all - large and sm...

Don't be a mosquito in a nudist colony!

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:43:55 GMT

Anita Roddick once said 'if you think one small person can't make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito' - and in this article by Chuck Blakeman ...

Check out the latest Global Employee Engagement Report

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:37:50 GMT

If you have staff you want them to be motivated and productive - of course your do. But often they are NOT and we don't always know why. ...

Instant fame or instant infamy are now just a 'send' away

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:31:24 GMT

We know that technology has changed the world, but it also looks as though it is going to change politics and governments world-wide. We ...

Never upset a web guru or anyone with a huge database or this is what happens...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:01:06 GMT

I'm a follower of a lovely guy called Tom Antion. He was doing web stuff before most of us even had a website. He now has a HUGE followin...

2011 has sucked so far! So here are 7 tips to Rock Your Life

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:04:08 GMT

We set off with such high hopes for 2011 and so far it has 'sucked' big time. So here arehttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/arti...

'Precious Little' of what we worry and fret about, ever happens

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:01:40 GMT

I absolutely love this article by my lovely friend Michael Podolinsky of Singapore. If right now you are fretting or worrying about somet...

The poor kid who was bullied now has 150,000 friends

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:58:48 GMT

If you've seen the clip of young Australian boy Casey Heynes deciding he had had 'enough' of being bullied, then you will be feeling what any parent f...

If you can save a gigaton of carbon you'll save a gigaton of money

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:51:16 GMT

Sir Richard Branson's words - not mine. Who ever would have thought that a person who runs an airline would get behind climate change? W...

Last chance to register for 'Moving Beyond The Boys' Club' webinar

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:46:02 GMT

We have had record registrations for this wbinar, so that is very telling. It isn't just for women - if you are in a role where you have ...

Subway now the fastest growing food outlet!

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:42:09 GMT

Who would have thought it - someone now beating McDonalds march on world food domination? Can't say I'm sorry - McDonalds is responsible ...

Check out PennyPower's predictions for business 2011/2012 and be amazed

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:26:58 GMT

28 wonderful people agreed to send me their predictions for doing business in 2011 and 2012 - and a colleague of mine has been interviewing me every t...

Thank you Prince William for joining Christchurch's amazing earthquake memorial day

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:25:25 GMT

The day was spell-binding. Fortunately even though we are now going into Autumn it was a beautiful day. Lots of tears, lots of prayers bu...

Can little businesses compete with the big ones? Absolutely

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:12:16 GMT

What small businesses don't realise is that they will ALWAYS be faster than the big businesses; because they are small they can move faster and more e...

How to motivate employees on a budget

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:05:39 GMT

I think 2011 so far has been a pretty awful year - we had such high hopes./ However, onward and upward - we just keep going. ...

Can the International community please start sending food to Japan?

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:02:05 GMT

As if quakes and tsunamis and the potential of nuclear melt-down haven't been enough for these poor souls to cope with, now it is snowing AND JAPAN HA...

It's a Jungle out there. Check out this delightful story - so sad and so true

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:11:02 GMT

Normally all the material I upload onto The Corporate Toolbox has a known source - this cartoon story came across my desk and I have no idea who creat...

2011 turning out to be a bummer? Download this success calender and cheer yourself up

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:03:04 GMT

We all came into 2011 with such high hopes. The start of a new decade, hopefully the worls for the global melt-dwon behind us, and then wham and wham ...

If ever we doubted that NZ was a rugby mad country today's headlines proved it

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:57:00 GMT

Our headlines today - in the midst of one of the world's biggest potential nuclear disasters: BITTER SWEET and the lead stor...

7 No cost and/or Low cost ways to market your business

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:50:53 GMT

The recession continues; we are all looking for ways to reduce costs and often we look at marketing as a cost (which it isn't it is an investment).

The art of presentation in a cyber world

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:47:21 GMT

As unrest in the Middle East sends oil prices soaring (again). As the misery of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami and now potential nuclear disaster ove...

We watch and wait. The potential nuclear disaster adding misery to Japan

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:40:45 GMT

Can it get much worse for those poor things? They had another massive shock overnight and the tsunami warning went off again, though it was a false al...

Moving Beyond the Boys' Club - webinar

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:22:46 GMT

This isn't meant to knock our wonderful men-folk (honestly) thyis is a FREE webinar with Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris, author of the book Beyond the Boys' ...

The very best way to fail at referrals!

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:21:45 GMT

Do you ask for referrals or do you think that is a step too far when you are chatting to someone? A lot of people build their business on...

Do new managers get a raw deal? Do they get any training in how to manage?

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:17:30 GMT

So often we promote people and then say 'go manage'. That can be a terrifying prospect to a new manager, particularly if they have to manage people th...

Japan has 17 nuclear power plants on the shakiest islands on the planet

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:11:14 GMT

We watched in horror as the Christchurch quake infolded with just under 200 deaths, and now we hear that upwards of 10,000 people could have perished ...

2012 Predictions coming true? Whatever - we are about to face an interesting ride

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:06:38 GMT

We've had the two earthquakes in Christchurch - a part of New Zealand not considered to be on a fault line; and now we are watching the horror of Japa...

How much time did you use productively last week? How much did you waste?

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:54:22 GMT

Time is the most valuable commodity we have - once it is gone we can never get it back. That doesn't mean to say we have to rush around l...

Does your business have a set of core values? Values define what's important to you

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:48:08 GMT

I know the whole conversation about Vision and Values can make business owner's eyes glaze over.....they see the conversation as a waste of valuable t...

Brazil now the world's 8th largest economy experiencing 7.5% growth in 2010

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:42:33 GMT

So BRIC is a reality (Brazil, Russia, India and China) - they are fulfilling the predictions of becoming world players. According to an a...

I love Kiwi ingenuity - check out these long drop toilets and have a laugh

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:40:19 GMT

Kiwi's have such an amazing sense of humour and when the going gets rough they will ALWAYS find a way through - over - under or out. Have...

Beyond The Boys Club - A FREE Webinar

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:29:29 GMT

Q: Is there still a glass ceiling? Q: Do a lot of bright women give up on the professions because rising to the next level is simply too hard?

A heartfelt letter to a manager just before the employee starts planning to leave

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:16:17 GMT

I subscribe to the 'people don't leave organisations they leave managers' school of thought. Here is a http://www.thecorporateto...

29 Successful entrepreneurs share their predictions for doing business in 2011/2012

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:32:37 GMT

If you haven't already grabbed your copy of What's Next? then do so right now....the ...

Did you know that the North pole is slipping to the West?

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:23:47 GMT

I guess we all have 2012 in mind a little bit - did the Mayan's predict the end of the world in 2012 or did they just run out of ideas? A...

Are you using new style marketing for an old style business?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:10:57 GMT

Gihan Perera is one of those leading edge thinkers - one of the few people whose newsletter I subscribe to.. So check out his thoughts on...

Its all a matter of confidence and its all a matter of trust

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:08:40 GMT

Barry Urqhart is one of my favourite authors - he wrote an amazing book years ago called 'Serves You Right' - sadly it is now out of print and I keep ...

Of the 140,000 homes in Christchurch, 100,000 have quake damage

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:04:42 GMT

Imagine that - and of the 100,000 that have quake damage, 10,000 will have to be buldozed totally. Imagine having to rush out of your hou...

10,000 homes in Christchurch will have to be demolished

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:31:51 GMT

and that is a conservative estimate apparently - whole suburbs will become no go zones for building for decades. Already the migration is happening - ...

How mind reading damages relationships!

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:13:11 GMT

We all do it - we watch a person's body language or their facial expressions and without them saying a word, we think we know exactly what is going on...

Did the Social Credit thinkers have it right?

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:08:14 GMT

As we watch the melt-down and continued ripples of the melt-down it does beg the question 'what the heck are we doing and why do we keep doing whateve...

China currently has 850 million mobile phone users - imagine if you had an app in Chinese

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:03:40 GMT

I was approached by a guy who said he could translate 5 of my web pages into Chinese for a very small investment. Which sounded great on the surface o...

'He's in a meeting.' And probably bored out of his brain!

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:05:27 GMT

How many meetings do you attend a week? How many are stimulating, creative and energising? In how many do you find yourself ...

Are you a business coach and if so do you have a PURPOSE?

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:58:21 GMT

I've always been a bit wary of coaches (though I do have a mentor)... I did an exchange of skills with a guy once - I would teach him som...

Christchurch may have to reinstate 'night-carts' - oh dear

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:49:50 GMT

Some of you young things may never have heard of night carts - they are carts that used to come round during the dead of night to take away sewage fro...

An hilarious opportunity to help out Christchurch quake victims

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:50:29 GMT

For those of you who know a real live Kiwi - you will know they have a very dry and droll sense of humour. A man has posted a rock for sa...

This woman said ' New Zealanders Lie to Your Face!'. I was shocked....

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:36:36 GMT

I attended a Woman's Entrepreneur day and one woman in the group said exactly that 'NZers lie to your face' Given that we were all NZers ...

Find it hard to delegate? Check out these 10 steps and get your life back

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:29:57 GMT

The challenge with needing to do everything yourself is that you will need to work horrendous hours. Learning to delegate could save your...

People don't leave organisations they leave managers

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:26:39 GMT

Over a 20 year HR career, I've rarely known emplolyees to leave an organisation (though if they do its usually because there is no career development)...

The great employment scam. If you have staff you need to read this...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:14:14 GMT

Q; Are your employees lazy ratbags? Of course they are not (well most of them are not) Q: Do you over pay your staff? Q: Are they worth wh...

What an American suggests the Christchurch quake can teach business

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:09:33 GMT

Chuck Blakeman is a mentor to small businesses. He...

By 2025 India will have DOUBLE the purchasing power of the US

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:03:41 GMT

Like everyone else, I get a lot of junk e.mails, but I scan them for interesting information - and its surprising what you can find in that junk.

What's Next? - A coffee break chat about Dr Ivan Misner's predictions

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:35:41 GMT

For those of you who haven't downloaded What's Next? - 29 Successful Entrepreneurs sha...

How productive is your team (honestly)? Take this test to find out

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:25:46 GMT

We can delude ourselves that our people are working hard (even though results perhaps don't show that); we can delude ourselves that we have a happy w...

Absenteeism is a symptom of underlying problems

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:22:21 GMT

I was talkikng to one of my clients the olther day and he was stressing that in his small business he had quite a high absenteeism problem.

Want to know the biggest shift in consumer attitude's in 20 years?

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 03:52:34 GMT

Picked this up in a newsletter by Paul Dunn: 'Consumers expressed a nearly fourfold increase in their preference for companies, brands, a...

Is it possible in this financial climate to get a 7000% return on an investment? Apparently it is

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:20:49 GMT

What could possibly give your business a 7000% Return on Investment? Well it seems that training your staff can give you anything from a ...

Can Ecademists Please Help The Christchurch Earthquake disaster in some way?

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:56:16 GMT

I know you will have all seen the scenes of utter devastation that is now the Christchurch area. 30% of central Christchurch will have t...

Dunedin students mobilising to feed the Chch students helping clear rubble in the Chch earthquake

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:41:48 GMT

Still so much heartbreak around - no more people recoverd - hundreds unaccounted for - 30% of Chch central will have to be destroyed and the repair bi...

15,000 students are mobilising themselves to help quake victims in Christchurch

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:02:36 GMT

12 students have blogged, tweeted and put a post on Facebook asking all students to join forces to go out to the suburbs of christchurch to help the e...

Is 'virtual' the shape of education to come?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:16:22 GMT

So much is online today; conference venues are emptying as more and more people can access new information from their own offices; much cheaper for th...

Disasters bring out the best in people (well most people)

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:10:45 GMT

The NZ earthquake is bringing out the absolute best in people (well most people) - organisations all around the country are pitching in to send genera...

300-400 deaths anticipated in the Christchurch earthquakes

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:04:16 GMT

We are reeling from the latest earthquake. In the scheme of things it wasn't even a biggie - we often get 6.5s and 7.5 pointers in NZ (given that we a...

Bad plans carried out violently many times WILL lead to good results

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:38:08 GMT

It's always an interesting dilemma - do I give up and put the experience down to 'learning' or do I keep going in the hope that eventually this (whate...

Know someone who is suffering from low self esteem?

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:34:06 GMT

Low self esteem can cripple. I'm sure we have all had periods where we didn't feel too great about ourselves, but to consistantly feel worthless and n...

57 Varieties are WAY too many. We are literally being spoiled by choice

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:30:44 GMT

Why do we need so many varieties of everything. We have one entire aisle of differnt bottles of water in our supermarket - water is water...

You know how your brand 'looks' but do you know how it 'sounds'?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:33:51 GMT

Interesting question: Julian Treasure is a 'sound' man - he has written books about it and even appeared on TED. So read his...

Do you know the one thing that is hurting your presentations the most?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:31:33 GMT

We all have to make presentations; whether we are speakers, trainers, coaches, consultants or sales people. Yet we all tend to make the s...

Fears grow in NZ for the demise of our very precious bees

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:26:50 GMT

NZ is experiencing a huge decimation of our bee population. We have a $5 billion dollar fruit and wine industry (which may not seem a hug...

Are you stressed by having to cope with so many social networking sites?

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:56:21 GMT

Here is some wonderful wisdom from nofol...

Japanese whaling boats admit defeat in the Antarctic

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:52:41 GMT

Yeah. finally they have given up and gone home. LEAVE OUR WHALES ALONE! Massive congratulations to the guys that risked their lives takin...

Always wanted to write a book? Well here's a free e-book to show you how to do that

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:34:51 GMT

I am constantly urging people to get their wonderful knowledge out of their heads and into articles or e-books (which they can sell) - and if they are...

Health jobs slashed in NZ but more managers employed!

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:30:35 GMT

Insanity - we never, never learn. The Ministry of Health has recruited 5 new managers on $90,000 a year and slashed 155 front line jobs.<...

Get rid of banks; get rid of bureaucrats - start a Microfinancing movement TODAY

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:59:51 GMT

I've had several opportunities over the past week or so to be furious with banks - short thinking fat cats that they are - and thinking that their mod...

Do you have the right attitude for success? Find out

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:00:51 GMT

attitude is everything; but what is it and how do you know if you have the right one or not? Janice Davies has created this http...

What digital consumers want v what publishers THINK they want

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:57:56 GMT

Every sector finds it hard to accept that what they do could be obsolete - publishers are no exception. Publishers think hard copy books...

Using body heat to warm office space - possible? Absolutely apparently

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:53:49 GMT

I love SPRINGWISE - they scour the globe looking for great new business ideas.... How about: * Wi-fi enabled Tuk Tuks on the...

Microfinance is the way out of the global financial mess we are in

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:46:21 GMT

Im so tired of hearing about the massive bonuses bank staff and financial people receive - for what? What do the actually produce?...

Ever used a process map? Try this one PLUS 10 tips for success

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:37:59 GMT

Every business - no matter how small - can lose a fortune in time and money by not checking systems and processes every now and again. If...

Time to assess your business model? Try this free template

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:33:09 GMT

It never hurts to sit quietly every now and again and take stock of things - to ask some qustions: * am I on the right track? * ha...

Do you have a great team around you?

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:29:37 GMT

I don't necessarily mean 'team' in the traditional sense - i.e. a sales team or an accounts team, I mean people around you who support and encourage y...

What's Next? 29 successful entrepreneurs share their business predictions for 2011

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:14:59 GMT

The new 'predictions' book went live last Thursday, and perhaps because there seems to be so much uncertainty still even though it is 2 years since th...

Resolutions for a new decade - because we HAVE just enetered a new decade

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:00:37 GMT

Normally at the beginning of a new decade there's a lot of fanfare - this one seemed to slip into our lives without much commentary - perhaps there's ...

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:55:51 GMT

I was in a waiting room yesterday and picked up a magazine - I found a story of 42o (The kiwi vodka people)....fatastic article about the hurdles they...

Can you 'game-proof' your sales reporting?

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:44:30 GMT

Savvy sales people can be very creative when it comes to filling in their sales reports - not that we are suggesting they are dishonest - just creativ...

Need to instigate some form of 'change' in your business?

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:41:39 GMT

We all know that making any kind of change in a workplace can be traumatic to say the least. I was once brought in to work with a team th...

E-readers seriously lighten the load for Booker judges

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:35:18 GMT

If anyone was still wondering if e-books would ever be a 'hit' then know that they already ARE. Just read an article which says that the ...

10 Top Tips For Being Influential - and we ALL need to be influential

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:11:11 GMT

Stephanie Philps is an NLP Master practitioner - and if you follow http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/10_top_tips_for_being_influent...

Why Asia wants to do more business with New Zealand

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:08:15 GMT

As a small country who has suffered massively since the EU was formed (no blame on the EU here - they had to look after their own) but of course that ...

Did you know that Making Money is Killing Your Business? (Free e-book)

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:49:31 GMT

Chuck Blakeman is one of the contributors on my website The Corporate Toolbox - he has generously allowed me to offer a chapter of his new book 'Makin...

The smartest kid in the world lives in the UK

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:45:27 GMT

Suffolk man - Martin Myerscough used his son' s school project idea (making a papier-mache milk bottle) to design the GREENBOTTLE - a sturdy pap...

Behind every man is a truly great woman - read on

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:41:56 GMT

One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxu...

My annual 'predictions' book is now available - 'What's Next?' Predictions by 29 global entrepreneurs

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:35:59 GMT

I created a predictions book in 2010 to try and send some positive messages out to exhausted business people - that book 'http://www.thecorpo...

Massive Cyclone about to hit Queensland, Australia

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:29:14 GMT

Poor things. They are still under water from the floods and are now about to be hit by a categroy 4 cyclone - possibly a category 5. All ...

We have destroyed so much - lets make sure we don't destroy anything else!

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:58:19 GMT

On a recent trip to New York we went to the American Indian display in the Smithshonian Institute - - I was so overcome with emotion I had to get out ...

Hot Cross Buns in the shops already. Come on guys - give us a break

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:33:51 GMT

Yes its true - we were doing our weekly 'big' shop (if you are a fan of Peter Kay) and there they were - Hot Cross Buns. And as if that w...

If you are coming to NZ for the Rugby World Cup know we have crime here too!

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:30:27 GMT

It is wonderful that NZ has such a fabulous image overseas. On a recent trip to Europe and America - when we told people we were from NZ everyone sigh...

What do you do to turn potential customers OFF handing over their money?

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:24:02 GMT

Because I now do most of my 'buying' online - it is really interesting how some sites are so easy to buy from and others make your life really difficu...

The economy is improving - how many of your people are you about to lose?

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:53:56 GMT

As an HR consultant of 20+ years standing, I know that t_leave_organizations_they_leav...

The biggest question facing mankind today?

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:46:55 GMT

Will there come a time when a one child policy hits EVERY family? This is a genuine question. Our population globally I thin...

Do you ever look back to make sure you can move forward?

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:01:11 GMT

So often in our lives we just keep battling on - endlessly leaning forward ready to take on the next challenge and the next.....no matter how exhauste...

Sales and Finance finally able to communicate with each other?

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:57:25 GMT

In most organisations these two departments have an 'interesting' relationship with each other; not necessarily having the same goals and certainly no...

1000 of Ireland's brightest leaving for better prospects every week

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:51:13 GMT

I guess it was inevitable. Since the Irish melt-down, it appears many of their brightest people are leaving - at a rate of 1000 a week according to Re...

Can executive coaching help women who are aiming for the top?

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:00:34 GMT

Mid last year I took on a mentor (I know coaching and mentoring are different but the point I make is that I asked for help). Best thing...

Glimmers of hope in the job creating arena

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:55:40 GMT

It is so sad to hear of people who want to work and can't find any - we've just had a small round of redundancies in our logging sector (technology ta...

Time on Facebook for your employees is the new Cigarette break

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:51:50 GMT

Was on a webinar yesterday and heard that a lot of organisations are struggling with the whole online thing with their staff. Some allow ...

Are you a trend watcher? If you are in business you must become one

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:34:14 GMT

It is so easy to get busy doing whatever it is we do. In a downturn we try to do whatever we do harder or longer just to stay afloat.....but if you sp...

Did you know there are 6 lenses through which you are judged?

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:30:02 GMT

They say that people form an opinion about us in 30 seconds - if you are dealing with a customer - what opinion will they form? Check out...

Will 2011 be the year China becomes the new super power?

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:26:34 GMT

Every dog has their day - or so the saying goes. The Roman empire fell apart; the British empire lost its power - are we watching the dem...

Why Social Networking can be a BAD Idea

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 20:02:06 GMT

Given that we are being told we need to blog and twitter and have a presence on Facebook - I was interested to read Chuck Reave's take on Social Netow...

Start your week with a chuckle - read about the Zombie Chicken

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:57:59 GMT

Tom O'Neill is a great friend of mine - he told me the story of the nofollow...

New Zealand is now being lashed by the Australian storms

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:55:44 GMT

The storms hit us over the weekend - absolutely nothing like the ones Australia is still feeling - but we certainly cuaght the tail end of something b...

Can you work with volatility?

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:33:28 GMT

The days of cruisy 9 - 5 jobs, or even safe jobs for life are long gone. For some people that causes huge stress and ill health - the future will belo...

14 Inspiring ideas for business plus the top 20 for 2011

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:29:09 GMT

I am a great follower of Springwise - I love to check out the crazy and maginificent business ideas people come up with - check out http://ww...

Goldman Sachs preparing to spend US$16b on bonuses

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:17:31 GMT

which will average out to be about US$450,000 per person. So they didn't learn and they didn't listen and they have stuck their middle fi...

Do you focus on busyness to the detriment of your business?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:11:58 GMT

Its a mistake we all make - rushing around thinking we are going great guns, wshen in fact all we are doing is creating a lot of dust. If...

Earth is under attack - it cannot survive!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:04:32 GMT

Relax - I'm only joking (though who knows). This is an hilarious game I play when I'm working with teams - and I'm making it freely avail...

So BP is now going to start drilling for oil under the arctic ice. What a tragedy!!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:00:34 GMT

This isn't just about BP and the major ecological disaster they caused in the Gulf of Mexico - though that was tragic enough - this is about drilling ...

Do you find keeping up with social media a time consuming pain?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 02:23:25 GMT

We all know we 'should' be doing this social networking thing; but most of us find it too hard - mainly because of time constraints, yet in today's co...

Social media gets you attention, your website gets the sale

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:07:50 GMT

I had chatted with someone last week - who after spending A$80,000 building his website, closed it down and put everything on Facebook. W...

Publishers totally out of step with the new digital opportunities

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:03:15 GMT

I remember when one of my books was picked up by a publisher I was so grateful that I signed over everything and anything - even my unborn grandchildr...

Hiring outlook in NZ is the best since 2008

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:57:09 GMT

We seem to be looking over the parapet and seeing a slightly brighter future. About one third of NZ's larger employers said they were now...

Can Your Business Benefit From Wikipedia?

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:12:15 GMT

10 years old - and I guess most of us check it at least once a day. http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/how_can_my_busin...

Are you planning to take your strengths to the next level in 2011?

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:07:53 GMT

Check out these amazing tips from Chuck Reaves - on how to think lik...

Are we facing a generational war? Young versus Old

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:05:03 GMT

I watch the news and see young people demonstrating against austerity measurs, paying University fees and lack of jobs. (20% unemployment rates across...

You sell more by helping your customers sell more

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:48:00 GMT

What can you do for your customer this year to increase their sales? Check out this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles...

NZers are making 2011 the year of 'saving' rather than spending

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:45:34 GMT

An online survey commissioned by our National newspaper (The Sunday Star Times) discovered that NZers are vowing to make 2011 the year of savi...

How 'honest' is your CV (really)?

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:15:59 GMT

When we dust off our CV in readiness for looking for a new and more exciting job or career (and 70% of New Zealanders are apparently doing that) - the...

Are you selling online? Then this is one thing you need to know

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:07:41 GMT

The shift to putting parts of any business online makes common sense, but there is a vast difference between selling face to face and selling through ...

Europe going cap in hand to borrow money from China?

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:58:16 GMT

Well we really are in a financial mess aren't we? Just read (Bloomberg) that Europe is asking to borrow money from China and Japan. The bailouts of Gr...

Now is a really good time to raise your prices or your fees

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:25:21 GMT

It is always a scary thing to consider - raising prices or fees. But the very interesting thing is that when you do - the world doesn't s...

Smartphone busines expected to grow 55% this year

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:21:08 GMT

For all the businesses who are still facing doom and gloom - there are businesses that are growing massively. Which happens always in a poor economy -...

Facebook gets 700,000 new sign ups per day!

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:17:36 GMT

Wow. How would it be if we each got even 70 new sign ups per day? I just chatted with a guy yesterday who said he had spent A$80,000 buil...

What is your favourite of all the human traits?

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:39:34 GMT

I've just been chatting to a lovely lady about the Predictions book I compile every year - and she said she had only one prediction, and that is that ...

Are you able to control your negative thoughts?

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:23:59 GMT

We all have them of course - I often find myself having an internal 'mutter' about something that has ticked me off. Or worse, I do confess to the occ...

Who are you and are you happy with who you are?

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:15:19 GMT

I love this time of year. It is still reasonably quiet after the mad Christmas rush - and though I no longer set New Year resolutions as such, I certa...

Sending lots of prayers to the Gold Coast as they battle an inland Tsunami!

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:08:10 GMT

We've just been watching the horror of a flash flood on top of already flooded towns along the Gold Coast of Australia - unbelievable scenes as cars a...

Can employees, managers and teams really achieve peak performance?

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:59:58 GMT

In fact a better question could even be, are they interested in achieving peak performance in the work environment? Well Steve Sharpley s...

Want to know the best time to send out your newsletters?

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:56:54 GMT

I'm a Tuesday person - I've always been of the opinion that Monday is no good because people need to catch up after the weekend, so Tuesday (or Wednes...

The amazing Apple employment credo and Steve Jobs $1 salary

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:52:40 GMT

sounds like there are no obscene salary packages at Apple (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) - just read that top Apple executives ar...

Have you experienced the 'Random Act of Culture' in Macy's department store?

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:21:51 GMT

Just found this. Technically a bit late - but boy - worth experiencing. Check it out ...

Do you have a logical social media strategy?

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:57:50 GMT

Or are you like most of us, you do a bit of this and a bit of that - every now and again? In today's competitive business environment kee...

63 Project Management Tips to make sure your projects are on time and on budget

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:03:59 GMT

The start of a New Year will mean the start of new projects for most businesses - particularly now we seem to be finally coming out of the worst of th...

Is the Japanese Whaling Industry in it's death throes?

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:00:37 GMT

I surely hope so. How can we keep killing these beautiful creatures? An article from 'Age' suggests that whale meat isn't actually even e...

70% of NZ workers looking for new jobs!

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:53:40 GMT

Which is a staggering figure. Reasons given for the desire to move: * Workplace morale - 22% * Variety of work 19%

Pension ages set to rise around the world - check out a few existing ages

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:47:31 GMT

In NZ our pension age is 65 for men AND women. There are rumblings that it needs to be raised to 67. So I was interested to read that: Ir...

Last chance to be part of the 2011 Business Predictions e-book

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:23:48 GMT

Every year I put together a predictions bok which I use as the 'sign up' for The Corporate Toolbox. Last year we mustered 378 predictions...

Are you a business coach? How good are you? find out.....

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:36:24 GMT

If you consider yourself a business coach, and by that I mean a manager coaching his/her team, or an independent business coach - then how good are yo...

Set some goals for 2011? Understand the 5 steps to fulfilling them

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:31:56 GMT

We've all done it - particularly around New Year - set some goals for the year, which probably even by the end of Jan have gone by the way.

Have banner ads come to the end of the road?

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:25:50 GMT

It seems we all hate them - according to Mediamind click through rates have fallen to .09% from .15% in 2008. 43% of respondents say they...

NZ is the most brand-destructive country in the world

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:48:00 GMT

According to Nielsen (market research company) NZ is called 'the new promo-land' because sales on promotions are the highest in the world!

Some GOOD news to start the year - the Ozone hole is shrinking

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:44:23 GMT

The results are for the Southern Hemisphere but still encouraging as we had the large Ozone hole in the entire world down our neck of the woods. The a...

We know about hindsight - but do you have 'mindsight'?

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:22:59 GMT

Sam Borret reveals the secret of 'mindsight' and the 4 key life skills we all need right http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/do_you_h...

What do you really, really want in 2011?

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:20:26 GMT

Gihan Perera is one of my favourite entrepreneurs; I never miss his newsletters. Check out this article from his latest newsletter

Thinking of packing in that boring job in 2011 and venturing out alone?

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:16:53 GMT

I heartily encourage people to start up their own businesses - but beware - it takes a lot of hard work. So if you are working in a job you hate; goi...

New Business Ideas launched in 2010

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:34:07 GMT

I subscribe to 'Spring' a great newsletter on weird and wonderful new business ideas - check out some of the new businesses launched in 2010 ...

Check the annual list of words-to-be-banished from our vocabulary

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:31:16 GMT

An annual list is published by Lake Superior State University - and this year the top words on the 'banned' list - words that have been mis-used or ov...

Baby Boomers Reach Retirement Age this Year - what does it mean for society?

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:23:49 GMT

It is the day society has been dreading - 60 million (or thereabouts) people hitting retirement over the next 17 years (baby boomers are born between ...

How would you rate 2010 on a scale of 0-10?

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 02:25:25 GMT

Was it a: * Shocking year - glad it's over? * A hang-on-by-your-fingertips sort of year - but you survived? * A not so bad ye...

There are two kinds of entreprenuer

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 02:06:04 GMT

Happy New Year everyone. I predict that 2011 will be The Year of the Entrepreneur. I think we are all utterly sick of the gloom and doom of the past c...

10 questions to ask over the break if your life isn't where you want it to be

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:23:15 GMT

Have a great Christmas break - take some time out to relax and revitalise - and then check out these 10 questions: 1. Have you achieved e...

Is it time for heated runways? Wouldn't think that too difficult

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:16:16 GMT

Watching the torture for travellers over the past week it makes me wonder how it got so bad. Yes the snow was early; yes it was heavy - but Britain ha...

I know I'm here to do something awesome; wish I knew what it was

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:47:11 GMT

Over the years I have run a workshop called 'I know I'm here to do something awesome; I just wish I could work out what it is.' And the t...

Time to reflect on an 'interesting' year and what 2011 will mean for you

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:34:06 GMT

I love this time of year; not just the fact that it is Summer here - Christmas at the beach was something it took me many years to get used to having ...

The first (of many I suspect) NZ Directors head to prison

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:25:44 GMT

Two directors of a failed NZ finance company will be spending Christmas (and a couple more) in prison. They asked for home detention, but...

Life is precious - read the amazing story of how divers saved a whale

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:03:43 GMT

This story was sent to me by a very dear friend who is experiencing challenges that most of us would not be able to bear. Please take a minute to read...

Need to ask your boss a really big question in the New Year?

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:17:17 GMT

Like ' Boss I've worked my little tush off this year and really feel I deserve a raise.....?' If you do need to ask your boss a big quest...

Christmas; a great time to remember the good things in your life

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:11:05 GMT

Yes its been a pretty hard year - but I bet that at some points during the year you will have had great moments; special moments; belly laughing momen...

Up to 70% off in PRE Christmas sales here in NZ

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:02:01 GMT

Traditionally we have a massive Boxing day sale her in NZ - sadly a reflection of the hard times retailers are having are the signs are going up all o...

Over the break owners and managers need to think about 2011

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:03:23 GMT

If you are still in business at the end of these two very challening years - then well done. Congratulations to you. So over the break mi...

Productivity is leaking through the holes in our computer skills

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:55:42 GMT

We have a crusader in NZ - the lovely Pam Martin - Pam went to a Microsoft conference a few years ago and was incensed when she heard speaker after sp...

Twitter doesn't know how to monetise it's business!!

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:47:03 GMT

Over the weekend I read that 'There's money to be made out of Twitter's audience but the company just doesn't seem to have found a way to do it yet!' ...

Time to reflect on your achievements for 2010?

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:56:37 GMT

It has been a tough year, no denying - but we have survived. If you are at the stage of your life where you are stuck in a job that bores...

The secret to writing a book is to start writing!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:51:52 GMT

I was told 'Everyone has a book in them' and I dobted! Then I wrote my first book. This is a great time of year (the end of a challenging...

Solar energy now almost as cheap as conventional energy

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:44:09 GMT

About time - I am so looking forward to the day when the world decideds it no longer wants oil. We have wind power, sun power and sea power - that has...

Christmas; the lonliest and most stressful time of year for some

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:24:28 GMT

This year will be hard for a lot of families; in NZ we've just had the Christchurch earthquake - many people are still homeless; we've had the Pike Ri...

Watch your reputation over the Christmas (drinking) period

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:13:44 GMT

In virtually every culture in the world, their special days are times of fasting or reflecting; sadly in the Western world, our way of celebrating see...

Missing the biggest and cheapest marketing opportunity in the world?

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:59:24 GMT

That is your CAR! I have a personalised plate (Woe2go) which actually markets my consulting business (teams in conflict), but increasingl...

Why do half of new businesses fail within 2 years?

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:23:50 GMT

Doug Holman asks some interesting questions: 'Why do large, well-established businesses experience setbacks? Why do half of new businesse...

Guard your reputation - at all costs!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:19:12 GMT

In this fabulous article by Tessa Hood she cites the example of Warren Buffet who famously said 'Lose dollars for the firm and I will be understanding...

Banker's bonuses being capped in Europe and clawbacks set in place

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:14:31 GMT

Read several articles today about the backlash of the public to the ongoing big bonuses banks keep paying despite the severe economic times (are they ...

Feeling the stress of Christmas? Check the colours you are wearing

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:58:05 GMT

We are surrounded by colour. In NZ right now we are witnessing the red of the Pohutakawa trees - which are always so beaurtiful; the deep turquoise of...

Are we witnessing the end of the High Street?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:53:32 GMT

I love shopping in malls, especially on a wet day or particularly hot day (in NZ we are experiencing 90-99% humidity at the moment - and we are all tr...

Australia takes on their 4 big banks - way to go

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:48:12 GMT

Australia has had enough of their banks. The final straw has been the posting of record profits while raising interest rates. So the Australian goverm...

Is one of your 2011 goals to write a book? What about hiring a ghostwriter?

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:58:38 GMT

I've written four books, and each one took me about a year on and off (doing other things like earning a living). I now work with over 2...

When is an argument not an argument?

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:53:24 GMT

You are in a crowded Mall or Cafe and you hear raised voices - your assumption - that these people are arguing..... Read this delightful ...

Do you have a Ginger Breadman, or any Jungle Bells?

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:50:50 GMT

In NZ we are a truly multi-cultural society. I think I read somewhere that we have 158 different ethnic groups in a population of only 4 million.

Four Key Trends of Customer Loyalty you need to know for 2011

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:29:01 GMT

Loyalty 360, The Loyalty Marketers' Association in Cincinnati, Ohio issued its 2011 list of key trends. In this http://www.thecorporatetoolbo...

Did you know that you can Anticipate FutureShocks?

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:25:02 GMT

I've been in business a loooong time now - and it seems to be that every 7 years or so, we have a melt-down. Yet every time we survive the latest one,...

Don't bring your children and grandchildren up to 'hate'

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:16:53 GMT

There is a sector of NZ society (and all societies I would guess) that is brought up to hate the police. We have just seen the pictures o...

How culturally aware are you? Honestly and truthfully?

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:55:24 GMT

I'm English and remember well when I first arrived in NZ - my daughter was 3 and went to a local kindy. At the end of the term all the Mums were asked...

Want to give your kids food for their brain? Find out which ones...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:44:44 GMT

We all know that carrots are good for our eye-sight (or is that just a marketing ploy); and that fruit and green vegies are full of great vitamins, bu...

NZ Supermarkets mark up fresh product by 500%!

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:38:29 GMT

That is absolutely criminal. We only have really two supermarket giants and of course they can treat suppliers any way they want. So anyt...

Thinking of changing jobs in 2011? Check out this 'achievements' questionnaire

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:53:29 GMT

The global economy is improving and people who were thinking of moving on before the crash, are now probably getting ready to dust off their CV's agai...

Did you know that there are clients out there who want what you've got?

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:48:56 GMT

It is so easy to pick up on the doom and gloom merchants and retract our thinking and enthusiasm; tapping into the 'aint it awful school of thinking.'...

The NZ Kiwi fruit orchards are now sorted!

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:45:00 GMT

What a scare we had. Our 1 billion dollar industry suddenly under threat from some mysterious air born disease that attacked the vines. Studies are be...

The 5 x T's of writing great articles

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 02:56:17 GMT

I'm currently mentoring a small group in the intricacies of building an e-commerce business; which is a really intersting exercise because it makes me...

Sick of the 'entitlement' society. Learn how to deal with these annoying people.

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:47:04 GMT

I blogged a while ago about the 'entitlement' society and was inundated with comments. I then talked about it in my NZ newsletter and was swamped with...

Are you getting any? (Return On Investment) that is...

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:36:31 GMT

If you are trying to 'sell' your services to someone, you have to be able to explain it in terms of ROI - what will the person get for their investmen...

Please explain! Why do banks put fees on EVERYTHING!!

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:29:12 GMT

Like most people nowadays I'm on internet banking - recently I made a few changes to some auto payments - deleted a few I no longer needed and added a...

Have you considered adding games to your website?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:33:40 GMT

I'm a Herman Trends groupie and have just uploaded their latest article on http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/trends_in_customer_loy...

What is YOUR exit strategy? Cash in - cash up?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:29:14 GMT

I took on a mentor this year and one of the first things he asked me was 'what is your exit strategy?' And like most sole traders I decid...

How does your accounts department treat your supppliers?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:23:42 GMT

I've watched with interest the values of an organisation I am currently working for. Despite repeated calls, the little person in accounts has decided...

How to make better sales calls - 4 simple steps

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:10:29 GMT

Customers are watching every dollar right now, quite rightly so, but that should never deter you from building relationships with your customer - aren...

If your sales team isn't producing results - set clearer measures

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:05:49 GMT

If you can't measure it, then you most certainly can't manage it. http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/sales_team_product...

The 10 most common 'sales' mistakes even the most experienced sales people make

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:02:22 GMT

I've recently been working with a sales team who blame the economy for their lack of results - good excuse - these are the things I told them are what...

The greatest danger isn't that we aim too high....

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:51:43 GMT

.....it's that we aim too low and hit the target (Michaelangelo) Sadly challenging times tend to make us retract. We work harder but inve...

Struggling for new business ideas? Check out these 100 tips

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:43:30 GMT

Wayne Turmel used to be a stand up comedian - but these tips of his aren't funny, they are brilliant. As we move into the silly season, j...

Be careful what you cut!

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:39:19 GMT

I think the days of massive staff layoffs are over, but the waves that keep coming long after the initial financial meltdown (like the bail-outs of se...

I hear Italy is now teetering on the brink of financial collapse

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:33:00 GMT

Surely having to bail out Greece, Ireland and Portugal; hints that Spain may need financial aid and now news that Italy is in trouble, must mean the e...

The 4 predictable steps of any crisis - no matter how large or small

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:48:40 GMT

I think it fair to say that the global meltdown in November 2008 was up there as being one of the biggest crises most of us have experienced in our li...

Be very careful what you put on the photocopier at this year's Christmas Party!!

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:45:18 GMT

I had a huge laugh when I read this article by Hannah Samuel (The Reputation Expert) about being very careful what you drink at this year's Christmas ...

Is Ireland Europe's most delinquent child?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:41:07 GMT

Not my words - read them in a Sunday Times artilce which said that since the end of the northern summer Spain's banks have cut their dependency on ECB...

How do you use Plaxo?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:55:23 GMT

I have some incredible amount of contacts on Plaxo and apart from thier contact details being kept up to date (which is great) what else can you do wi...

How about raising your prices by 10% - right now - this minute?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:46:29 GMT

Sadly when the global economy hits a glitch, our first tendency is to cut prices; and that isn't always a bad strategy......sometimes having one or tw...

What part of your business is currently in the cloud?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:40:24 GMT

According to Gihan Perera - 'the more you put in the Cloud, the more portable your business becomes, because Cloud Computing saves time and money; you...

A waste truck fuelled by your last week's garbage? True story

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:34:43 GMT

In Auckland we have watched the launch of a waste truck which is fuelled by what people threw out last week. How good is that. So eventua...

The day of the long lunch is finally over for Hong Kong Stockbrokers

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:05:07 GMT

Hong Kong Stockbrokers are being warned that their two hour lunch break is coming to an end over the next 2 years. Apparently Hong Kong has the shorte...

Indulge your staff a little! 10 ways to do that without breaking the bank

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:43:37 GMT

As business owners you will have had a rough year - but spare a thought for your staff. They too have had a rough road - their biggest worry every day...

Can a coach help turn around a failing business?

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:39:01 GMT

I've heard lots about the value or not of having a business coach - but check out this story by http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/art...

In NZ as our economy improves, many workers will be planning to jump ship

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:36:17 GMT

It is part of the boom and bust cycle we seem to live with economically - every 7 years or so we reach the brink of destruction, spend a few years get...

Do you have a sense that there are never enough hours in a day?

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:25:51 GMT

At this time of year, where we are all frantically trying to get nin that last bit of business (and payment for that last bit of business) before we a...

Time for the dreaded performance appraisal? Take heart - follow these simple tips

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:22:20 GMT

I get the impression that managers hate appraisals even more than their staff. What a shame - it's such an amazing opportunity to get to know each ot...

NZ's highest paid executive an embarassment - go home!

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:19:29 GMT

Westpac bank has a new CEO - an Australian - George Frazis - a photo of him in our National aper shows a man with pearlised teeth, a perma tan and a v...

When disaster strikes, will your leaders will step up or turn tail?

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:56:02 GMT

Over the past 12 months we have seen some interesting leadership 'crisis' reactions. The CEO of BP and his totally insensitive comment 'I...

U2 Pays tribute to the 29 miners who died in the NZ mining explosion

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:43:18 GMT

We are all still quite numb over the loss of our miners; still in a state of disbelief that with today's modern technology the carbon monoxide build u...

If you think one small person can't make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:59:32 GMT

That was a famous 'Anita Roddick' saying which always makes me chuckle, and also keeps reminding me of "The Power of YOU!' If you are fee...

Want a career in professional speaking? There are 3 x S's to doing that

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:55:09 GMT

There is nothing more rewarding that speaking to an audience and wowing them. But the world of professional speaking has it's intricacies.

I've just presented at the most disorganised conference EVER

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:49:18 GMT

It is always interesting to speak at conferences, in particular to see the organisation (or not) that goes on behind the scenes. In this ...

Want 3 (simple) ways to stay in shape?

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:44:04 GMT

I'm not a huge fan of exercise, fortunately my office is at the top of a flight of stairs and so I'm actually up and down stairs all day (particularly...

Do you make presentations? Are you a speaker or a trainer?

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:40:49 GMT

Then this article will be of interest to you. The author, Warwick John Fahy suggests that 90% of presenters talk AT their audience rather...

The 29 NZ Miners have been pronounced dead after a second massive explosion

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:37:23 GMT

Hope was getting slimmer by the day as rescue attempts to get to the 29 trapped miners were constantly hindered by gas levels in the mine - but a seco...

Hope is almost gone for the NZ miners trapped now for 5 days

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:42:47 GMT

Every day we hoped and prayed that there was a way to reach the trapped miners - one as young as 17 on his first day on the job. But as each day passe...

How 'productive' are you? And what is this thing called 'productivity'?

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:31:25 GMT

We often hear business bemoan the fact that their staff aren't as productive as they could be, or should be....countries say the same....'We need to i...

Is the EU about to implode?

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:28:29 GMT

Being so far away from everything (which often is a good thing) all the information we get is the 6 p.m. news and the daily newspaper - first Greece h...

Do you struggle to persuade your boss in presentations

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:24:33 GMT

Although this article was written with Senior Financial Officers in mind, I think the art of persuading our bosses is important for every person in an...

So you want a salary increase? Here's how to go about it...

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:22:23 GMT

Even in tough times, organisations do not want to lose their good people, so if you think you deserve a raise (and I mean DESERVE) then here are some ...

Want to know how big and how bad your business carbon footprint is?

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:25:32 GMT

Well you can - Clare Feeney, has created a very simple test so that you can test your footprint, righthttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/arti...

Please tell me that Sarah Palin has NO chance as the first female president of USA

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:21:32 GMT

I keep reading that she is on the 'trail' - noooooo. Shouldn't there be some sort of IQ test to be President of the USA? If there was we wouldn't have...

Poor Ireland - talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:18:20 GMT

From what I'm reading, it seems that the EU is pressuring them to take a rescue package; Ireland wants to try and work out its own problems; the EU is...

Watch this stunning NZ TED presentation and then count your blessings!

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:25:46 GMT

Rob Hamill is my hero for many reasons. I do know Rob - I had him come and speak at an event I was running and he had us all falling apart laughing wi...

Don't call them performance appraisals call them career development sessions

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:18:56 GMT

The very words 'performance appraisal' send shivers down the backs of managers and employees. Employees think it is either an op...

The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index is out - interesting information

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:20:33 GMT

I discovered the Legatum Prosperity Index last year in the midst of all the financial chaos and so I am delighted to have received the 2010 update.

Sick of the 'entitlement' society? Join our free webinar as we put the world to rights

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:14:33 GMT

When I wrote a blog on this topic, and then transferred it to a newsletter, I had such a mass of responses. So many people e.mailed me with their stor...

Want 11 ways to find new customers? And there are always new customers to be found.

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:08:36 GMT

As humans it is so easy to tap into doom and gloom - yet every recession is a huge opportunity if we are just willing to look at what we have to sell,...

The US is falling further and further behind other developed nations

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:04:52 GMT

I subscribe to The Herman Trends Alert - a regular update on what is happening in the USA. Check out this short excerpt from the latest n...

The 5 key considerations before you hire someone

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:00:17 GMT

I recently mediated between an owner and her senior operations manager; it is a small company and so the fact that these two people were no longer get...

18 Copywriting Tips from a master

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:07:17 GMT

Phillip Khan-Panni Phillip Khan-Panni is a former Senior Copywriter at Reader's Digest, London, and Creative Chief of PKP Communications Ltd. ...

What % of your staff will leave as soon as the economy picks up?

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:51:00 GMT

As soon as we hit a downturn in the economy, staff who were on the verge of leaving and moving on, decide to stay until the climate improves. Sadly pe...

60% of Fortune 500 companies now microblogging

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:46:34 GMT

The Centre for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts reports that 3:5 Fortune 500 companies now have an active Twitter account compare...

Australia considering capping salaries

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:45:42 GMT

Australian treasurer Wayne Swan states that the Australian government is very keen to see action in the banking area in particular. The...

Another growth market we need to watch....

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:35:46 GMT

Business will always ebb and flow. Just as one sector of the market goes into decline another will always appear. The challenge for those of us in bus...

NZ the first country to sign a free trade deal with Russia!

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:31:46 GMT

As our leaders don their funny shirts (though I think this time they haven't had to suffer that indignity) in Japan - we hear that NZ and Russia have ...

Iraq now a premier destination for tourism! Really!

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:29:36 GMT

Just read a report on the changing face of tourism after the recession and The World Travel Market 2010 report states that 'deprivation' holidays are ...

15 Business Ideas to spark your entrepreneurial brain

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:22:34 GMT

If you don't subscribe to SPRING, you should - it is the most amazing newsletter filled with the molst wonderfully and sometimes crazy new business id...

Where are 5% of Americans?

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:20:35 GMT

I watched a recorded episode of Qi last night (great programme, just wish Stephen Fry wouldn't dominate quite so much) but I digress.... ...

How long will retirees all over the world, have to put off retiring?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:48:35 GMT

I don't ever want to retire, but then I work for myself and want to work as long as I enjoy what I'm doing. But the economic times we are in are forci...

At what point do you decide that you are succeeding?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:43:26 GMT

I've talked to hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs over the years and always been interested in how they started their businesses in the fir...

A saint is a sinner who keeps on trying

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:37:52 GMT

Just been reading an excerpt from his new book - he suggests a cell is a great place to get to know yourself; he expresses his sadness that letters he...

Do you do a regular SWOT analysis of your business?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:45:41 GMT

I've just been doing my business plan for 2011 and downloaded a free template - it had the usual SWOT analysis but with the SWOT came a few bullet poi...

Business in the doldrums and need to whip up some new ideas?

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:38:15 GMT

Ideas are the life-blood of any business, large or small. If you don't have a regular source of new ideas, then not only will your business be in dang...

How austerity, environmental awareness and technology are changing the world

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:34:37 GMT

The days of wine and roses may be over (at least temporarily) but humans are quite amazing - in times of scarcity it is amazing how creative we can be...

Does NZ have the dumbest bank robber?

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:58:54 GMT

I'm sure you all read about our dumb bank robbers - one Kiwi and one Australian who went into a bank in America (where they were regulaqr customers) y...

Are expectations damaging your reputation?

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:52:27 GMT

Having just mediated between an owner and their senior manager where expectations were not being met (nor discussed) - this article by Hannah Samuel s...

How do people feel about Britain's jobless facing compulsory work?

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:49:35 GMT

Just read an article stating that Britain's unemployed will be ordered to do compulsory fulltime work in their community or be stripped of their benef...

If you don't tell your staff you want something, chances are you won't get it!

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:43:39 GMT

People are lousy mind-readers! I've just been involved in a really sad mediation between an owner and their senior manager. It is a very ...

Developing Resilience to Adversity and Stress

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:00:13 GMT

I may have already blogged about this, but it is such a vital topic that I'm posting it again. With Christmas fast approaching (for those of us that c...

When the chips are down what keeps you strong?

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:53:43 GMT

I was raised a Christian - went to Sunday School and was a regular church attendee until I was about 18 ...I say in my 50 words, that I have no religi...

Is the number one slot on Google worth the effort and the cost?

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:43:53 GMT

We've all been brain-washed with the 'get to the top of Google rankings and you are made' rule of thumb - but is it really all that great to be number...

When you are number one in your field, what next?

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:40:59 GMT

Getting to number one in your market is hard work and takes many years - think Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon - but staying at the top seems to be e...

Smokers spend a year of their working lives outside having a ciggy and NOT working

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:35:34 GMT

I know smokers are going to hate me saying this (I'm an ex smoker and know how addicted I was to my ciggy break) - but every cigarette takes an averag...

Dealing with 'Entitlement Thinking' isn't always easy-help is on hand!

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 20:11:55 GMT

After blogging about 'entitlement thinking' and receiving lots of replies and comments; which led to my being asked to write an article for a magazine...

The single biggest mistake people make when recruiting staff

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:47:05 GMT

They fail to properly check references - even at the most senior level NEVER take what people tell you on face value - always, always check - for more...

Do you risk recruiting people who are smarter than you?

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:43:37 GMT

This is always a scary challenge for owners and managers - yet the ones I've met who do recruit people who are smarter than them, always reap the rewa...

The Most/Least Corrupt Countries to do Business with (Report)

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:41:32 GMT

Transparency International has just released its report on the best/worst countries to do business with. The 3 least corrupt countries ar...

God gave us one mouth and two ears - do you think she was trying to tell us something?

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:52:10 GMT

Deb Pilgrm reminds of this in her latest article - ann

Is your business a magnet for talent? If not why not?

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:50:26 GMT

I would imagine organisations like Apple, and Google and Facebook will have a queue of fabulous people wanting to join their organisation - can you sa...

The 4 key needs of followers.....

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:48:45 GMT

I tell my audiences of managers that their people need these 4 things from them: 1. That they be fair 2. That they be firm (and dea...

Are we witnessing the demise of news agencies as we know them?

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:58:45 GMT

We keep hearing that newspapers won't be around much longer and that magazines are also in their death throes - check out thishttp://www.thec...

10 Hilarious reasons people gave for not coming to work

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:51:24 GMT

1. A chicken attacked my mum 2. my finger got stuck in a bowling ball 3. My hair transplant went bad 4. I fell asleep while working ...

Sales productivity. Set some measures - if you can't measure you can't manage!

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:28:14 GMT

Rarely do we set clearly defined measures - for ourselves or our sales teams. So check out this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/s...

What 5 things can you do to increase your sales by 10%?

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:24:17 GMT

I've just done the exercise myself as a result of reading about the founder of L.J. Hooker's Real Estate Agency over this part of the world.

Amazon now sells more e-books than hard copy books

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:16:24 GMT

The 'reader' has landed it appears. Kindle books are outselling print books for the top 25, 100 and 1000 best-sellers. Ann <...

How many books do you read a year?

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:49:20 GMT

I've just read a blog by Seth Godin - one of my m odern day heroes and he says that 'most' people in America read one book a year yet watch every epis...

Could Unions play a positive role in the challenges business are facing?

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:19:18 GMT

I've worked in the manufacturing sector for many years and have had some interesting meetings with union delgates. Some are genuine and w...

The huge cost to society of obesity ......

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:04:05 GMT

We have just returned home after a tour of America, Britain and Europe and were staggered at the size of people. I sat next to a man on a Hop on Hop o...

The top Universities worldwide are not where you expect.....

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:55:25 GMT

1. Finland 2. Iceland 3. Slovakia 4. Poland 5. Australia 6. New Zealand 7. Denmark 8. Ireland 9. Portu...

When the going gets tough - the resilient survive

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:05:42 GMT

The world watched in fear and trepidation as the trapped miners in Chile sat out their vigil in a dark, dank cave. Their story is one of courage, team...

Stop bleating - get creating - start taking personal responsibility

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:02:31 GMT

A wonderful guy visited NZ a few years ago to help various poorer communities around NZ get up and get going (can't remember his name but he is an Aus...

Don't get depressed. If you have chicken poo - make compost!

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:50:59 GMT

I subscribe to Springwise - a newsletter which has people all over the world updating them on new ...

Globally we are all experiencing some challenging times - what can you do about that?

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:42:38 GMT

When we see cars being burning in France; Truck strikes in Athens (we were in parliament square in Athens when this was happening); we are seeing unio...

Are you the 'Ferrari' of your product or service niche?

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:32:25 GMT

General Roush wrote the 'Ferrari Market Letter' a newsletter for which he charged $130 per year - he had 5000 subscribers when he died this year.

The top 10 Universities around the globe - some interesting findings

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:03:55 GMT

QUESTION: If you were looking to attend any university in the world and could - where would you choose to study? I'll post t...

Is the 'entitlement' disease wrecking lives and countries?

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:36:45 GMT

I'm just back in NZ after 6 weeks overseas. We had some interesting experiences: * headed into Parliament square in Athens to see the cha...

It ain't easy going green but it can be incredibly profitable

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:45:28 GMT

I am hearing of so many business who are adopting the 'green' attitude - not always for altruistic reasons - and that's OK - if it saves money AND hel...

What is your company policy on texting and social networking sites at work?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:44:17 GMT

I would be interested to hear how organisations handle this. One client of mine totally forbids the use of cellphones and social networking during wor...

96% of organisations now use webmeetings to save travel costs

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:47:49 GMT

But are these meetings effective? Are they any use? Do they work? Could they work better? Check out this information from http:/...

How effective are your business meetings (honestly)?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:45:09 GMT

I worked for one organisation many years ago where the senior team (I was a senior manager) spent two hours every Monday morning in our senior meeting...

Is a website really necessary? Yes!

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:27:46 GMT

I know that starting out in business, or for small business owners, the cost of having a web presence seems like yet another cost you can do without. ...

NZ very close to having the first 'night sky' World Heritage Status

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:21:06 GMT

If you have never visited New Zealand - and I do realise we are a looooong way from anywhere - but take a minute to look at http://www.odt.co...

The 3 'S's' of a long and successful speaking career

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:03:18 GMT

I fell into professional speaking over 20 years ago - and over those years I have seen literally hundreds of hopefuls arrive at the doors of the Natio...

Are teens now bored with Facebook? 1:5 have left at an alarming rate

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:55:13 GMT

According to a study by OTX - almost 1:5 teenagers have either decreased or discontinued thei...

Its a fact - 72% of marketers now have a social networking strategy

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:36:50 GMT

I subscribe to e.marketer and they always have great info on what'...

It's quicker (and safer) to do it myself!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:34:47 GMT

How many times have you heard yourself saying that? Weekly? Daily? Hourly? And yes it probably is quicker and safer to do things yourself...

Would you like a salary of $70K and a bonus of $1 million?

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:26:22 GMT

One hundred years ago (yes 100 years ago) Andrew Carnegie paid one of his managers exactly that. Carnegie's rationale was that the $70...

Are you a strategic thinker? If not, you need to develop the skill

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:17:58 GMT

So often as business owners and managers, we get bogged down in the day-to-day. There is a reason why it is good for senior management teams to have t...

Oh how they laughed - but who is laughing now

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:08:19 GMT

Wouldn't the ability to tell the future be handy every now and again. We have a very famous young lad in NZ (Sam Morgan) who started a ve...

Global employee engagement is declining faster than at any time in history

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:19:30 GMT

After almost two years of stress, and fear of loss of job, employees are displaying signs of stress and exhaustion. (And yes I know its been tough for...

Did you know that every disengaged employee costs $10k in lost profits per annum?

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:15:11 GMT

Heard that stat at a conference I was speaking at, and I think that is a way too conservative estimate of lost profits. Employees are di...

Knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:15:16 GMT

I think the recent melt-down has caused a lot of people, families and organisations to think - to wonder what's really important versus what we think ...

Green prisons makes prisoners less hostile - got to be good

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:08:15 GMT

The US Green Building Council awarded Coyote Ridge Correctins Centre (Connell) the top award for energy and environmental desgin. Built i...

Australia has a hung parliament - small parties now carry a lot of power

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:02:26 GMT

It seems most democracies are now fed up with the 'first-past-the-post' electoral system. In NZ we've had MMP for a long time - the big parties need t...

What do managers and zoo keepers have in common?

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:40:58 GMT

Andrew O'Keeffe (Australia) is ...

The first female gondolier has been appointed - yeah

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:38:06 GMT

Another male bastion being challenged (sorry guys). But why not? I'm now waiting for female priests - then I'll realy celebrate. ann

Does corporate 'speak' make your teeth hurt?

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:32:28 GMT

thinking 'outside the box' or 'green fields thinking' were two of the more tolerable phrases; even sports teams now talk about their 'franchise' rathe...

We hear the new British Prime Minister is making courageous decisions!

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:26:53 GMT

Read an interesting article about the changes David Cameron is planning - reducing the civil service by one quarter for starters. I'm a great fan of Y...

How effective are you at crafting your irrisistable offer?

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:15:03 GMT

I met Craig Dewe at an Internet Workshop - we had a coffee and I asked if he would work with me on some of my 'copy' for The Corporate Toolbox. ...

Age of technology or age of distraction?

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:10:53 GMT

Read an article on the fact that most of us have so many things going on at the same time (cellphones, e.mails, phone, skype, social networking sites,...

Who would you name PERSON OF THE YEAR?

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:13:15 GMT

It has certainly been an interesting year - better than 2009 for sure, but we are still not out of the woods yet. We have seen some amazing ;belt-tigh...

Do you control your technology or does it control you?

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:09:24 GMT

Increasingly I am talking to business owners and managers who are starting to TURN OFF their cell phones every now and again. I barely use a cell phon...

China starting to put environment first by closing down polluting factories

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:04:52 GMT

The Chinese government has ordered the closure of over 2000 steel and cement mills as it tries to improve the air pollution and their environment - gr...

Find out the Most and Least stressful jobs in 2010

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:18:43 GMT

The Herman Trends Alert is a great source of hot info - check out the highest/lowest stress jobs in their latest issue http://www.thecorporat...

What do you do to stay on top when you are Number one in the world?

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:14:33 GMT

It always fascinates me to see what various organisations do to get to the top (usually heaps of innovation and guts) and then what they will do to st...

Start thinking about recruiting again as economies improve

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:08:13 GMT

If you had to shed staff over the last 18 months because of the melt-down (and many did) there is a faint suggestion that as things improve, businesse...

The 3 x 'P's' of building or breaking trust in business

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:52:47 GMT

Lots of reputations are in tatters at the moment, from the various banking shenanigans that many believe led to the recent global melt-down, to the va...

EU going cold on Goldman Sachs

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:47:55 GMT

If ever you doubted that your reputation is important, then according to the Observer and data from Dealogic - Greece, Spain, France and Italy have al...

How are your staff feeling and does it really matter?

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:43:44 GMT

During a recession things are tough for everyone - businesses trying to stay solvent; staff trying to keep their jobs and huge degrees of uncertainty ...

In NZ a pilot is being set up to burn coal underground as a source of energy

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:36:59 GMT

Why does that thought terrify me? Shades of Moscow and what is happening there with fires burning above ground? Surely wind, water and s...

Sometimes we just need to get back to basics in our business

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:06:40 GMT

It's easy to get carried away with new ideas and latest thinking, but every now and again, its really good to just go back to basics - check out this ...

email still driving shopping over other forms of social networking

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:01:32 GMT

Despite the hype it seems e.mail is still the best way to market. According to www.emarketer.com...

How to stay positive when people around you are so negative

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:26:16 GMT

There is one person in my life who is thoroughly unpleasant - if I say black, this person will say white. I've tried to reason; then I tried to argue;...

Do you follow up? And if you do - do you follow up well?

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:17:28 GMT

According to Infusionsoft (they have great business tips) 99% of small businesses don't properly follow up. Which begs the question - why...

12 Great new business ideas from around the world

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:49:34 GMT

I subscribe to this nofol...

The Irish are working hard to conquer their debt and come out of recession

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:47:02 GMT

Read a really interesting article in our National newspaper (financial section) that Ireland is bearing their finacial austerity measures better than ...

Once the economy improves, how many of your staff will jump ship?

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:49:13 GMT

Having seen several recessions over my HR career - there are a few predictable reactions you can expect from staff: 1. If they were think...

Don't train your people to be leaders, first train them to be followers

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:41:57 GMT

that is an interesting theory put forward in a management broadsheet I follow. The premise is that sending young people on MBA's and lea...

Cyber attacks on the rise!

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:02:48 GMT

I suppose you've heard that the Tibetan internet cafe in Dharamsala (exile home of the Dalai Lama himself) had an electronic spy pipeline direct to Ch...

Can you set performance measures to see how people manage change?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:06:16 GMT

I've been in the business of 'change management' for almost 30 years and I know that people can be grouped into three or four basic categories: ...

How do you prefer to read your e-books?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:59:30 GMT

Do you prefer: 1. to read off the screen of your PC or laptop? 2. to print the e-book off and read as hard copy 3. to use one...

Would you prefer assertive employees or submissive employees

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:17:28 GMT

I work with owners and managers and their plaintive cry is often 'why can't they (employees) just do as they are told!' And I feel their ...

So Goldman Sachs had an 82% fall in profits! Oh dear

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:00:11 GMT

They had to pay out US$600 million to Britain (the bonus tax) and another $550 million to settle miss-selling charges in the US. But the...

I'm in London 4th - 8th October (from NZ) would love to meet up

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:56:15 GMT

I'm speaking at the PSA conference in October and because we are coming so far - we thought we would put a holiday around the dates. I wi...

10 ways that technology can help you grow your database

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:20:35 GMT

These 10 tips are actually meant for professional speakers - but think about YOUR business - what ways can you use technology to grow YOUR database?

The 5 worst Asia-Pacific countries for illegal downloads!

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:16:10 GMT

1. Worst = Australia 2. NZ 3. Malaysia 4. Hong Kong 5. Taiwan Oh dear! ann Sign up for our P...

The cost of 'sickies' and the cost ofg NOT taking sickies

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:14:13 GMT

In NZ our new National government is talking about making it compulsory to get a Drs note for just one day off work - what a retrograde step.

The 4 most dangerous words to use if you want to advance your business

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:01:36 GMT

I'll think about it! If you look back on your career or business how many times have you used those words and missed the most amazing opp...

Can you identify High Potential Leaders?

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:42:57 GMT

Sadly most organisations promote people using the following two theories: 1. That the person with the most skills will make a good leader...

Eating at work has a direct link to staff taking 'sickies'

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:37:12 GMT

I remember years ago I worked for an organisation that had a company come in on a weekly basis and sterlise all the phones - we had less colds and flu...

Its never what you know - its always WHO you know

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:48:13 GMT

We are all familiar with the expression 6 degrees of separation, but I wonder if we realise exactly what that means - find out in thishttp://...

The 2 most dangerous words for your financial health

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:05:46 GMT

It's only!! Actually I have a good 6 word sentence - I got it in a sale!! Or how about this 8 word one - I got two for the ...

Can't afford a pay increase for staff? Give them a fancy title instead

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:01:25 GMT

Just read a gorgeous article about 'fancy titles'or as it was called in the article 'job title inflation' - guess it doesn't cost anything:

The two greatest skills required to succeed online

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:50:51 GMT

I've just heard that two young kiwi brothers have sold their mobile phone marketing company Hyperfactory to Merediths for an undisclosed sum (read int...

Check out the 8 new rules of money - right here - right now

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:41:01 GMT

Robert Oosthout has written this amazingly simple process for all of us who wish we had more money and less debt - check out the rules right ...

Economic growth in Asia and Latin America will stave off double dip recession

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:38:06 GMT

According to the IMF (info from the Independent) the growth in Asia (Singapore in line for 15% growth this year - a little country with no natural res...

If you are thinking of buying a business - do you understand the numbers?

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:08:28 GMT

Because most of us do not have a financial background, when we are looking at buying an existing business it is vital that we really understand the fi...

Baby boomers facing headaches when they want to sell their businesses

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:03:57 GMT

Because there are so many baby boomers and we are all heading towards retirement age (though retirement is an abstract thought these days) there are g...

FAQs about psychological tests - some people love 'em others hate 'em

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:32:01 GMT

As an HR consultant of over 20 years standing I couldn't do my job without psych tests. I use them for recruitment, promotion, performance management,...

British government wants 40% cuts to spending

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:26:45 GMT

I've been away for a week and so am just catching up on news from around the world - and an article from the Observer headlined 40% cuts caught my eye...

How prevalent is bullying in your workplace?

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:41:40 GMT

Every now and gain one of my clients calls to ask for help with a bullying problem. For some reason, last year the number of calls was unprecedented -...

Latest report on the most expensive cities to live in

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:34:07 GMT

Most expensive: 1. Luanda, Angola (!!) 2. Tokyo 3. N'dhamena, Chad 4.Moscoe 5. Geneva London = 17th<...

The annual most/least trusted professions are out!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:54:13 GMT

These are NZ results, but probably fairly standard through most societies I guess: Most respected: 1. Firefighters 2. ...

What is the scarcest resource in the world?

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:36:50 GMT

I can't claim credit for this amazing question - someone asked me the question and I was actually stumped for a few seconds.... * care......

Do employers consider health and safety in their bottom line costs?

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 03:42:51 GMT

I'm picking that BP will now be regretting not factoring in Health and Safety - around $US20 billion so far - but this isn't more BP bashing - enough ...

When did you last count up all your assets?

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:38:31 GMT

and I don't mean bricks and mortar, or cars, or TVs or shoes or golf clubs. I mean your stengths, your talents and your attributes? Most ...

The All Whites did NZ proud at the soccer world cup

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:29:44 GMT

I don't think there was a dry eye in NZ yesterday as our team fought to the very end to go through to the next round of the world cup. They are our he...

Want to know how to write a simple business plan

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:57:59 GMT

just the very words 'business plan' make me want to lie down - but every now and again I do write one - so if you are like me, and hate anything to do...

Australia has it's first ever female prime minister

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:54:53 GMT

Well they do say a week is a long time in politics - 6 months ago Kevin Rudd was top dog with high public support - yesterday he was dumped.

Want to better Understand The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback ?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:56:07 GMT

It is something we all dread - whether we are giving feedback or receiving it - but if we don't give feedback (or are not willing to receive it) how d...

Have you ever heard of or ever used a 'money' stone?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:53:09 GMT

Years ago a friend who is heavily into crystals told me of the power of a 'money' stone. Oh how I laughed. Just to explain - the money stone is an ora...

Are you a Drama Queen, a Raging Bull, or a Submissive Spaniel?

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:19:23 GMT

The first time I learned the four personality styles, it was like a giant light-bulb of understanding so many things....like - why I got on so well wi...

See European MPs are backing a plan to cap banker's bonuses

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:05:37 GMT

that will be interesting - the suggestion is that banks not be allowed to pay bonuses bigger than a person's salary - methinks that might not work - w...

Who do you place on your bus?

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:23:34 GMT

I have the best job in the world. Through The Corporate Toolbox I get to meet, chat with and take on the articles and e-books of amazing people from t...

Unusual new markets emerging

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:20:07 GMT

Sometimes we can get bogged down in all the bad news that is fed to us via newspapers; TV and any other news source, so its great to read that growth ...

Some good HAS to come out of the BP debacle

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:53:09 GMT

As the oil continues to gush unabated; as we all stand back and watch in horror and realise that BP doesn't seem to have any answers as to how to stop...

When the worst thing that ever happened to you turns out to be the best!

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:47:19 GMT

I loved the movie Sliding Doors - I'm sure we've all had events like that in our lives where if we had just left home a bit earlier our lives might ha...

Interested in franchising - being a franchisor or buying a franchise?

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:33:38 GMT

I've just secured some great articles from Simon Lord the editor of the NZ Franchising Magazine -check out http://www.franchise.co.nz/article...

NZ scored a goal in the World Cup - Yeah!

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:29:34 GMT

When all the world is full of doom and gloom - little old NZ is in a state of euphoria because we scored a goal..... This is the second t...

BP's short sighted policies come home to roost

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:33:28 GMT

If you have been following the debacle of poor decision making and tragic penny pinching that created the BP disaster - then you will want to read thi...

To save 9 hours BP made decision that will devastate the Gulf for decadeslives

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:27:39 GMT

As more and more detail emerges about the debacle that is The Gulf of Mexico we learn that: * Only 6 devices were used to centre the dril...

Can going green get your out of the red and into the black. Yes!

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:21:40 GMT

And you don't have to believe ME - but please do readhttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/system/media_files/files/25/original_Out_Of_The_Red_b...

Did you know that recycling does 2 things? Saves the planet and creates jobs!

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:18:36 GMT

I know a lot of people say 'why should I bother recycling when I see huge pollution being caused by XYZ?' Think BP and the Gulf of Mexico right now.

Do you ever ask for referrals? If not - why not?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:33:28 GMT

Do you think your business would grow faster if you di. And would you like 'Rivers of Referrals?' Read on ....................

The 7 New Rules of Social Media Marketing

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:35:40 GMT

One of my favourite authors on The Corporate Toolbox is Gihan Perera who lives in Pert...

Sales of iPad predicted to reach 10 million in one year

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:31:34 GMT

wow - that is amazing. Has any previous gadget had this much success? That's a genuine question by the way - does anyone know how many iPhones sold in...

Why Gen Y workers drive me insane!!

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 21:55:27 GMT

Because I'm building an online training company (The Corporate Toolbox) I have been em...

BP - Beyond Petroleum becomes Brutal Pollution

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:56:35 GMT

I was truly impressed when BP became Beyond Petroleum - it said that at last someone was starting to lead the way in looking for alternative fuels and...

Do other websites write about you?

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:25:09 GMT

Graham Jones suggests some ways you can get them to do just that ..... Check it outhttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/h...

Are you making a living, a difference or leaving a legacy?

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:22:10 GMT

these are not my questions (wish they were) they are Seth Godin's - but questions that are well worth considering. Making a living is mer...

25 Ways to Leverage Your Book!

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:24:04 GMT

I love leverage, and I love joint ventures. Last Saturday I did a joint venture with the young guy who is trying to teach me how to write...

Don't ever underestimate the power of your regular newsletter

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:19:07 GMT

I spoke at a training conference in Sydney last year - just a break-out session; then this year when the call for papers came through I put in another...

Gen ME display a 40% decrease in empathy from their peers in the 80's

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:59:07 GMT

A study was presented to the Association for Phsychological Science in Boston - 14,000 college students have been examined over the past 30 years and ...

It seems Greece IS the word - belt tightening all round methinks

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:04:04 GMT

Watching the pain that Greece is going through (and Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland) it seems they are just the tip of the 'belt-tightening' era th...

Did you know there are 370,000 pieces of space junk clogging our planet?

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:53:34 GMT

Goodness we don't deserve this beautiful planet - not only are we clogging our air and waters with junk and pollution - now we are clogging our 'space...

The 3 core components of your online presence

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:17:09 GMT

I ran an e-commerce workshop with a colleague on Saturday morning - I was amazed at the range of knowledge (or not) in the room - from a darling frien...

Employee suicides at iPhone factory in China!!

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:12:07 GMT

I've been working on a chapter for a book I've been invited to be part of - my chapter is about the 'waste' of employees - while I was writing and res...

The 6 Stages a Franchisee (and possibly new business owner) goes through

Thu, 27 May 2010 20:49:43 GMT

I work with several franchises. I'm an ex franchisor myself (I gave it away because it was just too hard) and my husband built a large franchise busin...

Our kids are spending 10-15 hours a day on or near a screen

Thu, 27 May 2010 20:39:59 GMT

is this healthy? Are you concerned as a parent or grandparent - are we worrying needlessly? Lots of questions a...

There's more to business than just the bottom line

Tue, 25 May 2010 20:00:54 GMT

I've spent 20+ years advising business owners and managers to forget the bottom line! Interesting philosophy I know!! And you can imagine the looks an...

Banker takes on Wall Street - Go get 'em!

Tue, 25 May 2010 19:52:56 GMT

I'm a real dunce when it comes to understanding the share market - hedge funds etc just go right over my head - I did work out though, that Wall Stree...

Ego, self-esteem and humility - the great ponderables

Mon, 24 May 2010 20:22:42 GMT

We know all three when we see them - but are we aware of how WE come across to others - and does it really matter? Check out this intere...

What, for you, has been the best invention of the past 100 years?

Mon, 24 May 2010 20:17:36 GMT

For me I'd have to say the web - without it I wouldn't have a business - but then my microwave is very handy, and I guess I can't really do without my...

Want to see some snappy new business ideas?

Sun, 23 May 2010 20:11:44 GMT

I love seeing what ideas are being turned into business - often these ideas spark ideas for me. So check out http://www.thecorpo...

What have you done differently in your business in the last 60 days?

Sun, 23 May 2010 20:09:30 GMT

we ALL get on the treadmill of doing business the way we've always done it - and if we keep doing that it won't be long before we are OUT of business....

Have you lived a life with magic?

Wed, 19 May 2010 20:22:28 GMT

I've just posted a blog entitled NZ apologises to Susan Boyle and watching Susan Boyle sing th...

NZ apologises to Susan Boyle

Wed, 19 May 2010 20:17:24 GMT

Dame Kiri Tikanawa is a fabulous opera singer but not always a nice person (her comments that she was insulted to be asked about 'Britain's Got Talent...

Do you understand the real power of 'asking'?

Tue, 18 May 2010 19:38:47 GMT

Last year we sold a property and because it was during the heart of the recession, we knew we wouldn't get our asking price - when we got as close wit...

The world is running out of web addresses - Oh no

Tue, 18 May 2010 19:31:04 GMT

I remember when I was searching for names for my new online training company - I had started with a list of 10 names - The Corporate Tolbox was number...

Should you get involved with article marketing

Mon, 17 May 2010 20:20:42 GMT

we are all busy people and all this blogging and writing articles can, for some, be a step too far. However, if you want to know why you ...

NZ has just had its biggest drop in unemployment in 24 years!

Mon, 17 May 2010 20:17:41 GMT

Like everyone else in the world we saw some hard hits in employment levels last year - though not as big as we expected - I think most organisations r...

Neither a borrower nor a lender be....

Sun, 16 May 2010 20:38:32 GMT

Having just written a blog on the state of debt in most countries - Greece,Spain, Ireland and Portugal - with NZ probably not far behind - I thought t...

NZ borrows $245m a week! Who from and where will it end?

Sun, 16 May 2010 20:35:47 GMT

Having followed the Greek melt-down and reading that Portugal, Spain and Ireland are in similar straits I wondered how and why we all got ourselves in...

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge

Thu, 13 May 2010 21:58:52 GMT

Many years ago I trained as a counsellor - I ventured into marriage guidance counselling for a while (as it was called in those far flung days) and it...

Are you spreading the 'doubt' virus?

Thu, 13 May 2010 20:17:17 GMT

A quote I read once - said that during our lives we will each directly or indirectly influence 10,000 people. How do YOU influence the people around y...

The financial services industry received 2.65 million complaints last yr

Thu, 13 May 2010 20:11:51 GMT

This is a British stat (though I would imagine banks and financial institutes the world over are pretty comparable)....the complaints were because of ...

The world's top 10 best companies .....

Thu, 13 May 2010 05:40:34 GMT

Apple tops the list for the third year in a row. Who else made the top 50 this year? More Apple Google Berkshire Hathaway <...

The huge cost of laying off staff

Wed, 12 May 2010 22:27:23 GMT

Appalling treatment of staff at Disneyland France

Wed, 12 May 2010 22:24:18 GMT

If ever there was an organisation that would want happy staff it should be Disneyland yet I've just read an article in the Independent which cites tha...

Do you live your life in vain? Sadly lots of people do

Tue, 11 May 2010 20:01:39 GMT

It breaks my heart when I work with teams and I see how many people in those teams have simply given up. They go through the motions - show up for wor...

Turning wine into vinegar - now that's different

Tue, 11 May 2010 19:56:12 GMT

NZ has had a glut of wine for the past couple of seasons and is doing the usual offloading at bargain basement prices - not a good business practice.<...

Want more out of your life - despite economies and changing governments?

Mon, 10 May 2010 21:20:10 GMT

I check the newspapers and online updates of what is happening around the world every single day. Sometimes I wonder why I bother - all the oil slicks...

Nick Clegg as Kingmaker? NZ has MMP - we survive

Mon, 10 May 2010 21:14:54 GMT

ARE YOU BEING BULLIED? Want to know how to STOP being bullied?

Mon, 10 May 2010 03:22:43 GMT

Bullying seems to be on the increase - or is that just my imagination? Every time I open the newspaper or listen to the news I hear that someone is be...

Turn the people you have into the people you want

Sun, 09 May 2010 19:52:35 GMT

Having spent 20 years working with corporates as an HR Consultant, I know that managers get frustrated with what appears to be non-motivated employees...

Women take on Wal-Mart

Sun, 09 May 2010 19:48:56 GMT

Apparently Wal-Mart has a subtle, unspoken no-promotion-for-women policy. Apparently over a million women have been discriminated against over the yea...

8 snappy new business ideas

Fri, 07 May 2010 20:54:56 GMT

I'm a huge fan of SPRINGWISE - I have subscribed to their newsletter for a while now - they have 8000 'spotters' around the world looking for new busi...

4 habits that reduce our lives by at least 12 years

Fri, 07 May 2010 20:50:35 GMT

I guess we know them - but it doesn't hurt to reiterate. These 4 things shorten our lives.... 1. Smoking 2. Over indulgence in alco...

Do you hate meetings? If so - read these 12 steps to great meetings

Thu, 06 May 2010 20:02:46 GMT

I've always found meetings a bore and a chore - mainly because there always seems to be someone who wants to drone on about nothing in particular.

Honeybees appear to be in permanent decline

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:59:36 GMT

In NZ we have had a catastrophic disease hit our hives - though they seem to be recovering, but I've just picked up an article on the American hives w...

The need for every business to think beyond the bottom line

Sun, 02 May 2010 19:57:02 GMT

Over my 20+ years as an HR consultant I;ve had some interesting debates with owners and CEOs about the 'bottom line' - I've often said - 'forget the b...

A new source of power - wouldn't that be a miracle?

Sun, 02 May 2010 19:51:33 GMT

As we watch the horror of the oil spilling into The Gulf of Mexico it becomes obvious that we have to find safer fuels - not much point being able to ...

A Time for Change - Free e.book to cheer you

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:22:07 GMT

Watching the grilling that Goldman Sachs received yesterday prompted me to offer this free e.book - http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/produc...

Goldman Sachs told they shouldn't be selling junk

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:15:56 GMT

So Goldman Sachs got a right royal roasting yesterday - good. Its easy to sit in ivory towers and disassociate from the real world - but out in the gl...

Finally - MIT may have found a replacement for fossil fuels

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:30:19 GMT

As we watch the horror that is the oil platform burning and spewing out thousands of gallons of oil into the seas around the Gulf of Mexico - not to m...

What do your staff really want?

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:19:53 GMT

Three very simple things - check out Roberta Budveitas's ...

New franchise idea - Cannabis to go!

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:17:29 GMT

In NZ we have just watched the most bizzare situation - a chain of garden centres (Switched on Gardener) was actually a front for growing cannabis and...

Why end our prices with an odd number + does it work?

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:53:22 GMT

Since I started my online training company - most people in the internet 'know' advised me to end my prices with a 7 not a 9 - and my thoughts were - ...

Australia is planning to ban commission fees for financial advisers!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:50:15 GMT

In an effort to protect customers from what the Australian government sees as a conflict of interest, and what they believe led to the collapse of man...

What will prospective bosses find out about you online?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:01:40 GMT

most people now post on Facebook and Youtube etc. Which all seems harmless fun - however - most organisations now google you before they recruit - wha...

Do you rely on 'gut' feeling when you recruit staff?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:57:22 GMT

According to a study I picked up in the RESULTS newsletter (info@results.com) - sorry for those of you who like to check studies, but I printed off th...

Whatever did we do before the internet?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:51:11 GMT

Just seen some interesting stats on internet use in New Zealand (not sure whether we are in front, behind or about the same as other countries)...but ...

Whatever happened to customer service?

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:14:21 GMT

Yesterday (ANZAC Day) my husband and I went out for lunch on our beautiful waterfront. We chose a cafe that has great eggs benedict and the very best ...

IMF preparing a 'fat cat' tax - great news

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:05:46 GMT

We've just heard that one of our banks (The Auckland Savings Bank (ASB)) is preparing to raise interest rates on loans and mortgages when people in NZ...

So you want to change? Well what are you doing about it?

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:27:49 GMT

You hear people saying 'I wish I could lose weight...' or I wish I could give up smoking ....' or from a business perspective 'I wish my staff were mo...

Australia's wish list...

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:24:42 GMT

(well apart from wishing they had all our All Blacks that is)..... A wish list was posted in the Medical Journal of Australia - created b...

Want a recipe for Happiness?

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:10:45 GMT

check it out here - ann Sign...

What stresses 8-12 year olds - A New Zealand study

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:08:17 GMT

An Auckland University researcher has been interviewing children aged 8 - 12 to find out what their worries and concerns are versus the worries childr...

The cost of laying off staff in a downturn

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:40:06 GMT

Having seen numerous recessions and watched the mass layoffs that occur as soon as the hint of a downturn occurs - it has been good to see organisatio...

Directors are falling like flies in New Zealand

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:36:52 GMT

Like every other country we have had masses of financial institutes collapse losing millions for Mum and Dad investors....but the people responsible a...

$US$36b worth of food thrown away every year in Britain!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:50:04 GMT

The article I've just picked up is about the waste of food in Britain, but I would guess the same thing happens in most developed coutnries.... ...

The greatest HR paradox of the 21st Century

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:25:30 GMT

If you are sick and tired of bullying and cronyism and plain old abuse of power and priviledge - then check out thishttp://www.thecorporateto...

The cost of a bully in your workplace!

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:22:01 GMT

A recent survey in NZ found that 1:5 people are bullied in the workplace - by a boss or a co-worker. And the worst sectors were Health, Education, hos...

Want to know the true cost of training and development?

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:32:52 GMT

Check it out here

The daunting challenge of feeding the world

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:31:36 GMT

We read of the extremes in this world - of thousands starving and yet millions of dollars worth of good food going to the dump every year - strange wo...

Wanting to break into the lucrative Chinese market?

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:03:25 GMT

China continues to experience incredible growth and it seems everyone in business is trying to cash in on that - a warning - some of the biggest compa...

Architects accept challenge to design a woolly hotel

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:51:51 GMT

In NZ we have a lot of sheep and ergo a lot of wool - sadly wool is often overlooked when people buy cheaper synthetic fabrics and so architects from ...

The wages of fear (or are you earning what you are worth?)

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:23:53 GMT

Charles Kovess CSP has written an interesting article on what he calls 'the wages of fear' - how people settle for security and a regular income rathe...

Killer Trans Fats - Some surprising results

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:20:55 GMT

We all know trans fats are bad for us - but I guess we mostly go on guesswork as to how bad some foods are compared to others - check this out: ...

China's first Hamburger University set up

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:21:34 GMT

The demand for McDonalds has brought about China setting up their own University to teach managers how to run the stores that are springing up everywh...

Rocket Scientists brought into Toyota

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:19:27 GMT

Nine NASA engineers have been brought into Toyota's transport department to work out why the cars accelerate out of control. NINE!! Does it need nine ...

Latte drinkers immature? Espresso drinkers great lovers?

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:17:15 GMT

Before I start working with a team I always run everyone through a psyche test - just so each team member understands their 'fit' in the team (or not!...

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:55:23 GMT

Tom O'Neil is the newest author on The Corporate Toolbox - he contributed to the 'What...

The Hidden Business Game (Free Webinar)

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:38:23 GMT

If you have ever experienced power-games and politics at work, then you will not want to miss this FREE webinar: Business Ju Jitsu. T...

Permission to Graffitti (multi-cultural teamwork)

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:35:49 GMT

Taruni Falconer is a new contributor to The Corporate Toolbox - check out her amazingly colourful article on http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.c...

Toad Day Out North Queensland (cane toads that is)

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:33:30 GMT

For those of you that have visited Australia you may be aware of the cane toad plague - cane toads were introduced into Queensland to eat something (n...

Create moments, that create memories, that change lives

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:05:58 GMT

check it out here - ...

iPad not predicted to be as popular as iPhone

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:04:14 GMT

The iPhone took 74 days to sell 1 million units - it is predicted that the iPad will not be as popular. According to youwager.com it has a 72% chance ...

3 steps to explode your business forward...

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:59:57 GMT

Check out this article by Deb Pilgri...

Germans moving to Poland to find work!

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:56:44 GMT

I posted a blog...

Free e.book - Bite Sized Chunks to Controlling Stress

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:16:54 GMT

I've just written a blog about high stress levels businesses in China are feeling as a result of the relentless drive to produce - so thought anyone w...

Chinese small business tops the 'stress levels' chart

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:13:21 GMT

An international survey of small business owners across 36 economies (sorry no name given to the survey in our national newspaper) found that China ha...

Forget Google Analytics - get ClickY

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:21:49 GMT

Graham Jones - the Internet Psychologist suggests that google ana...

The watch industry. A sign of the 'times' excuse the pun

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:18:22 GMT

Apparently the watch industry is a good indicator of the financial times (I guess you could say that about any luxury item). But it is ba...

Is too much choice having an effect on our choices?

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:38:19 GMT

I know that when I go to the supermarket and see 55 varieties of something - I usually go for the brand I know the best. According to Pro...

53% of NZ employees leave their jobs within 2 years

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:32:34 GMT

and 35% of those say they would have left within the fikrst year if they had had the chance. The reason? Little or no career...

Authentic leader or pompous fool?

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:37:22 GMT

I love the articles of John Berling Hardy - he pulls no punches - check out his latest article http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/arti...

Little NZ technology firm doubles the speed of Microsoft website!

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:34:25 GMT

A little NZ company was having challenges with download speed (we have shocking broadbvand capability in NZ) so they created software to help their ow...

Do you kill your leads dead in the water?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:14:40 GMT

Leads are so precious - how do you treat them? Are you able to convert them or do you kill them stone dead? Check out some great tips

Tsar Wars? The Pay Tsar is coming to get you!!

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:11:27 GMT

I've had problems with the huge salaries CEO's and exectuves get paid for a long time.....and it delighted me to read that America's Pay Tsar is headi...

Young people in China are refusing to take on menial jobs

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:29:53 GMT

Factories in China are facing huge labour shortages. More than half the labour force is made up of kids born between 1980 and 1990 and th...

So is the House of Lords is finally being axed?

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:24:41 GMT

Just read an article from Reuters that plans are afoot to totally abolish the House of Lords....really? ann Sign up for our Power...

Do boards actually give a damn about shareholders?

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:41:14 GMT

John Berling Hardy suggests they don't. 'Executive remuneration packages have been designed in such a way that no matter what the roll of...

70 million people joined the middle classes in 2009

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:30:31 GMT

and a further 1 billion expected to become middle class by 2020. An article from Newsweek suggests that Western middle classes are fallin...

Recruitment survey. How employers use Social Networking

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:45:03 GMT

I guess we already knew that employers were using facebook etc to check out potential employees - but check out these http://www.thecorporate...

Are kids becoming addicted with multitasking technologies

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:42:04 GMT

Watched a show on NZ TV where 6 young girls were parted from their cellphones for TWO HOURS; taken out for coffee and some shopping and they showed vi...

sex.com up for Auction. Purchased in 2006 for $14m!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:45:01 GMT

Watch that space - it is viewed as the most expensive piece of internet real estate - the site makes an estimated US$15k a day! ann

I'm Sorry. The art (or PR disaster) of apologising

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:38:13 GMT

Some people never apologise for anything; others apologise for everything....in the news of late we have seen several very public apologies.

Its raining FISH in Australia

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:32:08 GMT

A town in northern Australia has experienced a downpour (much needed because of serious drought conditions) but sadly it wasn't rain it was FISH!!! Ye...

Alcohol and teenage drivers. A lethal cocktail in NZ't mix!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:26:33 GMT

The age for driving in NZ is 15 (because of our rural population); we also have a hideous binge drinking culture, especially among our young teenagers...

How our oldies survived The Great Depression and what we can learn from them

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:57:07 GMT

Not sure how many people have heard of Gordon Dryden. Gordon is a legend in ...

Do you think the day will come when families are limited to one child?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:53:38 GMT

Years ago I was in Singapore for a speaking gig and I took a bus tour around the place. I was fascinated when the tour guide started telling us 'this ...

How America (and others) could get out of the economic woes

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:25:06 GMT

I've just posted a blog about the Royal Bank of Scotland paying out 1.5b sterling in bonuses, when they have just posted a loss of 5b. And these are t...

And another bank is going to pay out massive bonuses!!

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:20:44 GMT

Just read that the Royal Bank of Scotland is preparing to post losses of 5.1b sterling for 2009 AND IS STILL GOING TO PAY OUT BONUSES OF 1.5b!! ...

What is the greatest management challenge of all?

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:07:49 GMT

Check the answer here - ann <...

Which company is set to become the world's most sustainable by 2015?

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:06:00 GMT

M & S (Marks & spencers). They have set up plans to go green by opting for more sustainable ingredients and agreeing a living wage for suppliers - WEL...

Video overtaking e.mail as best way to stay in touch with customers

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:16:07 GMT

Just read an article by the marketing VP for Dell and he believes that e.mail is losing its dominance and suggestsd that by next year 80% of monile ph...

1.7 billion customers want to do business with you...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:53:32 GMT

This was an event 4 professional speakers put on last weekend. We wanted to cover the whole spectrum of internet marketing - from the person who has N...

When a good idea turns into a nightmare.....

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:48:03 GMT

When all those boats left Europe to conquer various countries around the world - they took all sorts of interesting seeds, plants and animals with the...

What do you resist the most? And why?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:56:12 GMT

I've just been speaking at an insurance conference and because I always go to any conference the day before I speak so I can mix and mingle and chat t...

Why every business needs an 'online' strategy

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:47:14 GMT

We are told - you need to blog - you need to be on twitter - you need to be on Linkedin and facebook! Agree but I've found two challenges:

Do you have difficulty in making yourself understood??

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:12:56 GMT

We've all done it I'm sure - said something to someone which seemed perfectly clear when it left our mouth yet you can see by the confused look on the...

More and more adult kids moving home to live with parents

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:08:54 GMT

Just read an article written by a 'yuckie' Young Unwitting Costly Kids - about adult kids who are moving back home to live with aging parents......

Understanding Stress - and doing something about it

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:06:59 GMT

Given job losses and job insecurity - thought thishttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/system/media_files/files/60/original_Understanding Stres...

When Office Politics turn Nasty!

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:01:06 GMT

Just read some British stats - 'a study' (sorry the article doesn't state which study) suggests that 1: 5 British workers admitted hating one of their...

Results of the 13th Price Waterhouse Cooper Global CEO Survey

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:22:18 GMT

Herman Trend Alerts published the findings: In brief: 'Fortunately, CEOs around the world do not share the waffling confiden...

Gen Y. The greediest least motivated workers of all time

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:47:34 GMT

I had a desperate call from someone yesterday saying 'Help - we've just taken this young lass on as our receptionist and she is hopeless.' What do we ...

What 'lies' were you told when you had your first website built?

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:40:07 GMT

I'm writing a new e.book TRUTH AND LIES. What everyone needs to know about making money online. I'm presenting at two e.commerce seminars...

Free e.book. 100 online references for cranky middle managers

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:26:22 GMT

If you are a busy owner or manager then enjoy this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/products/100_free_online_references_for_cranky_middle_m...

39 pubs are closing every week in Britain.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:21:13 GMT

Goodness - that is a huge amount of pubs vanishing. Not that I'm a drinker, but when I lived in the UK I loved to pop in with my friends for a bar mea...

It's healthy to eat chocolate. Yeah

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:15:19 GMT

A study of 50,000 people found that those eating chocolate were 22% less likely to suffer a stroke than thos who didn't. And even tho9se ...

Want 11 ways to find new customers?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:59:45 GMT

check the ideas out here ann<...

So Twitter is about to monetise it's site??

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:56:04 GMT

Having spent 3 years building The Corporate Toolbox I'm always looking to see how othe...

How do you give feedback to YOUR High Performers?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:12:38 GMT

Giving feedback to anyone who works for us is always a bit nerve-wracking. So think about giving feedback to high performers!! If all you give them is...

Your 'curiosity' factor could determine your success or failure

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:07:31 GMT

I've been reading a series of blogs by George F. Coloney on what it takes to be an effective CEO. One of the CEO's he studied is John Cha...

Are you being bullied at work - do you know someone who is?

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:18:56 GMT

At least 2 years ago I wrote an article for a magazine on how to deal with bullying at work - I didn't even have the article on my website (though I d...

Technology is changing your customer - are you keeping pace?

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:14:58 GMT

I came across a series of blogs by George F. Colony on bloggs.forrester.com/. His thoughts on today's customers: * the 2009 customer is u...

20 tips for blogging - if you aren't blogging already

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:00:21 GMT

Check out this 20 great tips if, like me, you som...

How much time do you spend working ON your business? (Honestly)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:52:32 GMT

Apparently a survey was done a few years ago by Harvfard University - they asked the CEO's of the Fortune 500 companies how much time they spent worki...

A Time for Change - FREE E.BOOK

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:19:24 GMT

Late last year a group of professional speakers and entrepreneurs were invited to speak at a large conference - nothing unusual in that - what was dif...

130m unique visitors a day to Facebook!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:09:44 GMT

Just read some stats that came out of the recent Davos gathering - a report by Paul Armstrong (CNN): * 7 of the 15 most trafficked sites ...

Check this out if you ever felt ecademy was a waste of your time

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:01:31 GMT

I've had a connection to Dr Ivan Misner (founder of BNI) as a result of being a Blackstar on ecademy - which led to me asking if he would like to post...

Old cast iron radiators getting a new lease of life!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:55:44 GMT

I'm doing a bit of a catch up on reading this afternoon - and came across this website...

Anyone had much to do with GREEN banks?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:52:42 GMT

If you are like me you are pretty disgusted with the whole banking sector after the meltdown and now some banks still paying out massive bonuses, so i...

Appalling leadership at Toyota

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:33:10 GMT

goodness - Toyota - a company you associate with everything that is good. Apparently the CEO (Grandson of the founder) has gone awol since it was nece...

A New Zealand trampoline wins USA Product of the Year!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:28:44 GMT

How good is that? Little old NZ does such amazing things even though our population is only 4 million. Apparently the trampoline - designed by the dep...

10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:53:23 GMT

How we do business is changing more rapidly than most of us can cope - check out this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/10_crucial_...

Every day Brits spend an average of 164 mins online v 148 mins watching TV

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:49:42 GMT

Interesting. Source learnebusiness.co.uk Given that we now have Myskye and Tivo and can edit out the ads - there is no wonder advertisers...

What is the MOST irritating invention of the last 20 years?

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:07:31 GMT

I've just been reading an hilarious article about the most irritating inventions of the last decade (though I have been generous and given you 20 year...

Understanding Stress - and doing something about it

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:54:53 GMT

I posted a blog saying that 45% of american workers are unhappy in their jobs - misery causes stress. And it doesn't have to be that way. ...

Only 45% of Americans are happy in their jobs

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:50:01 GMT

The recession caused a lot of people to stay in jobs they were probably thinking of leaving - the sad thing is the toll being miserable at work takes ...

3 Fingers Pointing Back At YOU!

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:25:30 GMT

We live in such a blame society. If something doesn't work - it's always SOMEONE else's fault THEY (whoever they are), should have .....they co...

Are you a thinker, talker, doer, maintainer or sorter?

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:21:46 GMT

In my business I get invited to be involved in a wide array of joint ventures and I'm always willing to listen if the idea is in line with what I am d...

How to assert yourself in stressful meetings

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:58:41 GMT

if you get stressed in meetings or fail to get your point over - check out thishttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/how_to_assert_your...

Finally someone has found a use for old tyres! Yeah

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:56:28 GMT

Tyres are normally one of the biggest headaches when it comes to recycling v destruction. 1 billion tyres are manufactured globally each...

27 million people lost their jobs last year!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:48:32 GMT

That is 6.75 times the population of New Zealand - hard to even imagine. (We just had a real life example of the tragedy here - a new supermarket was ...

3 reasons remote teams fail - and how to see it coming

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:34:46 GMT

As more and more organisations find it cheaper to have people work from home - it is so much harder to pick up signs of discontent or disconnection - ...

Does your website incorporate video clips?

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:29:52 GMT

We are working on re-skinning our website and a guge component of the redesign is to incorporate video clips on the home page. Found thes...

Are you ready for the Journey?

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:35:17 GMT

Check out this amazing article by Charles Koves...

378 PREDICTIONS for doing business in 2010

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:31:38 GMT

Mid November I had an idea for an e.book - Predictions for Doing Business 2010. After the horror that was 2009 I thought it would give people i...

The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index makes interesting reading

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:35:55 GMT

I've just been reading about The Bloomberg Misery Index and thought people may be interested in reading http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/pr...

The courage to call the 'banking' bluff - YEAH

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:31:49 GMT

The 'catch cry' of the banking sector (and most corporates with regard to their CEOs) is that if the bright sparks aren't paid these ludicrous salarie...

Did you know there's a Global Misery Index?

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:22:10 GMT

Well there is. Apparently The Bloomberg Index allocates a percentage rating ba...

Take some time out over the break to think about your next 5 years!

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:46:59 GMT

We spend more time planning our annual holiday than we do planning our lives, and yes I know sometimes the best laid plans go astray - but it's still ...

Australasian bookshops set to become e.book retailers

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:43:34 GMT

The parent company (REDgroup) of our two largest book chains (Whitcoulls and Borders) have signed an agreement with a Canadian company to sell e.books...

Want to know about the Glolbal Economy for 2010 and Beyond?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:53:28 GMT

check the predictions here ann ...

Women control 4.3 trillion in US spending. Does your marketing reach them?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:21:42 GMT

Came across this info on Marketing to Women: ..."women control 4.3 trillion of the 5.9 trillion in US consumer spending" yet ""90% of wo...

Who do you believe when people LIE with facts?

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:20:39 GMT

The climate change debate is a classic example of 'lying' with facts (though I am absolutely sure each side believes their facts). What a...

E.books are becoming more and more significant

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:11:28 GMT

I'm working with an organisation on a project 1000 e.books into libraries - which is exciting - and then today I read an article about the changes in ...

Why product focused businesses end up on a treadmill

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:42:35 GMT

Business has been particularly challenging this year for everyone, but this is a great time of year (well once the christmas rush is over) to step bac...

Life after death can now be managed online apparently

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:38:16 GMT

Still being a fairly 'newbie' to the wonders of the web, I kind of knew that once something was online it was pretty difficult if not impossible to re...

Want your website to start earning revenue in 2010?

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:47:44 GMT

We hear a lot of hype and over-promising about what it is possible to earn from your website, so three of us decided to get together in the New Year t...

Will Copenhagen have been worth it??

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:33:47 GMT

The travel of delegates, activists and observers from 200 countries will create 46,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide (mostly from their flights).

Finally it is happening - the first island nation having to be relocated!

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:28:49 GMT

The Carteret islands are having to be evacuated because of rising waters. Situated about 100km from the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, the island, wh...

The number of Aussies moving to NZ Doubles in past 10 years

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:24:37 GMT

Interesting stats - traditionally it is the Kiwi's moving to Oz traffic - but 14,000 Aussies moved to NZ last year - not massive numbers in global ter...

The 'Acid Test' of your Reputation

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:18:41 GMT

Well Tiger has just proven that no matter how famous or rich you are - your reputation still means something to the public. It was intere...

Are banks so removed from reality that they just don't 'get it?'

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:11:25 GMT

Read a couple of 'bank' stories over the weekend - the first was to do with Westpac (Australia), after all the bad publicity banks have had, and the f...

24 Questions to Challenge your Life

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:44:10 GMT

As we start the Christmas holiday period (for those who celebrate it)....it could be a good time to reflect on the past year and to think about how yo...

Successful businesses often come from a personal need

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:38:30 GMT

Trademe was a business started in NZ by a young college student (Sam Morgan). He needed a cheap electric heater and every time he found one being adve...

NOW is a great time to be a 'change' leader. How about it?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:29:25 GMT

We have watched the most tumultuous year - from the hideous greed of banks and bankers; the ponzi scheme that destroyed thousands of lives, the crimin...

While Govts argue over carbon many companies clean up their act

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:22:31 GMT

Huge issue I know the whole emissions thing - my fear is that it will just turn into another charade where people (probably banks) make money out of t...

France proposing to legislate that 50% of boards must be WOMEN

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:14:11 GMT

Sometimes change has to be legislated.... I remember the challenges over inter-racial sports teams and because of the depth of prejudice ...

Come to the edge he said! I'm afriad. They came, they leapt!

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:39:59 GMT

If you have ever been afraid to take a giant leap of fatih - then watch thishttp://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/3/Amazing-Ducklings-Video-6...

Is a Banking Revolution Coming? I sure hope so.

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:48:27 GMT

Predictions are that the public have had enough - check out this http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/08/might-the-consumer-banking-...

Fed up of fad diets and promises of a svelte body without changing your lifestyle?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:08:24 GMT

then this recipe is for you (and me): For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's...

Watch what ends up on your Facebook page over the break!

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:05:47 GMT

Don't forget that prospective employers now google you before they interview you - what will they find? And on a more positive note, if y...

What are your 10 Business predictions for 2010?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:49:52 GMT

I've just seen some United Nation's predictions for 2010, like: * The world economy is predicted to grow by 2.4% * Developing natio...

Want a recipe for happiness?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:58:55 GMT

If you have ever read any stats on depression you will know that we are a generation that has more material things than any generation EVER in nthe hi...

Working Mums feel 10 years older than non-working Mums

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:54:57 GMT

The you-can-have-everything-be-everythng-do-everything message is taking it's toll! I really feel for families where survival means both...

KitKat becomes ethical - great news

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:46:22 GMT

Nestle is planning to buy their cocoa beans for their KitKat bar from Fairtrade. Question? What took them so long? Still better late than never.....I'...

The 10 online trends for 2010 - are you ready?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:55:18 GMT

Check them out here

We centralise and then we decentralise!!

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:52:32 GMT

As you get older you see businesses doing the same things over and over and over. In NZ several years ago, the big four banks CLOSED all ...

Are your retail staff ready for the Christmas rush?

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:57:36 GMT

check out this article by a customer service guru - ann...

The largest ever ever held in the history of civilisation?

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:52:35 GMT

If you have seen 2010 you will have heard the comment 'only the chinese could have achieved this' - well this is real life and the world fair being he...

Max Wilson, 12 receives bravery award for saving lives in Samoan Tsunami

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:44:53 GMT

get past the headmaster and the mayor and listen to this little boy's story of incredible bravery in the face of the massive http://www.youtu...

When you ask for referrals are you a wimp?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:09:44 GMT

We are coming up to the busiest period of the year for Western countries, we go into relax mode (which is great, it's been a tough year), but during t...

The most terrifying question successful businesses need to ask

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:43 GMT

It takes years in most cases to become successful and then the terrifying question has to be asked: WHAT NEXT? Because just ...

The Christmas rush is upon us - PEOPLE WILL START TO IRRITATE YOU

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:32:06 GMT

If you are in retail, my heart goes out to you - Kia Kaha (stay strong). This is also the time that families get together for better or w...

Australia leads NZ in 10 of 11 categories

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:26:29 GMT

They have bigger houses than us More Cinemas Fewer road deaths (7.8 per 100,000 v NZ 10.1) More cars (not a bad thing in my book)

Brits spend 164 mins online per day and 148 mins watching TV

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:40:49 GMT

are you catching that wave? It staggers me when I speak to small business owners and ask the question 'How many of you have a website?' how many hands...

The 7 Key things that will prevent your success

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:26:29 GMT

1. Having a great idea but being under capitalised to get it off the ground (though there are always ways around that and I certainly would never let ...

Check these amazing results of a 'texting' competition

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:07:10 GMT

Apparently an Australian 'texting' competition was held and there was a 'text-off' between a 13 yr old and a 93 year old ex-telegrapher (morse code).<...

Are you WORTH coaching?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:45:38 GMT

when I was a franchisor one of my interview questions was 'ARE YOU COACHABLE?' and the question always received nteresting responses from 'duh - don't...

Did you know that swearing is actually good to relieve stress and pain

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:41:24 GMT

picked this up from a business supplement (sadly no research source quoted - again!!) but those of us who have a good swear every now and again don't ...

Data on Twitter Decline

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:36:13 GMT

according to emarketer.com/article based on information from Neilsen, traffic to Twitte...

What matters most to New Zealanders (video) worth watching

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:41:08 GMT

Stumbled across a discussion on What is important to New Zealanders" a conference with international presenters - very worthwhile watching this

5 traits of the TRULY successful

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:42:53 GMT

Want to be successful? Then find out how the really successful people do it right http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/five_traits_of_...

One NZ company decided NOT to offshore its call centre

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:39:33 GMT

I'm sure we have all had the frustrating experience of trying to explain a problem to someone in another country who doesn't understand what you are s...

NZ least corrupt country but has least women directors

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:17:24 GMT

Just read that NZ has come out as the least corrupt country in the world to do business with - great - however, I also read today that we have the wor...

Want to know the REAL culprits of the 2008 crash?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:12:47 GMT

check out this article - grrr - ann

General Motors ready to pay back bailout money

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:10:20 GMT

Well done them - getting back on track was helped by sales of 478,000 vehicles in China - a 6% improvement on forecasts. ann Sign ...

100+ Icebergs are heading towards NZ!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:11 GMT

As huge chunks of the Antarctic ice shelf start to melt and break off - the icebergs then start floating out into the oceans - last year we had an ice...

Who doesn't want/need more Profitable Partnerships?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:45:08 GMT

Check out today's hot article submitted by Barry Urq...

250 million Chinese have moved from the country into cities

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:41:57 GMT

Since 1985 250 million have left farms and agricultural occupations to seek fame and fortune in the cities. There is now a huge growing m...

Do your children have regular chores around the house?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:04:33 GMT

I most certainly did and my children most certainly did - firstly it taught us that houses don't clean themselves and secondly it taught us that to ge...

Brigitte Bardot suggests one meat-less day a week

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:57:57 GMT

and Sir Paul McCartney urges us to have TWO meatless days per week - the suggestion being that if the entire planet did this, it would reduce the amou...

Dead Men Walking

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:24:01 GMT

and speaking of Detroit's come back from a 29% unemployment rate, to seeing the big 3 car companies get going again in Detroit - did the city, car com...

Detroit back from the brink?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:20:05 GMT

In a recent blog I wrote about the 29% unemployment rate in Detroit since most of the car companies had closed down - I also asked what the city leade...

What opportunities rose for you from the ashes of 2009?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:24:43 GMT

I fell upon a brand new opportunity this year (mentoring people in building an e.commerce site and/or writing business e.books) - so out of every disa...

What will your top priorities be for 2010?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:02:56 GMT

Still a fair bit of doom and gloom around, but in this part of the world (NZ and Australia) we didn't seem to be hit very hard at all (for a variety o...

NZs underwater wealth has just been boosted by $700 billion

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:53:55 GMT

NZ has made a successful claim for its EEZ (exclusive economic zone) to stretch to the edge of the NZ continental shelf. NZs underwater z...

NZ confirmed as 1:5 Heritage Night Sky Reserves

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:56:06 GMT

New Zealand has been accepted as one of five world heritage night sky reserve sites for the UNESCO world heritage meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year....

Scientists want to know how far they should go!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:07:13 GMT

Just read an article about what is possible in science - it makes quite sickening reading... * Mice that can speak? Nooooo * Dogs w...

50 Predictions for the Global Economy in 2010

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:15:45 GMT

Check out Rohit Talwar's forecast http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/fast_futureâ€™s_top_50_forecasts_for_the_global_econ...

Workers feel 10 years younger AFTER retirement

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:12:36 GMT

The University College of London has been conducting surveys with 15,000 employees and found that they felt 'increasingly less well in the years leadi...

The 2009 Prosperity Index

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check here for the results of the 2009 Lagatum Prosperity Index - ann

Does attitude affect recessionary thinking and results?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:40:35 GMT

check the answer here - ann ...

India planning to be first to withdraw financial stimulus

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:33:37 GMT

India is seeing clear signs of an upturn in it's economy and is planning to wind back fiscal stimulus - other members of the G20, particularly USA, J...

Want to know your business's most strategic weapon?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:32:04 GMT

find out...

The 9 areas of the world most under threat from climate change

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:28:45 GMT

1. Bangladesh (frequent flooding wiping out crops) 2. Sudan (rising temperatures causing the desert to expand into farmland) 3. Caribbean ...

Asparagus curing cancer?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:35:54 GMT

this came through to me - I can't validate the information, but always believe in passing stuff like this on - after all eating lots of yummy asparagu...

The retirement age is being lifted in most countries

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:41:33 GMT

Good or bad? Australia, Denmark and Germany are lifting the age to 67 Britain to 68 Denmark have gone so far as to lin...

Want to turn your business knowledge into a passive income?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:25:28 GMT

As a result of building The Corporate Toolbox and having to write articles and e.books to keep the site fresh, I started being approached by people wh...

How to get out of the red by being green

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:46:24 GMT

Being green just makes good business sense.....check ideas for becoming green right http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/out_of_the_re...

Only half of new offices are being built using green technologies

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:41:36 GMT

These are New Zealand stats. I guess half could be viewed as good but we could do SO much better than that ...the savings to be had by being 'green' a...

How to Stop the Money Men taking Over the World...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:52:08 GMT

check it out here ann

Everything - success - failure - wealth - poverty is down to ATTITUDE

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:40:36 GMT

If you and your staff need an 'attitude' adjustment - check out this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/workplace_attitude_and_the_r...

Did you know that the unenployment rate in Detroit is 29%?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:32:31 GMT

that is tragic. From memory, the unenmployment rate during the Great Depression was 30% - so Detroit is in real bad shape I suggest. What happened? Ye...

Preparing for 2010? NOW is the perfect time to do that

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:13:47 GMT

As a speaker and consultant, November is pretty much the end of my year - December and Jan are the times I set aside to have some time out but also to...

Just do it and do it and do it and do it and do it and do it!!

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:04:25 GMT

Every now and again someone sends me a video clip that is awesome - this one is TRULY awesome ..... http://frankrecommendsworkin...

Check out this e.book on successful implementation of projects

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:03:46 GMT

Stats suggest that an average of 78% of projects fail - that is a huge cost to any organisation - if you are manning a project and even remotely suspe...

Did you know that 66 - 91% of projects fail!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:59:32 GMT

according to BusinessWeek a survey showed that: * 80% of staff said their company had an initiative underway that they believed would fai...

Who motivates the motivator?? Good question...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:36:24 GMT

Find out her...

Minority workers are just as engaged/disengaged as non minorities

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:34:02 GMT

Sirota Survey Intelligence reviewed over 800,000 American workers on 'Differences in Work Attitudes' and the results may be of interest. They found th...

Want to convert casual contacts into Business Contracts?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:58:15 GMT

then catch up with the thoughts of Ricky Nowak http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/system/media_files/files/58/original_ConvertingCasualContac...

Women who work for Men who Behave Badly!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:54:49 GMT

Had a distressed call from a friend yesterday - this lady is super savvy - she had gone to work for a small organisation of coaches - she was the only...

What to do when Women Cry!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:45:53 GMT

I try to match my daily blog with a related article - today I posted a blog on the steps Dell computers is taking to a. encourage more women into the ...

Dell leading the way in teaching men about women??

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:40:18 GMT

because of the shortage of women in the IT industry (I used to be an HR Manager in an IT company and I can attest to how unfriendly it used to be to w...

Is LinkedIn of any real use to Sales People?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:50:01 GMT

Often we discard doing all this blogging and tweeting and advertising our profile on LinkedIn as just another way to chew up our valuable day - but wh...

Trainers note a 146% increase in web conferencing attendance..

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:43:10 GMT

If you are a trainer or presenter or even consultant, note that web conferencing could save you and your clients time and travel. As people become mo...

Want 7 ways to become more profitable?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:03:56 GMT

then check out this article by chuck Blakeman -http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/seven_decision-making_principles_leading_us_to_pro...

Dubai has a US$106b debt! Imagine...

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:59:24 GMT

We tend to think of countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia as having an endless supply of oil money - so it was a surprise to read that Dubai is in fin...

The 'WILL I GET MORE MONEY FOR DOING THAT' attitude!

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:27 GMT

I need to have a rant! I have just spent half a day working with the most wonderful management team - progressive; caring; inclusive - an...

The Art of War is Governed by 5 Factors....

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:05:48 GMT

for more detail check out thishttp://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/â€œthe_art_of_war,_then,_is_governed_by_five_constant_fa...

See Googles profits are the highest for 11 years...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:03:14 GMT

so it just goes to show that recessions don't have devastating effects on all businesses - perhaps google are sharp enough to have recession proofed t...

If you suffer from Arthritis this could ease the pain...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:59:06 GMT

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamo...

After Layoffs productivity can drop by 25%

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:57:39 GMT

Reports show that the performance levels of staff kept on AFTER layoffs drops by anything up to 25% - so if your staff are displaying apathy, lethargy...

Are happy employees more productive than unhappy ones?

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:56:09 GMT

Check out the result here Ann Andrew...

The credit crunch must be over - check out what Harrods is now stocking..

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:51:09 GMT

GOLD BARS no less!! Poor interest rates and a poor housing market are forcing investors to look at alternatives - gold stands ata record...

Recession almost over - looking for a new job?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:11:08 GMT

Dust off that CV and make it a sizzler - check out nofollo...

Two critical talents managers look for when recruiting

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:06:19 GMT

According to a report put out by Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) the characteristics that managers value the most are: ...

Are you happy in your work? Check out this survey

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:56:22 GMT

The recession has bashed a few businesses around the head; people who were thinking of leaving BEFORE the recession probably decided to stay on - and ...

Is having a 'job' all it's cracked up to be?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:51:01 GMT

I've just been having an interesting discussion on another blog about the fact that 72% of companies have down-sized during the past 12 months - yet 8...

Dealing with low morale during a recession

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:35:27 GMT

Reports show that the performance levels of staff kept on AFTER layoffs drops by anything up to 25% - so if your staff are displaying apathy, lethargy...

72% of businesses have restructured and laid off staff

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:30:37 GMT

According to a Watson Wyatt Strategic Rewards Survey, the result of all the lay offs has been a corresponding drop in performance of between 9% and 25...

Social Media for Business, the who, what, why and when

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:21:16 GMT

I think we on ecademy are reasonably savvy about social media, but so many people are not - check out this great http://www.thecorporatetoolb...

Which word topped the 'most annoying' word ever?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:18:21 GMT

According to a Reuters bulletin - the No 1 most hated word in the USA is.... * whatever followed by - 'anyway', 'it is what ...

Retirement is a bankrupt, Industrial Age Idea

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:58:12 GMT

People NOT retiring; not wanting to retire and perhaps not being able to afford to retire will change the face of the workplace - check out this

Canberra (Australia) takes on 4 wheel drives

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:54:35 GMT

Canberra is looking at banning 4 wheel drives and SUVs from coming into cities. 19,000 people in Brisbane have signed a petition demanding that 4 whe...

Want more business from your website?

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:35:54 GMT

Check out this article<...

Well done London for building water stations ready for Olympics

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:34:15 GMT

A few weeks ago I blogged about the little Australian town - Bundanoon, who have banned bottled water and set up drinking fountains around the town. L...

Simple ways to generate more revenue

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:24:19 GMT

Chuck Blakeman suggests the followi...

Survey - the 10 things New Zealanders are most proud of..

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:21:33 GMT

According to a wonderful organisation called Anew NZ - they ran a survey, and In no particular order... 1. Our future - we have a beautif...

How to be more assertive in stressful meetings....

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:46:20 GMT

Great new article by Sally Mabe...

Great invention - a bra that can be converted to 2 gasmasks!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:44:25 GMT

We've all heard of the Nobel prize but have you heard of the IgNobel prize? Well here are a few of this year's winners: 1. Engineers have...

Have we totally stuffed our beautiful planet??

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:34:56 GMT

Just had a paper passed to me by one of my authors - Clare Feeney

One of our food staples is about to rocket in price...

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:40:47 GMT

Raw sugar is predicted to rise dramatically in price (raw sugar futures have gained 94% this year)...reason? Brazil is having unusual weather problems...

Want to know how to use Twitter for Business?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:05:41 GMT

then check out Mark Shaw's e-book - all w...

Which city has the most Twitter users?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:03:47 GMT

according to a report by Sysomos (www.symosos.com) New Yorkers are the biggest users, followed by LA and Toronto....and more women twitter than men!

Our thoughts go to the people of Samoa.....

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:59:24 GMT

This part of the world is in a state of shock at the moment - total devastation after the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, Tonga (I have a friend who ...

How to deal with low morale during a recession

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:05:44 GMT

Given that 54% of workers are feeling high levels of stress during the recession and that 47% of them say they will be moving elsewhere as soon as the...

Most bosses don't see or sense discontent in their staff

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:58:05 GMT

A recent survey of Australian and NZ employees (and I think the stats would probably translate into most countries) found that 44% of the empllyees su...

10 Steps to Build Trust....

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:18:28 GMT

With trust in our bankers and our politicians at an all-time low it seemed a pertinent time to mention a few 'must-do's' to develop trust in you and y...

The most corrupt countries in the world to do business with are...

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:09:54 GMT

I have a newsletter which begins with a short quiz - the quiz gets a lot of great feedback but I sometimes do run out of things to ask - so discovered...

The best sales 'tactic' isn't a sales 'tactic'

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:23:06 GMT

If you are having challenges 'selling' then this http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/the_best_sales_tactic_ever,_isnâ€™t_a...

Do you set yourself up for a 'yes' or a 'no'?

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:15:46 GMT

When I first started my own business I probably ranked as the world's worst sales person - fortunately I had something that businesses wanted (a proce...

What does your online reputation say about you?

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:41:03 GMT

Building a business or presence on the web requires some smart strategies - http://www.thecorporatetoolbox.com/articles/show/what_does_your_o...

28% of NZers buy solely on web reviews!

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:36:34 GMT

These are NZ stats - would be intrested to see how they stack up against other countries: 97% of kiwis go online to research product (res...

Weird and Whacky Business Ideas 2008

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:29:28 GMT

I subscribe to several newsletters about trends and in particular what people are doing to be different - check this out and have ahttp://www...

What's the best question you have ever been asked at a Networking event?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:26:39 GMT

There are some great questions we can all ask at networking events - other than the boring DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN ones....like: * What ma...

How to run GREAT meetings....

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:11:03 GMT

Meetings are vital - we have to sit and talk to each other in a team or organisation. If your meetings are dysfunctional, unruly or simpl...

The 5 Most Irritating things at Meetings?

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:06:05 GMT

I sat in on a meeting yesterday and was amazed..... 1. People drifted in and out constantly 2. There seemed to be no agenda and so ...

It's the very simple things that make the money....

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:55:17 GMT

Check it out ...

Take this very very simple psych test? You will be amazed

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:53:23 GMT

Step 1: Write down your THREE favourite animals (try to think beyond dogs and cats - yes they are gorgeous - but have an imaginary trip to the Zoo - ...

What an old guy told him that changes his life.....

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:04:29 GMT

Every day I thought I would introduce ecademy to one of my authors - a lot of them are ecademists - some of them are not ....check out this article by...

What do these 8 famous people have in common?

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:01:04 GMT

Did you know that: Thomas Edison, Cher, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner and Winston Churchill were al...

The Future is Coming Ready or Not - check this out ....

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:14:32 GMT

Check out what the world can expect over the next two years http://tinyurl.com/m7pjy5

It takes 3000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of rice!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:38 GMT

The world is fast waking up to the fact that one of the biggest problems global warming is going to cause is the shortage of water.....Australia alrea...

Wellington (NZ) is aiming to be NZs 1st Fair Trade city...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:11:31 GMT

Was speaking at a conference in Wellington yesterday and always pick up a local paper to see what's happening at the coal-face....and Wellington, alwa...

The difference between scarcity thinkers and abundance thinkers

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:02:52 GMT

Was talking to a business owner the other day about the recession and how it looked as though we were through the worst - this darling person didn't t...

Are you involved in Project Management (large or small)?

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:52:41 GMT

If you are you might like to tune in to this FREE webinar: 9 a.m. (NZ) time 22nd September LASER GUIDED PROJECT INI...

The Top 10 Australian W*nkers (I kid you not)

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:14:34 GMT

I was searching on google for the top 10 best selling books of all times; all sorts of interesting top 10's came up including the Top 10 Australian W*...

Do you run regular webinars? Few tips from a Master

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:58:54 GMT

I've been trialling webinars for a few weeks now using myself as the guinea pig before I started offering webinars to my authors as a way to get known...

Recessions cause creativity - check out 2 new industries

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:53:06 GMT

STAYCATIONS - think this started in the UK - it is the idea of NOT having holidays overseas, rather STAYING in your own town or country and having a h...

Apparently there are 5 reasons people don't buy!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:52:37 GMT

1. They don't see or understand the 'sale' in your ad copy 2. They don't actually want what you are selling 3. They can't afford what you ...

What would you pay for a business lead?

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:12:53 GMT

Just been reading the latest Mequoda newsletter re the Price of a Marketing Lead and according to them cost-per-lead pricing varies by industry...

5 Predictions for the University of the Future

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:34:47 GMT

these 5 predictions are extraced from http://associatedegree.org/ . In the article there are...

93.6% of Twitter users have less than 100 followers

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:54:04 GMT

A survey conducted by Sysomos gives a very in-depth look at what is happening in the twitter world .... * 85.3% of users post LESS than o...

Through the worst of the Recession? What now? Did we learn anything?

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:15:29 GMT

I've been in business for about 20 years, and my business has now survived THREE recessions, yet each time I'm amazed at how quickly we all for...

It took Amazon 8 years to turn a profit....

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:38:53 GMT

How many small businesses give up too soon? ann Sign up for our POWER...

Why you could soon be running your car on watermelon

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:05:43 GMT

apparently scientists have discovered that watermelon is a huge source of sugar which can be readily distilled into alcohol to power cars - so there -...

What do New Zealanders and the French have in common?

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:48:53 GMT

apart from Rugby that is? According to an OECD study (who pays for these things and what use are they really?).... The Frenc...

It took radio 38 years to reach 50 milion people

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:34:55 GMT

Do you know how long it took FACEBOOK to reach the same number? Look forward to your replies - ann

Which sells most - sex or fear?

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:53:05 GMT

interesting article in The Herman Trend Alert this week - apparently a study on neuromarketing over 3 years discovered that 'sex sells' is a myth....i...

Did you know that the last ever newspaper will land on a doorstep in 2043?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:53:44 GMT

Not quite sure who estimates these things - but I for one LOVE my daily newspaper - yes a lot of it is rubbish but there's something about having your...

Apparently 700,000 people a month are disconnecting landlines

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:25:44 GMT

these are US stats but assume other countries are experiencing a similar trend. It seems 25% of US households now rely on cellphones and this number i...

Do you know what NOMOPHOBIA is?

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:41:03 GMT

It is the fear kids are experiencing when they are removed or withour their mobile phone for any period of time. Watched a short unscientific experime...

What are YOU actually Tweeting about?

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:50:12 GMT

just read some stats from e.marketer - and they discuss a "Pear Analytics Twitter Study conducted in August 2009" - so pretty current - ...

My favourite quote (well one of them anyway)....

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:17:33 GMT

I've always loved this - know I have it hidden somewhere - but it popped into my inbox this morning - so just had to share it .... To la...

Find out how one company saved $40K in training costs

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:41:08 GMT

I'm sure there will be millions of examples of comapnies who have switched to online training - but I stumbled across this article which may encourage...

Did you take part in the 'Jobs that don't exist yet' survey?

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:37:08 GMT

Fascinating. I'm always crystal gazing for my clients - trying to get them to look at jobs in their organisations that are likely to become obsolete (...

Do you have a business MENTOR?

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:56:47 GMT

over the years I've had several coaches or mentors - some were good some were average - and so I decided that if ever I took on a mentor again they wo...

Is ANYONE worth a salary of $1billion per year??

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:36:28 GMT

and so the madness continues ....just been reading about the top 3 salaries in the States: No 1 Honcho = Stephen Schwarzman CEO of Invest...

Do you have a clear system for dealing with your Leads?

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:23:05 GMT

Do you have a system? Does your system work? The tendency for all of us is to work with the hot leads - but in all leads there are...

Senior Citizens! Their incredible power in the forseeable future!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:56:22 GMT

I am on the mailing list of Herman Trends - and they always have great information - CHECK THIS OUT... 'Beginning in 2012, the Bab...

Can you believe some small business don't even HAVE a website

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:49:56 GMT

at the small business presentation I asked for a show of hands as to how many of them DIDN'T have a website - fully expecting that no-one would put up...

23 people - 69 ideas for business efficiency in 3 MINUTES!!

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:57:21 GMT

With that same group of small busiess owners and their staff - I did an exercise - 3 minutes - 3 ideas EACH for basic efficiencies in their place of w...

What business Growth do you ACTUALLY want?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:22:19 GMT

I did a presentation to a group of small businesses the other day and we discussed the 'growth' question - some people were very clear they wanted to ...

The Power of The Dotted Line in Your Ads and Marketing materials

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:00:14 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Marcia Rudkin and her newsletter today talks about the power of the dotted line - apparently IF YOU PUT A DOTTED LINE ...

If you could have only ONE book which would you choose?

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:00:24 GMT

I think most business people are avid readers, but I wonder - if you could only keep ONE book - which would you keep? ann

Have you become BORING?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:16:11 GMT

In any business it is easy to get into a groove of what you do and how you do it - I believe it is good practice EVERY year to look at what I offer an...

$100 Million in 23 months? Yeah right!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:37:25 GMT

I'm attending a 4 day internet marketing workshop, and this guy told us about one man making $100m in 23 months - and my thought was - pull the other ...

When the student is ready the teacher will appear

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:02:10 GMT

Have you ever had the experience, when you have you been struggling with something, that SOMEONE has appeared with the exact right information or sugg...

Are your offerings Boring and Predictable?

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:06:56 GMT

Do you have a wallet full of coffee cards? I do. I have most of my meetings at cafes around the city and they ALL have loyalty cards. Ima...

The REAL benefits of telecommuting. A Cisco Survey

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:31:58 GMT

I subscribe to Herman Trends and this info came through recently: * Approximately 69 percent of the employees surveyed cited higher produ...

Check out what Tony Robbins says about entrepreneurs

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:24:16 GMT

"Entrepreneurs overestimate what is achievable in 12 months, but underestimate what is achievable in 10 years.' The economic times...

Would you like fries with that? The art of up-selling

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:15:27 GMT

I learned from a master that you should always offer TWO versions of something - the budget grade and the deluxe - often people will choose the budget...

Could e-books ever become best sellers?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:22:38 GMT

At the end of the first year of The Corporate Toolbox I decided that as hard copy book stock was sold I would NOT re-stock hard copy, traditional book...

Has anyone done any research on the COST of training?

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:05:50 GMT

versus the cost of NOT training? ann 25 Ways t...

How do you feel about follic acid being put into your bread?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:53:37 GMT

We are having the debate raging over here - understand the UK and Ireland have delayed its inclusion - whose dumb idea was it anyway? The mind boggles...

When you want to work with a large organisation how do you

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:18:09 GMT

get past the layers of bureaucracy and secretaries who want to block your way so you can get to the decision maker? Be interested in how ...

Is your product/service ethical and sustainable? Check this out...

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:03:02 GMT

Have you heard of Bundanoon? It is a little township in New South Wales, Australia - THEY HAVE JUST BECOME THE FIRST PLACE IN THE WORLD T...

Should small countries expect AID to be a right?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:42:38 GMT

We have just heard the prime minister of Nieue (a small Pacific island) tell the NZ visiting prime minister that if he doesn't increase the amount of ...

Did you go back to BASICS to survive the recession?

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:16:29 GMT

First of all isn't it wonderful that there is a hint of speaking about the recession as if it is almost over? And if it isn't, act as if it is and it ...

Do you know anyone who has RSI or overuse syndrome?

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:32:54 GMT

After months of non stop computer work my arms, shoulders and neck seized up on me - got some physio and went to the health shop to get some de...

Did you know that 48% of salespeople never follow up ....

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:42:24 GMT

According to a guy called Jack Daly (Results.com) 48% of salespeople never follow up after the first contact with a prospect! Why ...

4th July SPECIAL - 10% off ALL Products for 24 hours only

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:57:43 GMT

It is the 4th July already in New Zealand. Independence Day is special - whether you are an American or not. Think how lucky we are in co...

New Zealand had a strong rebound in new car sales in June

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:29:01 GMT

house sales are up too - we put our beach house up for sale and it sold in ONE WEEK! So are these signs that the recession could be almost oveer? Lets...

Have you heard of UPcycling?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:50:47 GMT

we've certainly all heard of REcycling - UPcycling is where the end-product is MORE valuable than the original product I think. Heard abo...

How many spin-off products could you make from ONE book?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:01:18 GMT

I was having a chat with a colleague recently and we tried to see how many off-spin products we could create from ONE hard copy book: 1. ...

Do you put an ISBN number on your e.books?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:10:14 GMT

If you don't you could be missing out on a huge opportunity. IF YOU HAVE ISBN NUMBERS ON YOUR E-BOOKS THEY COULD QUALIFY TO GO INTO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM...

Did you know that people hire on skills and knowledge but FIRE....

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:03:39 GMT

on ATTITUDE. If you are hiring staff right nw make sure you check attitude - and you can - by asking questions like 'tell me about a tim...

What is the difference between Marketing and Sales?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:11:29 GMT

According to Seth Godin it is as follows: Marketing tells a story that spreads. Sales overcomes a customer's natural resistance to...

Which price sells more - $20.00. 20.00 or Twenty Dollars?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:17:36 GMT

The Marketing Minute by Marcia Yudkin, Marketing Expert and Mentor http://www.yudkin.com/ma...

Should you offer your complete hard copy book as an ebook?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:16:07 GMT

Attended a 'Beyone Books' conference this week for the publishing sector - spoke to an Australian publisher who felt that it was vital that authors of...

New Zealand is showing real signs of coming out of the recession

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:34:21 GMT

Our housing market is always the biggest indicator - quote: "The housing market is showing clear signs of a pick up with sales up a whopp...

Which Employees Are Coping Best With The Recession?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:43:47 GMT

For those of you who work with large organisations, are you noticing that the older workers (baby boomers) or the younger workers (Gen X and Y) are co...

What is the MOST powerful word in an advert?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:31:55 GMT

had an interesting discussion with a colleague - I had read somewhere that the most powrful word to use was YOU; he said NO the most pow...

Outsourcing versus a personal assistant versus do-it-yourself?

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:27:18 GMT

Had an interesting conversation with members of my new Mastermind group last week. We were discussing the merits of outsourcing various tasks to exper...

What would YOU do to earn a million dollars?

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:35:06 GMT

When I hear about the reality TV shows (which I don't watch) asking people to eat live cockroaches and sit in a box full of spiders - I wonder A. what...

What is your MOST effective marketing strategy?

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:59:23 GMT

I'm doing all the usual FREE stuff everyone does - blogging, tweeting, newsletters, writing articles for my own site, writing articles for a variety o...

Think & Grow Rich - A Daily Discussion Point......

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:55:54 GMT

I'm re-reading Think & Grow - my 4th read over 20 years and every time I read it I get a new peice of wisdom. Thought it would be good during these do...

Are newsletters on the way out?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:18:11 GMT

Like everyone, I receive an awful lot of newsletters - most of which I just delete - there are a few I read (Seth Godin's, Mequoda and e.marketing) to...

10 Tips For Dealing With Low Morale In The Workplace

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:43:23 GMT

check out my article http://tinyurl.com/nksnqq and improve morale at your place immediat...

Even dentists are feeling the recession.

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:52:27 GMT

35% of Kiwi women and 25% of Kiwi men have postponed dental checkups because of financial worries. Ann http://...

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:33:56 GMT

as an ex HR Manager I would often have a manager tell me - 'Jim is not performing' and my question was always 'how do you know?' For most managers goo...

If you employ people - how do you measure morale?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:54:19 GMT

I was contacted by a national newspaper yesterday and asked if I could give them some thoughts on dealing with low morale during the recession - but I...

2 very interesting new businesses - both sad for different reasons

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:14:54 GMT

apparently a Church has started a host-in-the-post initiative - they will mail the 'host' to elderly or sick people who can't get to church - t...

What would you expect to pay to become a preferred supplier?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:03:37 GMT

I am starting to get enquiries from a variety of organisations who would like to offer their services to the authors and training designers on

What % of CEO's use social networking as a business tool?

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:08:13 GMT

according to www.emarketer.com - 31% of USA CEO's are on Facebook - 30% use social networking as part of their business strategy and 29% use social ne...

The theory of 'halving'

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:35:22 GMT

every now and again my husband and I (who both own separate businesses) go through what we call the 'halving' exercise - we look at every expense and ...

Who can you 'joint venture' with, to double your business opportunities?

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:28:17 GMT

I was approached recently by a colleague who suggested a joint venture - I advertise him to my database and he reciprocates - we then went further and...

What creative ways have you used to fill a quiet month?

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:37:28 GMT

went to the bank yesterday and EVERY shop had huge sales signs in their windows - some were 20% off - some 40% some 50-60% off all stock. ...

How are you helping YOUR clients during these interesting times?

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:58:05 GMT

I have one good customer who I've worked with for a number of years and rather than invoice them for several months work in one hit - I asked if it wo...

How do you cope with uncertainty and upheaval?

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:18:12 GMT

1. Do you go into yourself - hope the situation will go away - bury your head? 2. Do you become tearful and take the situation personally...

How skillfull are you at telling someone you are not happy with what they are doing?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:01:00 GMT

I recently had cause to raise an issue with someone - I thought I had done it really sensitively - but they clearly felt aggreived by what I sa...

Q: Do you have (or does your business have) a blogging/twitter policy?

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:25:11 GMT

This is a question I saw in an article recently - and it made me think....why was I blogging and why was I tweeting? I'm a sole trader an...

Idea 5: Keep your products or services find new ways to market them

Sun, 31 May 2009 21:58:59 GMT

marketing can cost an arm and a leg - look at: * FREE ways to market * Cross marketing (your prdoucts and services in someone else...

Idea 4: Keep your staff (or outsourcers) but revise what they do!

Sun, 31 May 2009 04:23:28 GMT

So often we take on staff (or people to do things for us) and never ask what they WANT to do ......ask them - they will tell you - and you may find yo...

Idea 3: Keep your products and services but change.....

Fri, 29 May 2009 20:12:09 GMT

how you offer them. If you bundle then unbundle - if you DON'T bundle then think about doing that - same products and services - d...

Idea 2. Use the back of your business card to SELL

Thu, 28 May 2009 21:00:58 GMT

How many business cards are you given where the back of the card is BLANK!! That is such valuable real estate... WHAT DOES IT SAY ON THE ...

I'm a fan of Mequoda BUT THEY GIVE ME NO WAY TO CONTACT THEM

Wed, 27 May 2009 21:26:06 GMT

I've been on their mailing list for a while and they produce great free stuff which would be ideal to put on my site .....I have hunted high and low o...

Idea !: Keep your customers but change.....

Wed, 27 May 2009 19:25:06 GMT

* what you offer them by way of products and services * how you offer your products and services * when you offer your products and servi...

A check-your-website QUIZ. Take it you could be amazed!

Wed, 27 May 2009 05:26:38 GMT

this quiz is actually on a business card I was given (very clever) and it goes like this: Q1: Does your website give useful information (...

Why do farmers expect to be subsidised in a downturn?

Tue, 26 May 2009 20:09:36 GMT

I see the EU has re-introduced subsidies to farmers and Obama is doing thesame. WHY? Why should farmers be subsidised when the rest of u...

Was it worth it?

Tue, 26 May 2009 05:51:49 GMT

You may have heard around the world of the young couple whose business was on the verge of foreclosure asking for an overdraft of $10,000. The next da...

Q:1 On a scale of 0-10 how INSPIRED are you?

Mon, 25 May 2009 19:45:03 GMT

and Q:2 On a scale of 0-10 how great are you to be around? This was a question asked by Matt Church at a recent NSANZ (National Sp...

An Australian Franchise has gone under with debts of $100m

Mon, 25 May 2009 05:08:11 GMT

Creditors of the franchise white goods company Kleenmaid this morning voted for company liquidation, in line with recommendations from voluntary admin...

If you were IMMORTAL what would you do differently?

Sun, 24 May 2009 19:22:18 GMT

this was a question posed by a speaker I went to listen to a week or so ago....interesting question: *I'd probably slow down a it - safe ...

If your business isn't online you are soon to be dead meat!

Sat, 23 May 2009 04:10:36 GMT

According to emarketer - When the Going Gets Tough, the Rich Get Online MAY 20, 2009 " Infamously, when he was asked why he...

Who do you 'follow' to stay up to date in your business?

Fri, 22 May 2009 21:15:57 GMT

There are several newsletters I subscribe to because I know they give me up-to-date information: * Herman Trends (on recruitment and empl...

What is your ABSOLUTE best talent or skill?

Thu, 21 May 2009 19:51:25 GMT

We can't be everything to everybody - we would die of exhaustion - because most of us on ecademy are sole traders - or at least employ only a few peop...

Is the world of printed material having a Near Death Experience?

Thu, 21 May 2009 03:57:46 GMT

We see newspapers closing down; magazines folding - e-books taking over from the printed book - people using online advertising rather than traditiona...

What makes a good manager?

Wed, 20 May 2009 20:06:34 GMT

No-one is perfect but there are some basic traits people must have to be a good manager .....wondered what people think are the top 3 -4 qualities a p...

Banner Ads Really Do Work!

Mon, 18 May 2009 22:46:32 GMT

Banner Ads: Beyond the Click. MAY 18, 2009 (emarketer) Display ads do more than look pretty. Online display ads have gotten a bad ...

If you had to start from scratch - what would you do differently?

Mon, 18 May 2009 19:33:37 GMT

When you have been in business a while you realise how little you really knew when you first started....what would you do differently if you had to st...

Where New Zealanders are spending (or not)

Sun, 17 May 2009 22:09:15 GMT

MEDIA RELEASE 18th May 2009 New Zealanders batten down the hatches 'Attitude New Zealand' report shows widespread concern for househ...

Is it possible to OVER market?

Sun, 17 May 2009 20:19:10 GMT

there are some products and services I REFUSE to buy becuase I get sick of hearing their names or their jingles ....wondered what others think about O...

Do you offer a 100% money back guarantee?

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I mentioned this in another blog - Do You Charge What You Are Worth? and someone asked about the 100% money back guarantee.... I offer th...

Don't play for safety it's the most DANGEROUS thing in the world

Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:19 GMT

this is a quote I heard many years ago (no idea who said it) but it resonated. How many people or businesses do we know who never take a risk, never ...

How are Gen Y'ers coping with their FIRST Recession?

Thu, 14 May 2009 04:56:24 GMT

Us oldies have seen it all before - several times. They seem to happen every 7 - 10 years ....and so we just change gears (again) adapt, and keep goin...

Do you charge what you are WORTH?

Wed, 13 May 2009 20:40:04 GMT

Tragically as soon as the R word rears it's ugly head (about every 7 - 10 years)....everyone panics and immediately drops their prices. And even dropp...

What Profession do you MOST trust and admire?

Wed, 13 May 2009 02:33:28 GMT

we have given quite a few professions a 'good going over' in my last blog - which profession do you trust the LEAST - now I'd be interested to know wh...

What profession do you trust the LEAST?

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:56:44 GMT

Every year in NZ a list of most and least trusted professions is published.....given that we have just seen the banking/greed debacle, and now I'm rea...

How will strangers find you and your business?

Sun, 10 May 2009 20:08:31 GMT

This is actually a Seth Godin question - I love questions that make me think .....and this made me think: * Google of course - but what w...

What product or service can you NOT find?

Fri, 08 May 2009 21:11:23 GMT

A lot of great business ideas come from a person NOT being able to find something - one of our most successful business here in NZ was TRADEME - a bus...

What's the WORST behaviour you've seen displayed by a co-worker?

Thu, 07 May 2009 19:41:46 GMT

My work with teams usually starts because one team member is displaying unacceptable behaviour.......like: * only doing as much as they h...

Are banks STILL behaving badly in your neck of the woods?

Wed, 06 May 2009 20:42:24 GMT

Being in lil old NZ most of our banks are owned by Australia and the head offices are in Australia too - we have just discovered that although we- the...

Want to know how to write a business book in less than a month?

Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:38 GMT

If you are a business consultant, entrepreneur, trainer, coach, salesperson or professional speaker - then this message is for you..... ...

What was the worst presentation you ever gave.....

Tue, 05 May 2009 19:32:53 GMT

which probably turned out to be your greatest learning?. Presentations in this case could mean professional speaking events - sales pitch...

What is the 'worst' job you have ever had?

Mon, 04 May 2009 19:52:10 GMT

Strangely enough - for me - my worst job was my highest paid. I was earning a salary to die for and I used to feel ill going in to work every m...

What is the strangest job you ever had?

Sun, 03 May 2009 20:14:31 GMT

from 13 years old I've always had a job of some kind - I've been a cake icer - a dressmaker (not very good) ...a professional knitter (very good)...a ...

What sustains you when the going gets tough

Sat, 02 May 2009 20:15:30 GMT

there are several quotes I have around my office - and when the going gets tough I just re-read them: * We don't have much money so we ar...

When do you think it's OK to NOT tell the truth?

Fri, 01 May 2009 21:36:28 GMT

We have lots of chuckles with our grandchildren (7 of them all under 6) as we watch how brutally honest young children are......and I remember the cha...

Don't give trophies to men with large bank balances and huge egos

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:00:07 GMT

they will NEVER give it back... I thought we had moved on from The America's Cup being fought in a court of law - I felt that Sir Peter B...

Why do you Tweet? And is it bringing you any business?

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:06:06 GMT

I'm new to this tweeting thing - but started doing it because everyone said I 'should'. I've just picked up this blog from Mehmet Yildiz ...

Are you an Owl or a Lark?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:28:28 GMT

Do you do your best work and have your greatest energy in the morning (lark) or late at night (owl)? I'm absolutely a lark - I'd rather g...

Is it possible to overmilk a cow?

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:32:00 GMT

I watched the news on TV last night and in NZ we have a school trip that has just returned from Mexico - 22 of the students and four teachers have bee...

Have you noticed that life is a bit like a 10 ft high Rubber Wall

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:01:38 GMT

Whatever you send out - bounces right back. Whether that be negative thoughts or positive ones. And I'm not just talking about being Pollyanna - I'm t...

In business - are you a Starter, Maintainer or Fixer?

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:52:39 GMT

Over the many years I have worked with teams and businesses, I saw these three skills quite clearly: 1. Starter - these are the ideas peo...

Are you an Abundance Thinker? (rather than a Scarcity Thinker)

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:43:00 GMT

I'm picking that most ecademists will be abundance thinkers (there is always plenty). I had coffee with a colleague the other day who wor...

What has been the biggest marketing con of the decade?

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:09:23 GMT

For me I would have to say bottled water.....I was in the supermarket yesterday and went along an entire aisle of 101 different varieties of bottled w...

What happened to respect for the Police?

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:11:40 GMT

I have been really shocked over the past few years to see how far respect for the police has eroded. Don't know what its like in other co...

Whose responsibility is it to teach responsibility?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:17:39 GMT

In a recent blog we talked about people demanding their 'rights' .....and we all agreed that rights come with responsibility. Which begs the question ...

Is Fiji becoming the next Zimbabwe?

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:25:58 GMT

Fiji may not figure as big news outside the Asia/Pacific region, but we are watching in horror as Bainimarama takes away freedom of the press; closes ...

What are you GRATEFUL for?

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:18:10 GMT

It is really easy to get sucked in to all the media negativity right now - I think it important every now and again to have a look at the things we ar...

I'm showing people how to turn their knowledge into income

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:11:30 GMT

If ever there was a time when ALL of us needed to think about creating some kind of passive income, it is now. And I'm not talking MLM or anything lik...

What is your biggest irritant with e-mails?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:37:29 GMT

apart from the sheer volume that is.... Mine are: * People who don't actually reply to YOUR e.mail, rather start a new one -...

It's My Right!

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:40:55 GMT

I've just read a story in our national newspaper about ANZACs (surviving family members of NZ and Australian soldiers who fought in the 2nd world war)...

Who is your HERO (or Heroine) right now?

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:21:29 GMT

I've watched the hostage drama unfolding over the weekend with the American Navy captain who volounteered himself in p;lace of the freedom of his crew...

What problems does your business solve for your clients?

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:02:31 GMT

When I first started my own HR business I wanted to educate businesses in the need for looking after their employees - and sadly most of them, in thos...

Do employees realise that the only way to earn more is to....

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:11:31 GMT

* Learn more * Contribute more * Offer ideas for improvement (either decreasing costs or increasing revenue) * Take on more

What are your 3 top DRIVERS in business?

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:52:15 GMT

This is a question I was asked in a workshop recently and like any of these questions, it can be quite hard to analyse ...but I decided that my top 3 ...

What 'Rules' do you run your business by?

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:19:12 GMT

and in particular, if you have emplolyees, what guidance are they given as to how you want your company represented? Most businesses 'say...

Have you ever done any e-learning, and if so what was your experience like?

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:06:26 GMT

I'm in Australia at the mloment, speaking at a Training conference about The Corporate Toolbox, it is a two day conference and most of the attendees a...

What is one unusual thing you look at or for when recruiting?

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:41:00 GMT

I have always looked at shoes - being ex Navy and brainwashed with spit and polish thinking, it's the first thing I check when I am about to interview...

Did you take part in Earth Hour?

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:43:53 GMT

Although to some it may seem to be just a 'gesture' - Sydney was the first city to try it and saved many millions of dollars in that one hour ...I rea...

Who have you lost trust in?

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:45:22 GMT

I was following an interesting blog on ecademy about trust and the world's now lack of trust in bankers (did we ever really trust them?).....and then ...

Who or what would 'make your day' today?

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:14:57 GMT

A few clients owe me money, it would make my day if they paid.... I'm heading over to Australia next week to make a presentation about Th...

What EFFICIENCIES have you implemented in your business since the melt-down?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:55:41 GMT

Like everyone else I'm looking at all my costings and outgoings. I have: * Negotiated with my key salesperson to go 50/50 on any sales he...

Have you noticed some old-fashioned business ideas re-emerging?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:13:09 GMT

I have just read an article about local businesses here returning to Barter - hairdressers swapping a haircut for getting their lawns done ....an acco...

What's good about the "R" word for you and your business?

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:25:31 GMT

What about: renewal....reinvention....refreshing....re-jigging ....releasing....reversing....rethinking....recycling....relinquishing

AIG boss backs the wrong horse!

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:53:02 GMT

When Edward Liddy received his giant government bailout (US$85b) he had two choices: 1. Pay the bonuses to staff 2. NOT pay bonuse...

What does EGO cost in business?

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:28:45 GMT

As an ex franchisor I occasionally get a call from an unhappy franchisee - this couple are the top performers in this particlar franchise (in NZ and A...

15 Great Ideas for Marketing on a Shoestring

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:31:40 GMT

I was looking for something yesterday in my miscellaneous box of stuff (the place I put bits of paper I don't want to lose)...and found this old

How are you using the economic downturn to position yourself for future opportunities?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:09:16 GMT

I had started The Corporate Toolbox a couple of years ago for a very different set of reasons other than an economic melt-down - simply because when I...

Would you describe your business as AGILE?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:16:06 GMT

If ever there was a time when, as business owners, we need to be able to respond to opportunities at speed - it is now. How quickly are ...

Have you reached your full potential yet?

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:11:07 GMT

I work with teams in the corporate world as see so many people who have literally 'switched off' - particularly the 45+ people. It's almost as if they...

Does bonus pay actually increase productivity?

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:35:31 GMT

With the size of bonuses we have just been hearing about on Wall Street and in the banking sector all over the world, probably most of us would say - ...

How will school/Uni leavers get a job in this tragic job market

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I recently wrote a blog 'How would you make your CV stand out from the herd' and had some fabulous...

How would you make your CV stand out from the herd?

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:07:17 GMT

I've just read that 700 people in America applied for a job as a caretaker. That is scary! If you were in the job market now, facing hund...

Are there some things politicians should keep their hands off?

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:19:47 GMT

Over my lifetime I have seen many governments come and go, and it seems to me that the first thing they do is undo everything the previous government ...

What is the Unions role in this global financial crisis?

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:55:25 GMT

In New Zealand we are suffering too - though perhaps not quite as severely as many other countries. Our banks have always been rather conservative and...

Is 2009 the year of living Courageously? What courageous things are you doing this year to stay in business?

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:09:35 GMT

I made the decision in January to let my clients know that I wouldn't be working with teams after this year - I guess I thought there might be a flurr...

What 3 Key Actions are you taking to stay in business during these turbulent times?i

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I am like a lot of people - a sole trader - and because the bulk of my income comes from in-house training, a lot of my regular work has been postpone...

What will bankers and traders now be calling themselves?

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:27:26 GMT

Wonder what these guys will now be calling themselves when they are networking or out socially - don't think their professions are so worthy any longe...

Buying a successful business off someone else, doesn't guarantee success going forward

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:36:08 GMT

Many years ago I worked as Personnel Officer for a large engineering company. Part of their growth strategy was buying up smal competitors. One buy ou...

Is the world Stuff'd?

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:27:37 GMT

We bought a brand new microwave last year and here we are, just outside the warranty and it has konked out....I'm sure we have had at least three in u...

If I asked your significant other - what is your most irritating trait, what would they say?

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:46:08 GMT

this is a question I always asked after completing an interview with someone - I'd put down my pen (giving the impression that the interview wa...

Have you had a 'sliding door' moment?

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:07:47 GMT

You know - one of those times in your life where you have had to choose between one path or another....one career or another .....one relationship or ...

Do you Zig when others Zag?

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:21:53 GMT

I'm pretty guilty of it myself at times.....when everyone was furiously buying rental properties, I thought I should too. Then the property market cra...

What would you do if what you do as a job or for a living,vanished TOMORROW?

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:28:49 GMT

Huge numbers of people are facing redundancy; equally as many are probably looking at the demise of their business.... WHAT WILL YOU DO I...

What can you NOT say No to?

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:17:52 GMT

For me - * A visit from my grandchildren - even if I have deadlines and work piled up around my ears * Cappuchinos - anywhere, any...

What are YOUR customers telling you about the recession?

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week I had two speaking engagements - the first one was entitled 'Find Your Passion' and twice the number of people showed up as we had anticipated; the following night I had an engagement called 10 Ways to Beat a Recession and about a quarter of the people we anticipated showed up.

The Corporate Tool-Box :: News and Weblog

Climate Change - the great debate. Real or a marketing plot?

The job market is tight - what do you do if you are given a 'no'?

Did you know you can talk yourself out of STRESS?

Is over optimism sabotaging your online success?

Why small businesses are fed up with government

Are your young sales people even remotely capable of reading buying signals

NZ a happy place to live and apparently a great place to be educated

Can the high street survive online shopping?