KenyaBizDirectory

Septic Solutions Ltd

2011-01-25T13:21:00.018+03:00

Septic Solutions Ltd is a company in Kenya offering affordable on-site wastewater treatment turnkey solutions. We offer both sale and product support before, during and after system installation and commissioning. This includes a comprehensive site feasibility study, product design, construction and operation and maintenance services all in one package.

In addition, Septic Solution Ltd provides system integration and auxiliary infrastructural developments that complement & complete the wastewater treatment cycle e.g. irrigation systems

Our professional teams of certified design engineers have developed flexible system design concepts applicable under various site conditions. By offering customized solutions we have an edge over other firms in the industry as we are able to effectively meet the technical and financial needs of our clients. As a service-oriented, ethical company, we pride ourselves on taking care of our customers both before and after installation. We walk our customers through the entire process to ensure that our system is designed and installed to meet the final engineered expectation.

We are committed on continually researching and developing new technologies to overcome the challenges encountered in the water and wastewater treatment sector. The stringent wastewater treatment regulatory criteria notwithstanding, we continually strive to enhance our treatment systems performance.

Product: BIO-CEPTOR®
The BIOCEPTOR® is an immobilized bed reactor that combines physical, biological and chemical processes of domestic wastewater treatment. It is widely applicable in residential and commercial developments. Its compact design gives it a small footprint whereas the zero energy use in treatment makes it a sustainable, eco-friendly and preferred system.

Member Association
Septic Solutions Ltd is a member of the following association:
• Corporate Member Eco-Tourism Kenya
• Life long Member Eco-Firms
• Member Association of Water Technologies (AWT)

How GREEN is your home? Get yourself a BIOCEPTOR today.

CONTACT US: For more information

P.O.Box 89-00618 Nairobi , Kenya OR
P.O.Box 1900-40123, Mega City, Kisumu, Kenya

Mob: 0722-256.567, 0734-259.418

Phone: +254 20 800 6072

Fax: +254 20 800 6072

Email: info@septicsolutions.co.ke

Website: www.septicsolutions.co.ke

Tribe

2010-06-01T11:33:00.004+03:00

Tribe is a celebration of the beauty in diversity while acknowledging our common quest for excellence and belonging.

EPIC RESTAURANT
Epic, the hotel’s restaurant, serves an eclectic mix of global flavours through the creations of Executive Chef Luca Molteni.

The restaurant is trendy, sophisticated and unpretentious; pairing the freshest ingredients with visually striking design and professional service – a decidedly ‘fun-dining’ experience.

BUSINESS

Tribe’s services and facilities are specifically designed to cater to the needs of the modern global-traveller, the VIP and the demanding celebrity. With an emphasis on security and privacy, the full-service concierge offers an unparalleled commitment to guest comfort.

Executive boardrooms accommodate up to 20 people. Designer chairs, artisan-crafted board-tables and state-of-the-art technology create a perfect setting for high-level business meetings.

KAYA SPA
Kaya, Tribe’s exclusive spa combines traditional and new-world treatments from around the globe.

The 7 treatment rooms infuse a sense of
tranquility through inspiring design – taming the body, mind and soul.

The hotel’s state-of-the art gym operates 24-hours, ensuring guest routines and
commitments are undisrupted.

ROOMS
Deluxe Rooms, Superior Rooms, Junior Suites, Loft - Business Suites, Ambassadorial Suite, Penthouse, Presidential Suite

The hotel's many rooms and suites are unrivaled in their sense of elegance and class. Every bedroom is a testament of world-class comfort and functionality while offering a cultural journey through hand-picked arts, crafts and furnishings from the farthest corners of Africa.

Tribe’s VIP wing includes several rooms, specifically designed to host an entourage or delegation; while the city’s first celebrity suite.

CONTACTS:

The Village Market 9/418
Nairobi 00621, Kenya

Phone: +254 20 720 0000

Fax: +254 20 720 0323

Email: stay@tribehotel-kenya.com

Website: www.tribe-hotel.com

LOCATION: The Village Market, Limuru Rd, Gigiri

Zen Garden

2010-05-25T19:09:00.000+03:00

Zen Garden is a beautiful venue, situated in the heart of Spring Valley. The sheer beauty of the location, good quality food and high level of service, attracts customers to this area.

The 2 ½ acre space is set in essentially four separate zones; the three spacious entities are akin to an urban Asian garden.

Each space is unique and offers customers something different.

* Bamboo – Oriental Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant with fusion cuisine. Customers can enjoy a combination of Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine, set in an elegant sophisticated atmosphere. The restaurant seats 126 people. The Bamboo Room, adjacent to the main restaurant comfortably sits up to 20 people, who can experience the wonders of the fusion menu and wine list in this private retreat. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.

* Zen Square – Conference Rooms have been newly refurbished with 4 unique meeting rooms. Zen Square is a great location for business meetings & seminars

* Jade – Coffee & Tea House. Jade is an all-day café serving excellent breakfasts, brunches, light lunches and exotic teas. Overlooking the beautiful Zen Garden, the terrace can also be enjoyed during the day. The Jade Room, adjacent to Jade can comfortably sit up to 30 people. This is a perfect venue for private lunches and afternoon teas.

Contacts:

Email: info@zengarden.co.ke

Website: www.zengarden.co.ke

Location: Lower Kabete Road - Past Spring Valley Police Station

karmi-care Enterprises

2010-04-28T14:09:00.008+03:00

Flourish Household & Industrial Detergents’ for all your cleaning & hygiene use in your esteemed establishments.

Flourish Household & Industrial Detergents’ have been tried, tested and proven to be of superior quality and thus ideal as an ultimately efficient cleaning and disinfecting solution.

Manufacturers of 'flourish' brands of quality household and industrial detergents

1. "flourish" Multi-purpose washing detergent, washes clothes, household and industrial surfaces, common areas, toilets, bathrooms, sinks and windows
2. "flourish" Car Shampoo...an 'easy on the colours' tough on the dirt fragranced shampoo for a fabulous exterior look and a homely interior feel
3. "flourish" Disinfectant is the hygienic way to live. For all surfaces, industrial or domestic, really gets all the germs, all the time.

More quality products coming soon.......

Pricing of the same is well costed and considerately so, to your economical requirements.

Terms of trade are flexible and we urge you to contact us for further details

P.O.Box 18894 – 00500,
Nairobi, Kenya

Mob: 0722-646082, 0723-587825

Email: karmicare@gmail.com

Safaricom Sevens (annual)

2010-04-23T14:20:00.006+03:00

The Safaricom Sevens is Africa's leading seven-a-side rugby tournament. Since the event first took place in 1996, it has grown steadily in strength and prestige. Sevens rugby squads travel from around the world to compete each year.

when: 4 - 6 Jun 2010
where: Rugby Football Union of East Africa Grounds
Location: Ngong Road, Nairobi, Kenya

Website: www.safarisevens.com

Rhino Charge (annual)

2010-04-23T12:01:00.006+03:00

Rattling through the African bush, a map juddering on your knee, brush crashing around your ears amid the danger of territorial animals... you're on the Rhino Charge, an annual 4WD rally race held in the Kenyan bush.

Each team brings its own 4WD vehicle, and competitors are given the locations of "guard posts" in the bush. They head off into the wilds around and the team that covers the least distance to get to all the posts is the winner.

This extreme test of driving skills and physical endurance is recognized as the toughest off-road challenge in the world.

when: 31 May 2010

Email: rhinoark@wananchi.com

Website: www.rhinocharge.co.ke

Office Romance

2010-04-22T15:35:00.003+03:00

Office romance is fairly common these days as the office is where we spend so much of our time. Handled well it can lead to a relationship. Handled badly it can lead to a lawsuit for harassment.

It is not surprising that romance springs up at the office. We spend a third or more of our lives in the office or other places of work. It is a non-threatening environment where we have an opportunity to meet potential dating partners and learn more about them than just what they look like. Yet romantic involvement between employees is loaded with dangers for both the employees and for their employer.

Many companies tried to ban dating among their employees. Most have since abandoned that plan, because of legal restrictions and a recognition of the inevitable. Instead most now try to restrict such activities that are harmful to the business.

Is it appreciated?
If you are going to allow employees "coming on" to other employees, you have to first make very clear the company policy on harassment. If an employee is not interested in, or receptive to, an advance from another employee, it should end there. Playing around, verbal sparring, etc. are appropriate preludes to dating, but only if the receiving party is comfortable with them. If you have a harassment policy, make it very clear all employees. If you don't have one, you need to generate one right now.

Is it appropriate?
In most cases, mutually-agreeable relationships between employees pose no danger to the company. However, there are instances where they are inappropriate and may be harmful to the company and its interest. For instance, it is never a good idea for a manager to be romantically involved with a subordinate in their own organization. Situations such as this should be clearly spelled out in the company policy as inappropriate and subject to corrective action.

What are the downsides?
Some of the downsides are preventable. Others aren't. If two employees marry and have children, one employee may leave the company to raise the children. There is nothing you can, or should do, about this except be prepared to hire a replacement.

The downside with the biggest danger to the company is when a relationship between employees breaks apart. In many cases, the employees will handle it like adults and move on with their respective lives. In other cases, the resulting unpleasantness may require transferring one or both employees to new roles. An employee may file a claim of harassment, even if your policy is very clear and is enforced. In an extreme case, the emotional stress may lead an employee to lash out and commit an act of violence.

What are the upsides?

The upside to romance in the office is that you will have some happy workers. When people are happy they tend to be more productive and have fewer health issues. When partners work for the same employer, they have someone they can talk with about their activities and problems at work who understands and can help them resolve the issues

Guess companies should institute “love contracts” that ensure they are not responsible for the behavior that occurs within the context of the relationships.

Why People Fail

2010-03-27T12:57:00.005+03:00

Here are some key reasons why people fail, learned from the Biggest Loser:

* Willingness – If you want to do anything unfamiliar or where you have previously failed, you need to be willing to accept advice and do what it takes. There are no silver bullets, be they diet pills or magic “million dollar copy and paste formulae”. Instead you have to do hard graft and initially see very few positive results. Not many people are willing to hear this, let alone put it into action, but it is true.

* Lack of self-belief – When you are constantly telling yourself you can’t, couldn’t, don’t deserve, or whatever, then you get what you think. You either have to believe you can, or at least suspend disbelief! Once you start making progress, no matter how small, you can start believing what you set out to do is possible for you, so the sooner you get started the sooner you get some momentum.

* Blamestorming – Constantly the contestants find all kinds of reasons for the situation they are in, or get into, but it always seems that it is only towards the end, when they have lost massive amounts of weight and gotten really healthy that they accept they were in the driving seat all along. They put the weight on, they lost it. Now if you look at the business world and around social media, how many people are using similar excuses. It’s not me, it is … fill in the blanks. Only you can do the things that are required to change your situation.

* Sheep versus Shepherd - So you need to take advice, and take advice from the right people, but all too often we see people get taken in by people who do not have your best interests at heart. Over and over the “bad guy” contestants get their team mates to ignore their coaches, take the fall, do stupid stuff, gang up, or get stabbed in the back. Part of taking responsibility is knowing when you should be lead, when you should lead, and when to say “no”. Evaluate, ask questions, weigh options, trust but verify. Another way people fail with this is friends and family who give you permission to give up, encourage you to do self destructive things, and lead you back to bad habits. Remember people resist change, even when that change is good for you.

* Execute – All the competitors on the Biggest Loser get the same advice and knowledge, but when left to their own divices many fall back into old patterns. Knowing is not enough. Having ability is not enough. That extra press up is not going to kill you. Writing one more article is not that difficult. It’s not just about duration but what you do in the time. One of my friends told me he had been writing a screenplay for the last two years, but later he admitted he had only written the outline and the first 25% of the pages in draft. How many ideas do you have waiting to be put into action? Thinking about it doesn’t get it done, you have to execute, even when it is uncomfortable. Especially when it is uncomfortable!

* Closed mind – One thing that guarantees failure before you try is to decide that an idea is unfamiliar so it can’t possibly work. Your existing approach has not worked but that is a familiar concept so we will hold on to it and reject anything else as foreign, see how that works.

* Over-competitive – A bit of healthy competition is good, it can lift the game for everyone, but sometimes it is taken to silly extremes. Last night’s episode saw a guy stab his own brother in the back for a reward. When it comes to future challenges, do you think he will get the full trust of all the other players? There is a difference between determination to succeed and needing to win at all costs, especially when it comes to the long-term game rather than the immediate battles.

Look over your successes (or lack of) and consider if any apply. I know there are times when you have given up too soon, switched and changed, blamed outside influences rather than look at my own input, etc.
Critical Success Factors

* Decide now – Make the decision, KNOW what you are going to do. As Yoda says, “Do, or do not … There is no try.”

* Gather resources – Once you know what you are going to do, find out how to achieve that and gather what you need.

* Staying power – Stick with it, and know in advance that you are going to give it your best shot.

* Suck it up – When it gets tough, keep going.

* Be good enough – You don’t have to be the best, just do good. Perfection is not necessary.

* Be good – Another aspect of being good is being awesome to other people. Even the people who feel diminished by your success or hate that you are reaping rewards. Rise above it.

* Progress – It’s ok to compete with others, it is essential to compete with yourself. Motivate yourself, benchmark your own progress. Do better than your personal best, then beat that.

* Get coaches and partners – Some people manage to achieve great things in isolation, but most of us do better when coached and they have the support of team mates or partners.

Real Insurance

2010-03-27T12:36:00.007+03:00

REAL Personal

REAL Business

Contacts:

P.O Box 40001-00100,
Nairobi Kenya

Email: info@realinsurance.co.ke

Website: www.realinsurance.co.ke

Location: Royal Ngao House, Hospital Road, Upper Hill,

Creative Edge

2010-03-26T13:37:00.003+03:00

Creative Edge services exist to help you meet your objectives through:

Corporate Identity
Brand Development
Marketing Material
Packaging Design
Advertising
Publications
Web and New Media

Contacts:

P.O. Box 43578, 00100-GPO, Nairobi

Email: web@creative.co.ke

Website:www.creative.co.ke

Location: Eden Square - Ground Floor, Westlands.

Gestalt Gild

2010-03-25T18:49:00.001+03:00

Gestalt Gild's commitment to deliver the best ICT enterprise services available in the East Africa Region and the proven case studies ensures that our services match the very highest International standards of Expertise.

Our Solution offerings are classified into broadly the following:

•Disaster Recovery & Virtualization Solutions
•Data Centre Optimization Solutions
•Communication Solutions

Unified Communications
IP Telephony /VOIP Solutions
Contact /Call Center Solutions

•ICT Consultancy and Solutions
•Managed Data Center Services
•Systems Integration Services

Contacts:

P.O. Box 12129-00100
Nairobi, Kenya

Email: info@gestaltgild.com

Website: www.gestaltgild.com

Location: No 15, Eldama Ravine Road, Off Peponi Road, Westlands

Travelshoppe Ltd

2010-03-25T17:12:00.007+03:00

TRAVEL – CORPORATE AND LEISURE
•Domestic and International ticketing
•Trip planning which encompasses visa processing at a nominal fee and advice on other Immigration requirements.
•Meet and Assist services provided upon request at reasonable charges
•Hotel bookings, both local and international
•Ground transportation including airport transfers on request

CAR HIRE
•We have a preferential agreement with Avis car hire on rates
•Car rental / hire – Rates are dependent entirely on your needs
•Day disposals with excursions

INCENTIVE / GROUP TRAVEL – M.I.C.E
•Organizing of conferences within and outside Nairobi
•Corporate, Student and group discounts
•Discounts on services for missionary organizations

Mission Statement: Travelshoppe is committed to providing our customer base with a complete travel package that is capable of fulfilling every travel need, at an affordable price with pro-active customer service.

Vision Statement: To be recognized as the regions leading travel services provider in all aspects; with respect to cost effectiveness, customer satisfaction and corporate social responsibility.

Contacts:

P.O. Box 79060, 00400
Nairobi - Kenya

Email: info@travelshoppe.org

Website: www.travelshoppe.org

Location: Eden Square Building, Ground Floor along Chiromo Road

Ramco Printing Ltd

2010-03-25T13:57:00.007+03:00

We have our own in-house design department (Mac & PC) as well as a pre-press department at both our units. We are proud to say that we were the first print press to introduce CTP (Computer to Plate) to Kenya.

We also print on plastic thus making us unique.

• Design & Typesetting

• Pre-press
- Proofing
- Colour Separations
- CTP
- Plate Making

• Press
- 1-8 Colours
- Digital Print

• Finishing
- Die Cutting
- Embossing - Blind & Heat
- Foiling
- Aroma Inks
- Lamination

Mission Statement:To provide printed materials that conform to our clients’ expectations on time, every time.

Vision Statement:To be world class in print solutions.

Contacts:

P.O Box 27750-00506
Nairobi, Kenya

Email: info@printing.ramco-group.com

Website: www.ramcoprinting.com

Locations:
Unit 1- Dunga Close, Industrial Area.
Unit 2- Ramco Group Industrial Park, Mombasa Road

Going on Safari: Kenya National Parks

2010-03-16T11:58:00.040+03:00

Kenya is the home of the Safari, the home of Out of Africa, a place where setting out on an adventure into the wilderness became an age old tradition.The spirit of the Safari lives on today. The romance of sundown drinks, of evenings around a campfire and nights under canvas with the distant roar of a lion in the African night can still be found in Kenya.

Hell's Gate National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Game viewing, Raptor nesting in cliffs, Spectecular Gorge walk, Hot springs, The Olkaria Geothermal Station, The Mervyn Carnelley Raptor Hide, Fischer’s Tower, Tourist circuits, nature trails and picnic sites. Wildlife include Buffalo, zebra, eland, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle and giraffe, babooms, serval cat and klipspringer antelopes. Prolific birdlife features 103 species.

Aberdare National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Lesatima peak, Kinangop peak, waterfalls, walks in the moorlands, Twin hills, Elephant hills and Table mountains, Second largest population of black rhinos in Salient and Northern Aberdare, Queen Elizabeth learned of her accession to the throne at Tree-tops Lodge, The Kimathi Hideout/Mau Mau caves. The park is home to most of the larger mammals, having a large population of black rhino. The park is home to most endangered species which include: the rare Bongo, Giant Forest Hog, Packs of the now very rare Wild dogs and Endemic mole rate and mole shrew. Other game include: Leopard, Serval cats, Endemic bird species, reptiles, insects.
Amboseli National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Large Herds of Elephants, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Big Five, Observation Hill which allows an overall view of the whole park especially the swamps and elephants. Swamp below observation hill hosts many elephants, buffaloes, hippos and a variety of water fowls like pelican, Egyptian goose, Contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle. Wildlife include Leopard, Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Plains Game, Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific bird life features 600 species

Arabuko-Sokoke National park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Endemic Bird species, Butterflies, Remnant coastal forest, It is the largest existing fragment of the tropical forests that covered much of the East African coast and is an important Kenya safari habitat for endemic/endangered birds, insects, butterflies and mammal species. It is also an important monument as remnants of the coastal tropical forests, A couple of reptile species (in addition to other species living here e.g. butterflies, Beetles) are found here among them Boomslang, Green Mamba, Rock Python, Forest Cobra, Sand Lizard and Day Geullo. It is a great reserve for birdwatching and among the bird species includes Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird, Fischers Turaco, Clarkes weaver, Golden Wooodpecker and many others .

Kora National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Pristine wilderness, Inselbergs, Tana River with Adamson's Falls, Grand Falls and Kora rapids, diverse birdlife George Adamson's grave. Activities include game viewing, rock climbing, fishing in River Tana.

Lake Nakuru National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: The fabulous flamingo, An orthologist’s paradise with 450 species of birds, Kenya’s first rhino sanctuary, Waterfall : Malaikq, View –points: Lion hill, baboon cliffs and Out of Africa, Hills :Enasoit , lion hill, honeymoon e.t.c Wildlife include Thomson’s and Grant,s gazelle, the long-eared leaf-nosed bat, colobus monkey, rock hyrax, hippo, leopard, lion, rhino, waterbuck. Impala, striped hyena,bat-eared fox, wildcat, reedbuck, striped hyena,golden cat, black and white rhinos. Prolific birdlife features 450 species ans upto 1.5 million flamingos.

Marsabit National Park & Reserve
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Land of Gofs, Magical Lake paradise, A dynasty of giants, Last refuge of the huge-tusked bull elephants, Prisrine Forest, Diverse birdlife, The greater Kudu, Realm of raptors, Bird life. Wildlife include Elephants, buffalo, greater Kudu, hyena, Grevy’s zebra, Kirk’s dik-dik, reticulated giraffe, lion, leopard and baboon.

Meru National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Former home of Joy and George Adamson and Elsa the lioness, Views of Mt Kenya, Rivers and riverine habitats, Tana river, Adamson's falls. Wildlife include Grevy's Zebra, Elephants, Eland, Bush Pig, Waterbuck, Cheetah, Leopard, Reticulated Giraffe, Hippopotamus, Bohor Reedbuck, Hartebeest, Python, Puff Udder, Cobra, Buffalo, more than 300 recorded species of birds.

Mt. Elgon National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Caves, Salt Mining Elephants of Kitum Cave, Spectacular Waterfall, Game Viewing around the Mountain, Birdwatching, Viewing the mountain. Wildlife include Elephant, leopard, giant forest hog, bushbuck, buffalo, duiker, black and white colobus, blue monkeys and golden cat, among others, more than 240 bird species in the area, including the African crowned eagle, Ross’ turaco, and red-fronted parrot.

Mt. Kenya National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Pristine wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers and peaks of great beauty, geological variety, forest, mineral springs, rare and endangered species of animals, High altitude adapted plains game, Unique montane and alpine vegetation with 11 species of endemic plants. Wildlife include Elephants, tree hyrax, white tailed mongoose, suni, black fronted duiker, mole rat, bushbucks, water buck and Elands. Animas rarely seen include leopard, bongo, giant forest hog and rhino.

Mt. Longonot National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Extinct volcano and crater forest, Scenic Landscape, Views of lake Naivasha and the Great Rift Valley. The park is a paradise for birds of prey. Wildlife include Buffalos, Gazelles, Impala and girrafe

Nairobi National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: The only Wildlife park in the world that is so close to the city. It is the major rhino sanctuary for breeding and restocking other parks e.g the black rhinoceros; which is an endangered species. Animals include buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, baboon, zebra, wildebeest and cheetah 100 mammal species, 400 migratory and endemic bird species.

Ndere Island National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Ndere Island and activities such as walking, game viewing

Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Montane landscape, An unusual burial site, McMillan grave, Wildlife Watching, Abundant forest birds, Fourteen Falls, Scenic views of Mt.Kenya from the summit. Wildlife includes; buffalo, leopard, mongoose, bushbuck, olive baboon, colobus monkey, vervet monkey, Sykes' monkey, Kirk's dik-dik, bush pig, common duiker, reedbuck, rock hyrax, bushbaby, tree and ground squirrel, aardvark, porcupine, python and monitor lizard. More than 45 species of birds have been recorded.

Ruma National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Roan antelope which is found nowhere else in the country.Wildlife include the roan antelope, leopard, buffalo, hyena, Rothschild giraffe, oribi, Jackson and lelwel hartebeest, impala, bohor reedbuck, serval cat, topi, baboons, vervet monkey, honey badgers, bush pig and many more. The Park is an IBA area with over 400 species of birds recorded. It is renowned amongst ornithologists for its rare intra - African migrant, the blue swallow.

Saiwa Swamp National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: The endangered Sitatunga Antelope, Bird watching, Nature board walk & tree top house. Wildlife includes sitatunga, monkey, otter, genet cat, serval cat,mongoose, bushbuck and ratel.

Sibiloi National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Origin of man: Koobo For a museum and research base, The tempestuous ‘jade sea’, Petrified forests, Prolific birdlife, Crocodile Kingdom. Wildlife include the zebra,Grant’s gazelle, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, topi, greater kudu, hippo, lion, cheetah, leopard, striped hyena and silver-backed jackal. The world’s largest Nile crocodile population breeds on Lake Turkana Central Island.

Tsavo East National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Elephant in Eden - The sight of dust-red elephant wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm-shaded Galana River is one of the most evocative images of Africa, Aruba Dam - The beautiful Aruba dam located on the north bank of the seasonal Voi River, is visited by thousands of animals and a great game viewing destination, Mudanda Rock - This whale –backed Rock towers above a natural dam, which acts as a draw to thousands of Elephants, The longest lava flow in the world- at 300 kilometers in length, the heat shimmering edge of yatta plateau is the longest lava flow in the world and an ornithological paradise that attract migrating birds from all over the world, Lugards Falls - Named after Captain Lugard, the first proconsul to East Africa, the falls feature bizarrely eroded rocks through which the waters of the Galana River plunge into foaming rapids and crocodile –infested pools. The Park is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust –red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo,crocodile, waterbucks, Kudu, Gerenuk and Hirola.

Tsavo West National Park
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Recent Volcanoes, lava flows and caves with potential for geological and cave exploration and hiking. Mzima Springs & underwater hippo and fish watching. Wildlife include the Leopard, Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion,Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific birdlife features 600 species.

Featured Kenya National Parks

Hell's Gate National Park
Aberdare National Park
Amboseli National Park
Arabuko-Sokoke National Park
Kora National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park
Marsabit National Park & Reserve
Meru National Park
Mt. Elgon National Park
Mt. Kenya National Park
Mt. Longonot National Park
Nairobi National Park
Ndere Island National Park
Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park
Ruma National Park
Saiwa Swamp National Park
Sibiloi National Park
Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo West National Park

Contacts: Kenya Wildlife Service

Phone 1: +254 (20) 600800
Phone 2: +254 (20) 602345
Mobile: +254 726610508/9
Fax: +254 (20) 607024
Email: kws@kws.go.ke

For more information visit our website

How To Beat Your Competition

2010-03-09T11:01:00.004+03:00

Business is war, without doubt. Competitors want to beat you to earn more money. The stream of money in a market isn’t infinite, so everyone wants his share. That’s why the bigger companies use competitive intelligence and do a lot to be better and stand above their competitors. Online, people tend to work together or leave their competitors alone. I never see people actively competing and trying to be better (and pointing that out to their prospects!) Why is that actually? And how do you become better then your competitor and show that to your prospects?

Here are a few simple ways to crush your competitors…

Start by asking your clients if they wanted to share their experiences on paper, audio and video. Ask them specifically about why you are better then your competitors, this will give you the information to put into your marketing materials.

Is spying on your competitors to improve your own products and services stealing? Is it illegal? Actually it isn’t. It’s done everywhere and most information is the same in many products as well as many services are exactly the same. Could you then accuse someone for stealing?

Of course not!

I recommend you study your competitors, buy their products, use their services, be on their lists. Then use the information you find to improve your own products. Don’t copy of course, but use the information wisely. Point out the flaws of your competition (in general, don’t name any names!) in your marketing materials. Let your prospect know why you’re better!

And when someone then accuses you of stealing and blocks you from their site or cancels your membership - then just tell them they’re scared. In the end your competition is scared of you finding their secrets. Business is war, grab your weapons and crush your enemies!

Turn Your Competitors into Collaborators

2010-03-09T09:20:00.004+03:00

Do you get discouraged or stuck in building your business because you think there's too many others to compete against in your niche? A lot of solo business owners feel this way, especially when they are first starting out. I don't want you to give up before you really get started, so I'd like you to consider thinking about your competition in a different way.

1. There's an abundance of clients and customers for everyone.

2. Your competitors are potential collaborators and strategic alliances for you.

3. The better you come to know your competitors, the more you will become aware of the uniqueness of your own message and your own offerings.

If you embrace this perspective, you'll find that those feelings of discouragement and "what's the point - I can't compete" will melt away.

1. If you come from the mindset of abundance, you won't feel discouraged by the competition. There are more than enough clients and customers for everyone. And if you are building your business online, there is essentially an unlimited audience for your work.

Think about your niche for a moment. How many of them do you need to serve to reach whatever your definition of success is? Then, think about how many people there are around the globe who are your potential clients or customers. Could you really reach them all, even if you wanted to? :) Of course not.

2. There are several ways that you can collaborate and develop strategic alliances with others in your niche. You could hold a teleclass or workshop together. This is particularly helpful if you are new in business and can hook up with someone more seasoned, who already has a ready audience built (an email list). Doing this will also help you gain experience and confidence to hold them on your own.

You could write an article or a column or even an ebook together. For instance, if you are savvy with technology and your partner is savvy with a certain set of coaching skills, you could work together to create something unique to offer online to both your audiences.

Or you could offer a free product (a mini e-book, for example) to your strategic alliance's membership, which is an added benefit to them, while it helps to build your email list.

3. Think about those whom you consider your competitors. Are you offering similar products and/or services that they are, but to a different target market? Or turn that around: If the market is the same, are you offering different information? Of course you are, because your message, your offerings - and the way you write or speak them - is as unique as you are.

There is a certain segment of the population who can only hear your message from you. Remember that when you start feeling frustrated, defeated or just plain stuck.

Once you make this shift, you can start seeing your competitors as potential collaborators. You can work together to develop programs, products, services, etc. that will help grow both your businesses. It will also provide added benefits to both your audiences, so it's a win-win-win!

Discerning The Integrity Of A Product Critic

2010-03-09T09:14:00.003+03:00

If a product or business is being attacked, often it's because it's too effective and someone feels threatened by it. Here are clues to look for to determine the integrity of the critic or skeptic. Is what they say valid or the work of a biased competitor?

There are a couple categories of people in this world, first there are the ones that are producers and second there are the ones that destroy. I have observed a couple of items here: Number one, it is easier to destroy than to construct and number two, the one destroying or tearing away an idea or product or project usually couldn't find a better way to do something if someone asked them to. But yet, they proclaim themselves knowledgeable on why something is wrong or is a sham, etc.

Something to think about would be this: is the person expert about a certain topic, etc. when they do not have any superior method to construct a superior or even as good of a product? And if they’re not an expert, should we take their words of critique as valid? Myself, I would not believe them any more than I would any other single individual, but I would recommend you possibly delve into it further.

Am I saying a person can't be critical of a product or service if they're not an expert? Certainly not.

We really need to re-evaluate how we view what we observe around us - number one, when a person slanders a product our natural tendency is to take their ranting and negative attitude as the gospel truth. A wiser person would initially doubt their ranting and slurs because of the following reasons.

1. More people are more negative than positive so rather than look on the bright side of things they look for something negative to happen.

2. For this principal alone - nothing no matter how good will ever have 100% acceptance. Plus there will always be at least a small minority of people (competitors) hurt by it and some of these people will scream the loudest that your product is no good or a scam. Even to the point of lying as it very likely takes business away from them. There is nothing they would like better than to see your product fail.

3. Persons with time on their hands, those that haven't accomplished anything, usually fill that time with criticizing something. With time, effort and practice, great things are accomplished. The unaccomplished critic spends his time looking for non-existent defects in a product, for which they can complain about and feel like they accomplished something.

Here is sage advice on analyzing the ranting of a critic and whether or not to believe them. Be aware, there are different degrees of critiquing and skepticism toward anything. There are the usual complainers and then there are those who take it to a whole different level. You might even call those people nuts.. My best advice would be to weigh the numbers of those who were dissatisfied or satisfied. A large number of complainers would indicate the product probably isn't very good. But if you hear a great many people speaking highly about the benefits they receive from the product, then it is probably an excellent product, despite a few negative remarks. Remember not everyone liked the Beatles.

Here are some pointers to look for concerning the honesty of a critic:

1. If the critic's article is all-negative, then this is a dead giveaway sign that he is being dishonest. Even someone you dislike usually has some good traits. Examine all of the evidence. If the product has been around for some time, then it is usually because it is a good product, despite what anyone person has written against it.

2. Bad products just don't stay popular for too long, do they? Plus who writes positive things about bad products?

3. What exactly is a scam anyway? It is typically when the customer has been taken, and if he has truly been scammed he cannot get his money back. Good products have good guarantees, something that’s a scam won’t.

In conclusion I will tell you about the "attack dog" whose goal is to wreck havoc. Do not believe a word of what these animals say. Most of the time they will lie and make an effort to undermine a product's reputation, because they see the product being so successful they stand to lose plenty. Or they could simply be the unthinking mindless person duped into doing the bidding of someone else.

Beware if you observe evidence that considerable effort has been focused on creating materials like web pages, emails and such, speaking ill of and attacking a product. Especially if the product has been out on the market for a few years, and has become very popular with lots of positive press. If you notice these things be skeptical toward the skeptic as being dishonest. Usually the skeptic won't slam the entire effectiveness of the product; but he looks for a very specific area they can use to tear the whole product down. Usually what happens is over-enthusiastic distributor who knows the tremendous results the product has gotten will get carried away and say something the product might do that certainly can’t be proven. The dishonest skeptic will latch on to this and complain and say, "you say it does this and there is no evidence to support that, therefore it is a total scam or sham." Note: Dishonest politicians resort to doing this on a regular basis to discredit their opponent.

Here is the worst example of stupidity and dishonesty ever, the critic says it is a scam because it will not do something, it wasn't touted to do. In this case, hasn't the critic become the real scam artist?

10 Ideas For Building Your Leadership Bench Strength & Improving Company Performance

2010-03-09T09:01:00.003+03:00

When it comes to leadership bench strength, some company benches are dangerously light. These companies, from large corporations to small and mid-sized businesses, lack the talent needed to sustain or grow the business beyond its current level.

Some companies have depended on the same leaders for years without developing new leaders. Other companies have attempted to develop leaders, but there is no strategic or integrated approach. Still other companies have unexpectedly lost leaders they were counting on.

Each year, about 25 percent of managers in typical Fortune 500 companies change jobs. Most spend an average of four years in a given position. High potential leaders in mid-senior ranks move more frequently: every two to three years. These statistics demonstrate why companies must build solid leadership. Leaders must concentrate on developing their teams, getting the right people in the right jobs and producing results.

Job dissatisfaction is up. Some research indicates that one out of six people expects to quit a job in the next year. There are more opportunities for people to seek "greener pastures." Good leadership can influence a person’s decision to remain with a company.

10 Ideas for Building Your Leadership Bench Strength

If your company wants to build leadership strength, here are my top ten suggestions:

1. Transfer knowledge and experience from the top
Companies can capture the wisdom from experienced leaders to aid in educating and developing future leaders.

2. Build relationships across generations
Leadership skills, talents and values differ across generations. Dealing with these differences constructively strengthens the overall leadership of your organization.

3. Strengthen leadership peer relationships
Often, large organizations operate like a conglomeration of silos. It’s easy for leaders to feel isolated in their roles. Helping leaders learn from each other and strengthening interpersonal relationships build needed peer support and camaraderie.

4. Develop succession plans
Companies shouldn’t wait until the need for a leader is obvious. Careful thought and planning in advance eases the transition.

5. Identify and nurture high-potential leaders
Pay special attention to those employees possessing strong capabilities operating below the radar. They can be the most likely to leave.

6. Provide needed cross departmental learning and exposure
With better knowledge of other departments and the organizational system as a whole, leaders can help your departments function more effectively.

7. Offer executive coaching/real-time learning
Large companies are turning to fresh approaches to help executives learn, get feedback and gain support based on experiential learning. Many executives like the personalized approach.

8. Include more leaders in strategic planning
In my work with leaders in many corporations across a broad based range of industries, I find one of their most common challenges is the need to think and act more strategically. Busy executives struggle to find the time to think about the issues they most want or care about. Their focus is diffused. Fostering strategic thinking early in a leader’s career will serve him or her well in the
future.

9. Provide mentoring or coaching support for new managers
Along with a new title and pay raise, new managers should benefit by having stronger initial support through mentoring or coaching programs to help them get acclimated in their new roles.

10. Assess leadership talent
There are a variety of assessments in the marketplace to help companies assess leadership skills, behaviors and values. These tools give leaders insights to help them increase their effectiveness.

A Bonus Leadership Idea -- Open Dialogue

One of the greatest benefits to any organization is the opportunity to invite conversation about leadership across all levels. Start by asking questions like these:

• What does your company value most about its leadership?
• What improvement would you like to see?
• What is your company’s philosophy about leadership?
• What would outstanding leadership enable your company to do better?
• What leadership skills are critical for success?
• What is the impact of your company’s leadership on your employees? Your organization? Your market? The community?

As you address these kinds of questions, make a commitment to raise the bar on the level of leadership that exists in your organization. Build your bench strength, but don’t let leaders sit too long. They’re anxious to lead.

Doing Business in Kenya

2010-03-04T16:42:00.013+03:00

Doing Business in Kenya 2010 is a new sub-national report of the Doing Business series on the sub-Saharan African region, following the sub-national Doing Business report on

Nigeria

. It measures business regulations and their enforcement in 11 Kenyan localities.

Doing Business in Kenya 2010 provides a quantitative measure of the national and local regulations for starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property and enforcing contracts as they apply to domestic small and medium-size enterprises.

A fundamental premise of Doing Business is that economic activity requires good rules. These include rules that establish and clarify property rights and reduce the costs of resolving disputes, rules that increase the predictability of economic interactions and rules that provide contractual partners with core protections against abuse.

The objective is:

Regulations designed to be efficient
To be accessible to all who need to use them
To be simple in their implementation

Accordingly, some Doing Business indicators give a higher score for more regulation, such as stricter disclosure requirements in related-party transactions. Some give a higher score for a simplified way of implementing existing regulation, such as completing business start-up formalities in a one-stop shop.

Doing Business in Kenya 2010 encompasses 2 types of data. The first come from readings of laws and regulations. The second are time and motion indicators that measure the efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal (such as granting the legal identity of a business). Within the time and motion indicators, cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable.

Get Full report

West Breeze Hotel

2010-03-02T13:04:00.007+03:00

West Breeze Hotel Is located in the serene area of Upper Hill. It seeks to give the business or leisure traveler a relaxing home-away-from-home. The Hotel, through the reception, dining, guest rooms and Conference room uses Contemporary African furniture.

Our restaurant features fresh innovative cuisine, and is open to outside diners and Hotel guests. The bar offers a full range of local and international beers, spirits, wines and champagnes, cocktails and fresh juices.

We provide:

· Express Check in and Check out.

· 24 Hr reception and room service.

· Wi-Fi Internet connectivity in every room

· Cleaning and laundry services

· Late checkout available

Mission: Business Friendly Hospitality

Vision: To Provide Personal Service

Contacts:

P.O.Box 5218-00506

Nairobi, Kenya

Email: info@westbreezehotel.com

Website: www.westbreezehotel.com

Location: Upper Hill

Making Work Fun

2010-01-27T12:02:00.000+03:00

"To have a really happy workforce, you've got to do more than pass out party hats and serve birthday cake."

Beyond Party Balloons And Birthday Cakes
Over the years, I've tried a lot of things to make work a crazy, fun, and wild place. I've tried playing rock music in the morning, having group lunches at noon, throwing parties later in the day, and arranging for sports after work. But whatever crazy thing we try, it loses its novelty after a while and people tire of it. Yeah-they're good now and then to bring your office alive, give people a chance to have some fun together, add a human face to your management style, and as another way to show people that you care about them.

But I find that the bottom line is that people come to work because they want to work-not just to play games and have silly parties. Beyond the money, people expect more and more out of their work today. They want to contribute; they want to see that their contribution is making a difference; they want to learn; they want to grow; and they want to feel that they are part of a successful enterprise that is making a difference in the world. It's achieving these kinds of satisfactions that really keeps people coming back to work every day-not just the party balloons and birthday cakes.

Making Work Rewarding
Here are some specifics that you need to make sure you are doing to help ensure that their work is satisfying to the people who report to you:

* Today's workers at all levels want to know why they are doing something. Don't just say, "Drop everything you're doing and rush this shipment out." Instead, take two minutes to explain why.
* Today's workers want to work hard and have pride in their work-but they need appreciation and recognition for their contribution. Be generous with compliments.
* Today's workers want input and accessibility to their managers-but many shy away from giving input unless you make it easy for them. Small group meetings where you ask for suggestions are a good way to get people involved.
* Today's workers want to feel that their work is making a difference. Explain why their work matters. Tell them success stories about people who use your products and post press clippings on the bulletin board.

Helping Employees Progress
For many employees it's important to feel that they are always growing, learning, and progressing. With the few employees at small firms and flatter management structures at larger ones, it's a challenge to fulfill this need. But it's important you do-because often it's the best employees who most feel the need to learn.

Recently our Web master-the person who runs our World Wide Web site-left for another job. The manager of this area wanted to get a qualified candidate from the outside because none of the four internal candidates had all the necessary skills.

On paper he was right: the best candidate would be from the outside. But I want our company to go out of our way to retain people, give them new challenges, and make work fun for them. So we divided the Web-master job among several people, giving them all a great chance to grow and learn something new. In the short term it might be inefficient-but in the long run a highly motivated staff is priceless!

Remember, You Set The Tone!
Recently one of my managers pointed out to me that when I, as owner of my company, make a comment on people's work, they pay a lot of attention to it-something I tend to forget.

Another time, another manager told me that when I'm in a good mood it helps boost up everyone else-but when I'm not, it darkens people's days.

As a manager at any level, you've got to try to project a positive attitude no matter how crummy a day you are having-and you've got to go out of your way to be sure your comments have a positive effect on people. I've even got a little yellow stick 'em posted on my computer reminding me to always be positive!

First thing in the morning is a great time to pass some positive energy and appreciation on to others with an enthusiastic greeting and a little small talk.

And at the end of the day, no matter how rough it's been, I always try to wrap up with people on a positive note.

How Often Should You Party?
My experience is that about once or twice a week during working hours is the right time to spend on those silly, frivolous activities.

Here's some of the diversions that have worked for us:

* Friday morning bagels.
* Friday afternoon theme parties.
* Occasional lunch outings such as mini-golf, bowling, or billiards.
* Seasonal decorations at the entrance.
* Company crosswords and contests.

I've tried a lot of elaborate events outside of working hours, but they've almost always been disappointing. Attendance was mixed; people would arrive late; and managers felt pressured to attend.

A high-level technical manager told me that the single thing that impressed him the most about our company during his first month was that he went bowling and played miniature golf during company hours.

Are They Afraid of You?

2010-01-27T12:01:00.001+03:00

I’ve often slipped a few questions into employee surveys to find out if they fear their managers. And guess what? They usually do. Distrust and fear are in fact the norm in traditional workplaces. The same workplaces where managers keep trying motivation programs, and keep complaining that the programs are no darn good.

Oh, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that a good spanking used to be considered healthy for a child. Or that the “real world” is tough and you have to be, too. Maybe you’ve read an interview with one of those tough-ass execs like “Chainsaw” Al Dunlap, whose plan for Coleman when Sunbeam acquired it (according to a Wall Street Journal article of August 19, 1998) was to “start whacking people.” Well, just remember that you can’t find examples of highly motivated people in negative, threat-driven environments. Not unless you are willing to go all the way to survival issues, like a sweatshop or a mugging. And even then, compliance is the best result you can hope for, not personal development and excellent performances. Threats are no substitute for true positive motivation.

By the way, Al Dunlap was fired by his own board shortly after he made that comment about whacking people. His threats cost a lot of people their jobs, including many of the best who quit because they couldn’t stand working for him. But threats failed to produce the performances Sunbeam and Coleman needed to succeed in the marketplace. So I guess Chainsaw Al taught us a valuable lesson about management after all.

Unlike self-proclaimed tough guys like Dunlap, you probably make only casual, even accidental, use of threats. You probably follow your more sensible instincts and focus on the positive side of the motivation curve much of the time. But what happens when you send mixed signals, some positive, some negative? You get an average at best—in general, negatives outweigh positives about four to one in terms of their emotional impact. So the occasional threat can undo a lot of positive efforts. And when you cancel out, you end up in the middle, which is the lowest part of the motivation curve. Oops.

Moving Up the Motivation Curve
If you focus on the opportunity side of the motivation curve in Figure 1-1, you can think of your challenge as moving your people up the curve, toward higher levels of opportunity.

You know that people who are pursuing compelling personal opportunities are highly motivated. So “all” you must do to break through to higher levels of motivation is to increase the opportunities for your people. (That is in fact easier said than done until you learn new approaches to management, which is why there is more than one chapter in this book. But it isn’t nearly as hard as motivating them any other way since it actually works and other methods don’t.)

If you stop thinking about it as a motivation problem, and start thinking of it as an opportunity problem, you will theoretically be able to bring employee motivation and performance levels to the extremes you see in special circumstances, but so rarely see in your own work force. As you develop creative ways to put this theory into practice, you will be surprised at the amount of natural, internal motivation you release in your employees. To help you implement this theory, I’ve sprinkled motivation idea boxes like the following one throughout the book. And you will also find that later chapters explore different aspects of implementation in detail.

The concept that we can motivate people to their highest levels of potential by presenting them with opportunities to succeed instead of telling them what to do is a theory I arrived at after researching and working on motivation for many years, and I have subsequently been able to find compelling examples of its validity, and to collect and develop lots of practical ways to put it to use. When I realized that none of the so-called employee motivation programs could motivate people as well as an opportunity to succeed at something they cared about, I stopped looking for external “motivators” and began to seek ways of “turning on” people’s natural internal motivation to succeed. (It’s interesting that the word motivator isn’t even in many dictionaries.)

In truth, there is no such thing as a motivator. You can’t just apply the right treatment and “get” employee motivation, as if you were doing some chemistry experiment. People who are highly motivated are self-motivated. Period. They have a strong will to achieve, to succeed, to learn, to perform. External factors are insignificant in comparison with internal motivation to succeed. Impose external threats or incentives in too heavy-handed a manner, and these self-motivated people will lose their strong commitment and become as careless as the rest.

Building the Winning Team

2010-01-27T11:57:00.000+03:00

"Everyone wants to feel that they are on a winning team, that the company is moving ahead, and that they are an integral part of the group."

Beyond Hiring Great People
Building the winning team requires more than just hiring a bunch of talented people.

It means hiring people who will work well together.

It means developing a shared vision and commitment.

It means physically bringing people together in formal group meetings for open discussion of broad-based issues.

It means encouraging positive, informal interactions between group members.

It means instilling a "winning" attitude throughout the organization.

It means watching for and quickly trying to reverse team-building problems such as jealousy, cynicism, and defensive behavior.

Get 'Em To "Buy In"!
To build the winning team, you not only need to show people what direction the company is headed in, but you need to get them to "buy into" this direction. Otherwise, you can't expect people to support a group if they don't agree with where it's headed or, worse, don't even know where it's headed.

Specifically, you need to show people:

* Your vision for the future.
* Your strategy for getting there.
* Why this is the best strategy.
* Every achievement that indicates this team is winning.

This is not a one-time discussion or announcement.

You need to constantly remind people what the organization stands for and that it does indeed hold a bright future for them!

Meetings Build Teams
Part of building the winning team is having some group meetings. Meetings, or even parties or celebrations, with as many people as possible from the entire organization, help build a feeling of solidarity throughout the organization.

But it is also important to have everyone participate in smaller group meetings where some work is done or some decisions are made. This makes people feel that they aren't just part of some big group, but that they are an active, important part of a team.

For key managers, or people in your work group, you should have an interactive meeting once per week-not a meeting where you just make announcements and summarize the work that's been done and needs to be done, but a meeting where everyone has an opportunity to give feedback on substantive issues.

Getting People To Work Together
Perhaps the most difficult part of building a winning team is encouraging positive, informal interaction between team members when you are not present. Here are some thoughts on this:

* Have team members take part in the hiring process of new team members.
* Assign specific projects for two team members to work on together.
* Try to arrange for close proximity of offices.
* Create an incentive-pay plan based on common goals such as profitability.
* Have a specific part of the salary review dependent upon "interaction with others."
* Take your team off-site for formal meetings as well as casual get-togethers to build a sense of bonding.

Watch Out For Team Destroyers!
Here are some of the problems that can rip the team-building process apart.

Jealousy. Be on guard for jealousy whenever a new member is hired into the group. Go out of your way to tell other team members how much their work is appreciated.

Cynicism. Some people are just negative by nature. Others might feel your company can't possibly prosper or they just don't like small companies, big companies, or whatever . . . . Be sure you are emphasizing the company's positive achievements to the group as a whole. And don't hesitate to confront any openly cynical individual and demand their behavior change at once.

Lack of confidence. Some people lack confidence in themselves and view attacks on their opinions as attacks on themselves, responding with statements like "Are you telling me my fifteen years of experience don't matter?" Stop any discussion like this immediately and, in a private one-on-one meeting, patiently point out the defensive behavior.

Think Success

2010-01-27T11:46:00.003+03:00

"If you're like me, it might not always come naturally-but you can push yourself to think positive, and to talk success!"

Success Is All In Your Mind!
Thinking success goes a long way toward being a success!

If you picture yourself as someone who is ultimately going to succeed-then success is going to come a lot easier.

If, on the other hand, you picture yourself as someone who is either highly likely to fail or not to progress-then no matter how talented you are or how hard you work, it's going to be very difficult to succeed.

Thinking success can catapult your career or business ahead and make you more effective in all kinds of different situations, from dealing with people, to concentrating on analytical issues, to developing creative ideas.

Thinking failure can stop you cold, like the icy moat or cold stone walls of a medieval castle, and make you less effective in dealing with people, less able to focus on your work, and less likely to develop creative ideas.

The Success Formula!
So how can you think success? Here's a few quick suggestions equally applicable if you're running your own business or trying to build a career:

1. Have a five-year plan for success.
2. Realize that you, not others, ultimately control your success.
3. Brainstorm alternatives to tough situations.
4. Celebrate your achievements.
5. Shrug off your setbacks.
6. Develop a support network.
7. Always stand for integrity.
8. Remind yourself that every day is a new opportunity!
9. Keep yourself in top physical condition.
10. Always be open to learning new ideas.

Success Means Finding Alternatives!
No matter what job you have or what business you are in, a lot of crummy things are going to happen to you along the way.

But your ultimate success is going to have a lot more to do with how you respond to setbacks than with the setbacks you actually encounter.

If you have the right attitude, you can always find alternatives.

No Risk Means No Success!
To really get ahead, you've got to take some risks. No successful business or career was built without some risk taking.

This doesn't mean you should walk off a cliff-but instead you need to take calculated risks, after you have carefully collected and weighed all the information you can gather.

How much risk should you take? How far ahead do you want to go?

I don't think it's a coincidence that some of the most spectacularly successful business people have also had some spectacular failures and near failures. Take Henry Ford or Thomas Edison, for example; they didn't let their failures hold them back.

Come to think of it, with all of the failures I've had . . . maybe some really big success is just around the corner!

Successful People Celebrate!
An important ingredient for success is celebrating each and every triumph-and forgetting about every failure-both with the people around you and with yourself, too!

Adams Rules for Small Business Success

2010-01-27T11:43:00.000+03:00

1 Have a clear-cut strategy!
A good strategy immediately distinguishes your business from those of your competitors, and gives your customers a solid reason for choosing to do business with you.

A good strategy should be developed after considering the market, customer needs, the competition, and your business's relative strengths and weaknesses. While the strengths of large, established competitors may seem overwhelming - such as deep financial resources and an established customer base - any new firm has built-in advantages too, such as more flexibility and the knowledge of how existing firms have already positioned themselves in the marketplace.

Many small businesses try to be all things to all people - which is really having no strategy at all! Even if you do everything else right ... it will be much harder, if not impossible, to succeed in business if you don't have a decisive strategy!

2 Test your advertising
Having bought advertising in every media from TV to subway cards, and having sold advertising for the newspapers, magazines, and phone books that I published, I have seen plenty of successful businesses built largely on the power of advertising. But creating successful advertising is a lot trickier than it may appear. Even the largest corporations and the most prestigious ad agencies find it difficult to create advertising that consistently works. So whether you're starting a company or managing an established one, don't spend a lot of money until you are sure that you have found a marketing mix that works for you!

With whatever advertising method you choose, you can greatly increase your chances of success with what I call "cheap marketing tricks," such as new customer specials, coupons, trial offers, events, exclusive offerings, give-aways, and more. Save the image advertising for big, rich corporations - small business advertising should focus completely on leading customers directly to action today!

3 Follow a plan and a budget!
Develop a plan before you start your business and update it at least once each year. A plan and a budget help you attain higher goals than if you just plugged away at your business one day at a time. If your company starts to go in the wrong direction, a plan and a budget will provide an early-warning system and help get you back on track.

You don't need accounting experience to set up a budget - but you do need to be very meticulous in projecting and recording each expense and every sale.

4 Guard your cash like King Midas!
As a small business owner, you are going to be fighting a constant battle to hold onto your cash. Overruns in start-up costs, lower-than-anticipated profit margins, and sales that grow slower than expected are among the most common cash drains on new businesses. Even established, highly profitable, fast-growing businesses often run out of cash because of the need to finance growing inventories and customer receivables.

You will also find that well-meaning employees will constantly be suggesting new ways to spend or invest your precious cash. You are going to have to pull in the reins and say "NO. NO. NO." to the many different demands on your money. You need to learn to project cash flow with a fair degree of accuracy. If you don't become disciplined in controlling your cash, you can get into trouble very quickly.

5 Watch your profit margins!
Many small businesses focus to much on sales and not enough on profit margins. And many underprice theirs goods and services. Can you increase your prices? Even if you can, it's crucial to keep your costs down!

Let's say you have a profit margin of 5 percent. If you're able to lower your overall costs by just 5 percent, you can double your profits! But to raise profits the same amount by increasing sales you would have to increase sales by 100 percent! A small change in your cost structure can go a long way toward improving your profit margins.

6 Treat your people right!
Virtually all employees want to work hard to help your business succeed. Treat them right, show interest in them, and compliment their every success. You'll be much more likely to not only retain them, but to keep them motivated too! Otherwise a lot of money and time can be wasted hiring and training new hires.

7 Beware the friendly salesperson!
Once you open your small business, you are instantly going to be a prime target for every salesperson within calling range. New business owners often have a hard time saying "No," until they get burned buying something they don't need. Salespeople are not here to help you! They are there to separate you from your cash! Chances are that when you are starting or running a small business, you need your cash a lot more than you need what they are selling.

8 Worship your customers, but don't give away the store!
It is important to create good products and run an efficient business, but you also need to be responsive to the needs of customers - even when doing so may sometimes require changing the way you are currently doing business. Listen to your customers' comments, and do what you can to give them what they want. But don't give away the store! Be sure that at least over a period of time, you are realizing a good profit with every customer, no matter how much they spend!

9 Have fun!
Just because many other businesses are boring stale, routine places to work doesn't mean that your business has to be too! Make work fun, exciting, and challenging for your employees, and you'll find that in addition to happier people you'll have less turnover and higher productivity. Besides - you just might have a little more fun too!