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Businesses Benefit from Health and Wellness Strategies
By Core Sports Wellness Spinal Conditioning

     A Healthy Fit for Employers and Employees: According to the National Business Group on Health, the annual cost of our unhealthy workforce to US employers amounts to $12.7 billion. Smart employers are tackling the issue by introducing corporate wellness programs to maintain an enjoyable, productive work environment. With increasing evidence supporting health promotion programs in the workplace, more companies than ever are implementing health and wellness strategies to reduce injuries, health care costs and long-term disability.
     How Healthy Is Your Company? Escalating health care costs continue to remain an issue of great concern for many employers. Eighty percent of illnesses and disease in the United States are preventable. Offering wellness programs to offset the rising costs of health care is a cost-effective way to help your organization succeed. Some of the most popular programs include fitness reimbursement (full or partial), stop-smoking classes, back care programs, and stress management. At a health facility like CORE we can help to implement a program that is suited for most organizations . We believe in thinking about your employees as an asset and the impact that your investment can have on your bottom line.
     How? It’s not a secret that healthier employees spend fewer days away from work due to illness, saving the company thousands and even millions of dollars on down time and temporary help. Wellness programs can also help alleviate depression and help employees manage their time and stress levels better, all of which are contributing factors to missed work days. Company sponsored wellness programs send a clear message to employees that management values them and their well-being. Additionally, healthy employees tend to be happier and not as restless to leave. The healthier and happier the work force, the less a company has to spend on hiring and training new personnel.
     Why? An employer has everything to gain by setting up a workplace health and wellness program. An employee health and wellness program is a great incentive to new hires, rounding out your other company benefits and helping you to stand out from the competition. It does not have to be expensive or time consuming.
     Who? CORE is your local private training and wellness facility. We want to work to help Central Oregonians live a healthy and fit lifestyle. Our trainers are attentive and educated and always ensure that our clients get the maximum benefit from their workout. Stop by or call CORE today if you would like to discuss a plan for yourself or your company.
336 SW Cyber Drive #107, Bend, OR 97702
541-389-6595,  www.COREconditioning.info  

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Five Focused Questions to EnergizeMarketing
by Lisa Nirell, www.energizegrowth.com

     In 2001, I was in charge of the worldwide account team who called on Microsoft, and was preparing for my first presentation to 18 top executives at their Redmond, WA headquarters office.   
     This was the biggest account of my 20-year consulting career.  Even though I was fully prepared for that presentation, I walked out of that meeting feeling that something was wrong.
      That’s because most of these people hardly knew our company — we had NO credibility with them -- we had not yet earned the right to tell them about how they were ineffectively investing their dollars with us! 
          Within two days, the Microsoft executives asked my boss to fire me from the account. And he did. What I realized in that moment was that I HAD to change my life and my business focus QUICKLY.  I needed to view “marketing” in a whole new way. 
     Not only the marketing of our $11M business—but the marketing plan for my life. As a result of this “career defining moment,” I resigned, launched my new business, and was profitable – all within 90 days.
     Ever since that time, I have been compelled to share these five key questions that minimize similar marketing and planning mistakes for other seasoned professional services firms.     When you regularly ask these questions, you will attract more enjoyable clients, build dedicated teams, and, most importantly, you will be energized.
     1.  What percentage of our team can clearly explain what we do? How many can recite our company’s “elevator statement” from memory? In the last 2 years, I spoke to over 17,000 business owners.  And I did an informal survey.  I asked them: “If you walked casually around your office and asked your team ‘in 30 seconds or less, what do we do'?, what percentage would answer that question CORRECTLY and CONSISTENTLY?"  What do you think I heard?
     The honest people responded with “10 percent.”  Imagine the untapped potential in the 90% of your team!
     Alan Weiss, author of “Million Dollar Consulting” and 17 other business best sellers, reminds us that “Language controls discussion, discussion controls the relationship, and relationship controls the business.” A strong, clear description of what you do that takes 30 seconds or less is your gateway to a meaningful discussion.  In the action groups we lead, we call it your “audio logo.”
     2.  What are our top three lead generation methods? How well have we documented these plans in our company?  According to a $1M study by the New Client Marketing Institute, the five most effective methods are, from least to most effective, are:  5. networking, 4. community and civic involvement, 3. how-to articles in client-oriented press, 2. speeches at client industry meetings, and, 1. small-scale seminars.
      If you are a professional services firm, think about what methods you are using.  If you are investing thousands in brochures, advertising, and expensive client appreciation luncheons, you are probably wasting money.
      3.  How effectively have we defined and aligned our selling and marketing systems?  Many small businesses treat marketing planning as an art form. Worse yet, they abdicate the responsibility to an outside firm.
     Here’s an example:  One of our community banking clients wasted $60,000 on advertising to keep up with their competitors.  They saw no results. After they started working with our team, they cancelled several ad contracts and diverted those funds towards defining a marketing system.  Their managers were lacking any process that would later become their common approach to attracting profitable clients.  Within just 60 days, their confidence and clarity about whom they serve soared.
     You are responsible for defining your marketing communication and sales process. Period.  Outside marketing firms should teach you how to fish — not drop you off at the dock and take over the helm!  Leave the outsourcing for your IT support and bookkeeping.
    The clarity and quality of your lead generation, sales and service approach dictate your sales success – or failure.  When you align these activities, selling becomes A LOT easier, marketing becomes more enjoyable, and the buyer feels more confident about what you do.
     4.  What thoughts stop us from attracting all the business we want?
     There are two major roadblocks to growth in an entrepreneurial venture - lack of planning, and our limiting thoughts.  The most COMMON limiting thoughts I hear from seasoned professionals are:
     "Marketing is tacky, and I’m a (CPA, engineer, attorney, etc.) ... I can’t do that."
     “I tried that 8 years ago and THAT WON’T WORK!”
     “Marketing/Planning is for people who aren’t busy enough.”
     “Marketing is too expensive.”
     “My services are too hard to explain.”  (in other words,   “I’m too arrogant to explain what we do.”)
     “When I obtain this other advanced degree/certification, then I’ll be ready to market.” (affectionately called the “I’m not smart enough yet” mindset)
      When working with clients, we use Byron Katie’s process to help their plan succeed.  Go to www.thework.com to learn how to break yourself free from limiting thoughts about marketing.
       In addition, Sharon Begley’s new best selling book, “Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain” supports the importance of conditioning our thoughts. Dozens of new, cutting edge scientific studies prove that our marketing mindset defines our marketing reality.
     5.     What daily rituals help me to stay focused and energized?
     Jeld-Wen Development, Inc. is a model company practicing healthy company rituals.  According to CEO Jerry Andres, “Our ongoing management meetings are guided by the culture we have created.  Our values and our culture enable us to be the first choice of customers seeking the highest value in real estate and service.”
     Jeld-Wen Development has achieved their profitability targets for several consecutive quarters because they do not waiver from their company celebrations and cultural norms.  They continue to command market share – even in a highly competitive, declining real estate market. 
     You have now learned the Five Focused Questions™ to help you identify business energy drainers.  What will you do differently now to transform your next ‘career-defining’ client meeting?
     Lisa Nirell is the founder of EnergizeGrowth in Sunriver. She helps successful service professionals who struggle to attract and retain profitable clients. Her workshops and systems have helped over 900 companies accelerate their growth plans and have generated over $83M in new business. She will be presenting a workshop at the Bend Chamber Professional Development Series in September. Visit www.energizegrowth.com to request your free 25 page “Marketing Plan Startup Kit” and special report by registering for EnergizeNews.

Foster a Work Ethic
By Monica Wheeler
Abundant Life Coaching

As a life coach, one obstacle I hear over again is people wanting better job satisfaction.  Often they go from job to job and don’t find enjoyment or fulfillment from working.
     Although it is possible and desirable to enjoy your job, even those people who enjoy their occupations would call it work.  Even Oprah calls it work, and she has one of the most fulfilling jobs there is.  I guess if it was all fun and games we would call it “going to play” instead of “going to work” in the morning.  The one thing that has kept me relatively happy in all of my occupations is by having a strong work ethic and being prepared when it gets difficult.
     I can remember having a nearly full-time summer job, and also working many weekends during the school year, at the age of nine or 10.  Our family had just started a business and needed all the cheap labor they could find and my sister and I were about as cheap as they came.  This lasted until we went off to college, but often we would help out when we returned for the summer. 
     Before we had our business, I can remember when I was a child, burning brush, doing dishes, and numerous other chores.  I came from a hard-working German family and was instilled with a work ethic early in life.  Some child protective services would frown upon using us children at the restaurant and doing men’s chores as little girls, but it didn’t hurt us one bit.
     When my sister and I got a few years older — say 13 and 14 — we built a wildlife trek ,complete with life-sized Fiberglass animals, through the woods at the restaurant and were featured on Channel 9 News as young entrepreneurs.  We set up and operated the Museum of Mount St. Helens in part of the restaurant’s building and were told we did as good of a job as professionals.  We learned valuable skills in marketing, accounting, public relations, following directions, and working with colleagues all before graduating high school.  These experiences certainly came in handy later down the road.
     It wasn’t all fun, though.  My grandmother could be a tough boss even though that is what eventually made the business successful.  We also gave up some of our childhood.  But it taught me that with a strong work ethic, many doors to success can be opened.
     Many of our young people today are not raised with such a work ethic and there will be many rude awakenings when they finally get out in the job market.  Many of them have never had a part-time job or worked a day in their life and though I don’t really suggest they take the extreme that we did, being raised doing a fair share of chores and work has multiple benefits.
     It teaches children and teens the value of money and hard work.  It fosters a sense of personal accomplishment and increases self-esteem.  It gives them something to occupy their time instead of turning to mischief.  It prepares them for life and gives them valuable experience in the “real world”.  Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. 
     If you have a tendency to jump from job to job, revitalizing your work ethic and finding out what is blocking you through my one on one coaching will be the first step.  I can be reached at 541-383-2464 or by emailing  coachmonica@hotmail.com for a free introductory session.  If you’ve liked what I’ve written, check out my e-books and free e-newsletter at  www.lifecoachmonica.com.  You spend a great deal of your life working and, therefore, it is imperative to find joy, value and fulfillment in your choice of occupation.  

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Design Solutions

     There is a powerful connection between email
 efficiency and the way you store information. Email and information storage tasks consume an estimated 40 percent of a typical professional’s work day, yet half of all initial attempts to locate information are unsuccessful.  The time spent searching for lost information is estimated at thousands of dollars per employee per year.  (The High Cost of Not Finding Information KM WORLD, Vol. 13 issue 3, 2004. www.KMWorld.com)
     Consider some other statistics: email
 volume is rising at a rate of 14.6 percent annually. Seventy-nine percent of professionals believe co-workers overuse the “reply-to-all” email feature, yet only 13 percent believe they themselves do the same.  Only 15 percent of professionals receive coaching on information management yet 89% of those professionals believe they could benefit from such coaching. Seventy-eight percent of professionals report they often find it time consuming and frustrating to locate email and electronic documents.
     Some basic math helps clarify the true cost of email. Suppose you process 50 emails daily with an average process time of 2 minutes each.  That equates to 480 hours of processing time. That equates to 50 eight-hour work days per year. 
     Go ahead, factor your own email
 cost.  Start with the average number of email
s per day times the average processing time. Multiply that figure by 240 (average work days per year) then divide by 60 minutes.  Divide that figure by an eight-hour work day and you will have an estimate of annual hour’s logged processing email. 
     Utilizing the above example, if you were to reduce email
 by a mere 10 percent, you would save nearly five work days per year.  Multiply that savings by the number of employees or co-workers in your business.
     You can see that the cost of email
 proves substantial. In terms of solutions, keep in mind that if you eliminate one of every five email
s you send, you will receive approximately 12 percent fewer emails.  To reduce email
 volume, your company should utilize a mutually agreed-upon tool that defines email etiquette protocols and storage.
     If your business does not have email
 polices and procedures, suggest they be developed or pursue coaching from an industry expert. There are terrific tools and trainings available to streamline email efficiencies which in turn will improve the bottom line as well as reduce stress and optimize time available for high value tasks.

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