Already an accomplished Nigerian businessman, Mohammed Babangida, expands his considerable interests to include musical influences from Africa.

 

In his March 30^th blog post, for example, Mohammed Babangida, talks about ragtime music. He suggests that ragtime was the advent for most jazz as it’s played today. The unique syncopation derived from African dance rhythms, was first published by Ben Haney around 1895. It reached it’s broadest appeal with Scott Joplin in 1899 and really became familiar to Americans from the 1975 movie- The Sting.

 

Mohammed Babangida further shows his music history command by commenting in several blog posts on the origination of blues.

 Nachshon Draiman is a good example of an entrepreneur who looked at a situation, saw a lifestyle need and improved the care of geriatric patients by putting his vision to work.

 

His business was long term care facilities. After looking at their operations, Nachshon Draiman concluded there was a better way.  By applying effective management techniques to his view of a growing problem of sub-par care, Nachshon Draiman was able to reduce the bureaucracy and improve patient care. Today, the facilities he operated are seen as the standard for senior care.  

 

Draiman also is a tennis enthusiast. He regularly comments on the game on his blog.

How did Amos Tamam go from servicing taxicabs in New York City to become the CEO of Verifone Transportation Systems?

 

Trained as an electrical engineer in Israel, Amos Tamam used a combination of his own considerable technical ability, unstoppable drive and a sense for developing solutions to improve taxi meters and other systems for fleet owners.

 

Amos Tamam came up with the method that enabled taxi company owners to use wireless technology to process credit cards. This became the jump off point for him to establish Verifone and become its CEO in 2005.

 

This is an example of what hard work, intelligence and drive can do for individuals here in America.

If you’ve ever had major work done on a home, you know how stressful selecting a contractor can be.

K-Designers appears to have taken all of the anxiety out of this process.  By being empathetic,  K-Designers shows they acknowledge and more importantly, understand homeowner concerns.

 

Their credentials couldn’t be more impressive. K-Designers has over 30 years remodeling experience for over 100,000 customers! And they make it very easy to do business with them. For example, they require no down payment, have many different financial options and provide customer warranties exceeding the industry standard.

 

With 11 branches in 9 Midwest and Western states, they’re worth checking out.

I find the work of Frank J. Hanna quite interesting. Hanna is a gentleman of many accomplishments. He’s written a book—What Your Money Means by Frank J. Hanna. He is CEO of Hanna Capital, an investment company in Atlanta. Finally, he’s an attorney.

 

Frank J.Hanna is also deeply involved in education in the Atlanta area. His efforts have assisted in the formation of three schools in the Atlanta area including one that was recognized as one of the top fifty Catholic High Schools in America.

 

Frank’s blog on managing money provides insights on how we all can effectively manage our funds in these trying economic times.

United American Insurance Company stands out in a group of health insurers struggling to meet policy holder needs.

 

Proving this by operating as a 24/7 operation, United American Insurance Company also demonstrates their commitment to their customers by having a complete suite of competitive insurance products. These include health, life, cancer and critical illness insurance policies. They also carry a full complement of supplemental Medicare insurance products.

 

United American Insurance Company carries the much coveted A+ financial strength rating from the industry standard A.M. Best insurance company rating service. This provides comfort for their customers in these tough and uncertain financial times.

I once thought you had to go to a brick and mortar store to get good glasses. But then I discovered eyeglasses.com.

 

At this internet store, I found a substantial inventory of over 200,000 glass frames. This included brand names like Versace Glasses, Ray-Ban Sunglasses, Prada Glasses and over 500 other brands to choose from.

 

The ordering process, like the those of the best internet shopping sites, was painless and efficient. After I selected my model, brand, size and color by referencing the helpful images, a few more clicks and I was out of there. Eyeglass.com—just the way I like to shop.

Linus Gitahi the chief executive officer of Nation Media Group, is also an avid student of Kenyan running.

His expert commentary provides interesting insight to the sport. For example,  Linus Gitahi suggests the training methods that make the Kenyans some of the superior runners in the world:

– Kenyan runners train in groups. They feel the peer pressure provides the discipline and motivation that training alone does not.

– Kenyan runners train on dirt and grass. This reduces injury risk and feels better overall. It also allows their full running potential to be reached.

Find more Linus Gitahi insights on Kenyan runners on his blog.

As a writer and a lover of words, I try to express myself clearly. But in business, that’s not enough.

Because as business owners, we’re constantly challenged on how to express ourselves diplomatically. This can be tricky when our thoughts are in conflict with others. How do we express disagreement without alienating colleagues? Learning some phraseology can improve results in these situations.

 Wording Disagreements

 

Ben Franklin wrote that we may not want to express ourselves fixed in our present opinion. This is especially true if we’re seeking instruction and improvement from others. Responding to a view we disagree with without stating the other person is wrong requires delicate phrasing. Franklin suggested wording such as- I imagine it to be so…. or If I’m not mistaken….

 

Other wording might be- I thought I read where…..  or I heard that…….

 

When posing alternatives, instead of saying- do it this way or look at it in this manner, think about using the word consider. For example, we might say: You may want to consider this…. Have you considered looking at this in another way…? Another approach to consider may be…

 

Instead of responding in silence to a view we disagree with, this phrasing can allow us to express a differing view in a palatable way. It also softens differences, gives the other party an out and is reasonable in discourse.

 

Eliminating the word should

 

One of the most useful things I’ve ever learned at a seminar was when the presenter suggested to consider eliminating the word should from our vocabulary. The facilitator said that she felt that the word should and its cousin shouldn’t, were the words that have caused the most grief in the world. I think she was on to something.

 

Think of how it feels to be told we should do this or we shouldn’t do that. If that makes us feel a little defiant, it’s understandable. Should is a very judgmental word. Again, instead of saying should or shouldn’t, we might say – How does this sound to you….? What about this….? Have you thought about that…? Another thought might be…. or any number of other softer, less judgmental phrases.  

 

However, It’s very difficult to eliminate should from our vocabulary. We’re so conditioned to assuming our way is the best and maybe even the only way. In fact, we usually can’t understand why everyone doesn’t do everything our way! It’s almost a paradigm shift to eliminate these words from our vocabulary but if we do it, it really can enhance discussions.

 

Seek to understand then to be understood

 

This means that when we’re listening really make sure we understand what’s being said before we react to it. This can be done by asking- Am I hearing you correctly…? This is what I’m hearing you say……Just to clarify, you’re saying….

 

This can also be difficult. Sometimes we’re thinking of our response while the other person is speaking! Or worse, we’re on the computer, watching TV or simply not paying attention. To avoid that, we may want to try to stay in the moment. This means total focus on the other’s communication including body language, tone and words. This prevents disagreements that arise from responding prior to fully understanding a message.

 

Thoughtful phrasing helps keep communication pulsing during times of disagreement.  Try it. (Oops, I meant to say- you may want to give it a try!). The results may pleasantly surprise you.

 

Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style. (Jonathan Swift)

 Steve Wyrostek  http://www.noclichecopy.com   Internet  Writing for Business People by Business People

OddBodd originally was the name of a character from a UK spoof of the movie, Frankenstein. When Nolan Collins’ (born in the UK) sister bestowed that nickname on him at the age of eight, he took it good naturedly. In fact, it may have been kismet. Because Collins used it to brand his new venture.

 

“We needed a Google, and that was it” says Jen Collins, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, referring to the type of name that means nothing yet is hard to forget.

 

Hatched in Lake Bluff, IL., in 2006 and now in final development,  OddBodd.com plans to be the on-line business portal.  Catering especially to small businesses, OddBodd.com offers an impressive array of internet branding for its community.

 

Membership on the site includes access to video, event and job posting systems, also referral networking, contact info, a map and an about us section. All for a pre-launch price of $99.  It is designed to be a place where consumers can connect with businesses and not just a place for businesses to make more business connections, although they can do that too!

 

“Our introductory ninety-nine dollar price buys a onetime, lifetime, all in membership,” stated Ms. Collins. “We have a thousand businesses in twelve states signed up and over 150 different industries represented already.”

OddBodd.com has 10 marketing reps in Chicago. And that’s just a start. Through strong viral, street and on-line marketing campaigns, OddBodd.com intends to become a global presence.

 

You can get more information by contacting Jen Collins at jen@oddbodd.com or 847-445-4649. You can also go to http://www.oddbodd.com/bizzbodd/queenbodd or http://www.oddbodd.com to meet Jen and view the beta site.

 

I interviewed Jen about the business. Following are her comments. They act as insights and inspiration for small businesses everywhere. It’s especially interesting to listen to her words now—at the front step of her and her husband’s dream—and to imagine what those dreams may become:

 

Nolan came up with the concept about two and a half years ago. We owned a small safety business and found internet marketing to be frustrating. It was expensive, time consuming, and didn’t get the results. There was dissatisfaction with trying to find a business online. You do a Google search and get fifty pages of junk.

Our business partnership works well. Nolan is analytical and tech oriented. He works with the development team. I enjoy being out in public so I handle all the marketing and networking.

We intend to level the playing field of keywords and keyword manipulation. All businesses in ODDBODD.COM will be available to searchers in a fair and equitable way.

We had lots of time in R&D—the last two and a half years. We read expert books in the field, interviewed consumers about how they found businesses and listened to business owner frustrations about their online presence.

OddBodd.com has more for the business owner than online yellow pages, DEX or localized directories.  With the best features of job posting, events and offers site, Oddbodd.com limits the number of places a business has to post information and spend money. Businesses also have more potential connections with their clients.

Nolan and I want to use this business to give back to the communities we serve—we even developed a program to benefit all non-profits.

We are completely dedicated to this venture and are grateful for the support from the people around us and our incredible advisors.  We’re very excited about the possibilities. We already have ideas for related applications in the future too.

And who knows—with a son and a daughter 6 and 4 years old, Jen and Nolan may have little OddBodds slouching toward the family business to help realize future dreams!

 Steve Wyrostek

www.noclichecopy.com

steve@noclichecopy.com

posted on http://www.examiner.com/x-3042-Chicago-Small-Business-Strategies-Examiner