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New
Year's Resolutions or Rules for
Success? |
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Have
you made a New Year's Resolution this year? It
seems to get harder and harder each year to keep
them doesn't it? I found something a little
different this year to replace resolutions.
Rules. They are Bob Parson's Rules for
Success in Business and Life in General. Bob
Parsons is the founder of GoDaddy.com. When
I read these I thought that they really fit better
in many ways than making resolutions. For
one thing, they are achievable! And even if you
decide to tackle just a few of them, they have the
potential to make a difference in both your
personal and business life. So I have posted
these on my desk for the New Year and I am sharing
with you! I hope you enjoy!
Happy
New Year! ~
Patti
Jensen
Tourism
Director, Mitchell County Chamber
Rules
for Success in Business and Life in
General
1.Get
and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any
significance when we're in our comfort zone. I
hear people say, "But I'm concerned about
security." My response to that is simple:
"Security is for cadavers."
2. Never
give up. Almost nothing works the first time
it's attempted. Just because what you're doing
does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't
work. It just means that it might not work the way
you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be
doing it, and you wouldn't have an
opportunity.
3. When you're ready to
quit, you're closer than you think. There's an
old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe
it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation
to quit will be greatest just before you are about
to succeed."
4. With regard to whatever
worries you, not only accept the worst thing that
could happen, but make it a point to quantify what
the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the
worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a
cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would
tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing
my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going,
"Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat
you."
5. Focus on what you want to have
happen. Remember that old saying, "As you
think, so shall you be."
6. Take things
a day at a time. No matter how difficult your
situation is, you can get through it if you don't
look too far into the future, and focus on the
present moment. You can get through anything one
day at a time.
7. Always be moving
forward. Never stop investing. Never stop
improving. Never stop doing something new. The
moment you stop improving your organization, it
starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each
and every day, in some small way. Remember the
Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily
improvements eventually result in huge
advantages.
8. Be quick to decide.
Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A
good plan violently executed today is far and away
better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9.
Measure everything of significance. I swear
this is true. Anything that is measured and
watched, improves.
10. Anything that is
not managed will deteriorate. If you want to
uncover problems you don't know about, take a few
moments and look closely at the areas you haven't
examined for a while. I guarantee you problems
will be there.
11. Pay attention to your
competitors, but pay more attention to what you're
doing. When you look at your competitors,
remember that everything looks perfect at a
distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far
enough into space, looks like a peaceful
place.
12. Never let anybody push you
around. In our society, with our laws and even
playing field, you have just as much right to what
you're doing as anyone else, provided that what
you're doing is legal.
13. Never expect
life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make
your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only
meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay
when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14.
Solve your own problems. You'll find that by
coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop
a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder
of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in
technology, business, or anything by following the
others." There's also an old Asian saying that I
remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A
wise man keeps his own counsel."
15.
Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up.
Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due
to luck. None of us are in control as much as we
like to think we are.
16. There's
always a reason to smile. Find it. After all,
you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is
short. More and more, I agree with my little
brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for
a long time; we're here for a good
time."
(http://www.bobparsons.com)
and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All
rights reserved.") |
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What's
In Store for 2010? |
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The
Mitchell County Chamber is continuously looking
for new ways to help the local business economy
and our current businesses. We are always
seeking out new partnerships on both the local,
state and federal levels to create opportunities
and assistance for our local business
owners. In addition, the Chamber works to
provide opportunities to grow your business by
hosting networking events and
workshops.
To
begin the New Year the Chamber has already
scheduled its first member workshop to address the
growing questions and concerns surrounding
employment laws. The Chamber will welcome
Mr. David Smith, attorney and immediate past
president of the NC Association of Health
Underwriters, for a special workshop on
employments laws for small businesses on
January 28. Look for your invitation
with more information in the coming
days!
The
Government Affairs Committee of the Chamber
continues to focus on supporting the needs of the
local businesses, especially in regards to local
infrastructure. The GAC has been diligent in
their support of the new water and sewer lines to
Mitchell High School as well as in their
investigation and support of local government in
their research for a new GIS system for the
county. To date, Mitchell County is believed
to be the only county in the State without this
important filing and mapping system. In
addition, the GAC was the leading organization in
bringing together the three county area for a
Broadband Initiative to benefit the entire
region.
The
Membership Committee is developing a new brochure
to assist those interested in starting their own
business in Mitchell County. The brochure
answers questions about license requirements,
taxes, etc. and provides a resource for
entrepreneurs as they begin the exciting journey
of starting their own business. In that same
track, the Chamber is also a member of the
Entrepreneurial Council whose work over the last
year has gained the AdvantageWest’s Certified
Entrepreneurial Program(SM) certification for
Mitchell County.
The
Travel and Tourism Committee continues work on the
Craft Your Adventure promotion, which has been the
Chamber's travel promotion identity for the past
six years. The Craft Your Adventure campaign
focuses on the two most popular reasons travelers
visit our area...Craft and Outdoor
Recreation. In particular, we have worked
this past year with several film crews and writers
focusing on trout fishing in the area and will
continue that focus this year by assisting with
two televised specials on Fly Rod Chronicles
featuring Spruce Pine and
Bakersville. But that's not the
only areas we focus on...we also target
motorcycle groups, car groups, Parkway travelers,
Heritage tourists, bus & church groups
and more! The Travel and Tourism committee
develops ideas for new marketing and advertising
outlets as well and will begin the new advertising
year with an ad in Blue Ridge Country in
March.
These
are just highlights of areas each committee is
working on. Each month these committees
juggle several agenda items and tasks on behalf of
the Chamber membership in an effort to seek ways
to improve our members' businesses and our
community.
We
invite your input and suggestions at any
time! |
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What's
On Your Agenda this Year? |
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We
hope that you will keep the Chamber informed of
your events, opportunities, accomplishments and
awards as the year progresses. We can only
share your news if you tell us! Now is the
time to share your scheduled events for
2010! The Chamber distributes a weekly email
newsletter each Tuesday with upcoming events and
member news. This is a benefit of your
membership and an opportunity to share your
business with over 500 other businesses on
the distribution list. Let us hear from
you! The deadline for inclusion in the
weekly newsletter is the Monday of each
week. |
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STATE
PARKS DECLARE 2010 THE “YEAR OF THE
BIRDS” |
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North
Carolina's state parks will pay tribute to its
winged residents and visitors in 2010 by
celebrating the "Year of the Birds," according to
the N.C. Division of Parks &
Recreation. Throughout the year, birds and
bird-watching will be the focus of special
programs and activities in the state parks, many
of them in partnership with Audubon North
Carolina, which works with the state parks system
on research and management projects involving bird
habitats. The state parks system is also
making available a special bandana of some of the
signature birds found in the parks. To find
out more, visit http://www.ncparks.gov/News/releases/release.php?id=169. |
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Sports
Travel is Scoring
Big |
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Sports
travel – following a team on the road to away
games or vacationing at major attractions like the
college football bowls that proliferate during the
holiday season – is scoring big, travel
researchers say. Some aspects of sports
travel have even been
recession-proof,
growing while so many other travel categories
slump. Researchers estimate that 10 percent
to 15 percent of fans at regular-season
professional sports events are visitors from out
of town, according to Lisa Delpy Neirotti,
associate professor of tourism and sport
management at George Washington University's
business school. And 27 percent of all travel
expenditures are trips that involve some sports –
from golf games and skiing to kids' soccer
tournaments to major attractions like Super Bowls
and Olympics. That makes sports travel a $182
billion a year business, Neirotta said, and, to
cash in on the sports-travel boom, some 300
different U.S. cities have at least one person
working for the local government or convention
bureau dedicated to sports events. Small
cities may not get major conventions, but bringing
500 parents to a soccer tournament can be a big
economic boost. To find out more, visit
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703521904574614140936212048.html |
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Travel
Business Likely to Remain Weak in 2010, New Poll
Finds |
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Americans
say they aren't likely to travel much more in 2010
than they have this year, despite optimism that
they will from many Wall Street and travel
industry analysts and industry leaders. A new
USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds that only 16 percent
plan to fly more or stay more often in hotels next
year than they did in 2009. About 30 percent
say they actually will fly less frequently and
have fewer hotel stays. The primary reason:
a still-weak economy. To find out more, visit
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-12-28-2010-travel-plans-poll_N.htm |
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N.C.
GREEN BUSINESS FUND GRANTS NOW
OPEN |
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The
2010 N.C. Green Business Fund solicitation (call
for proposals) is now open. Eligibility for the
grant is limited to small for-profit businesses,
non-profit organizations, state agencies and local
governments to encourage the expansion of small to
medium sized businesses with 100 or fewer
employees that have innovative commercial
technologies, products and services to grow a
green economy in the state. Agencies must have
their principal base of business in North
Carolina. Those interested in applying for the
N.C. Green Business Fund should visit http://www.ncscitech.com/gbf/
to obtain a copy of the Solicitation and to
familiarize themselves with the application
requirements. Deadline for the receipt of
pre-proposals (750 words maximum) is Jan.
19. Questions may be sent to Paul Shannon via
pshannon@nccommerce.com.
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For
Travelers, a Personal Concierge on Your
Phone |
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Downloadable
applications ("apps") for the iPhone, Blackberry
and other smartphones are fast becoming
indispensable among business travelers who use
their phones to help them organize and navigate
trips with little more effort than a few taps on a
touch screen. And looking ahead, technology
experts envision tools that will be, in effect,
personal concierges - handling everything from
reservations to reimbursements. In interviews,
business travelers indicated that the most popular
travel-related apps fell into two categories:
organization aids and location-based tools.
Despite the challenges, industry analysts predict
that smartphones will soon be as important to
business travelers as credit cards. To find out
more, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/business/22apps.html?_r=1&ref=travel. |
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SUGAR
MOUNTAIN CELEBRATES 40 YEARS AS WNC SKI SEASON
GEARS
UP |
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North
Carolina's ski season is gearing up as all the
state's ski and tubing attractions are now open
and expecting a busy season, despite the tough
economy and lack of cold weather so far. Sugar
Mountain is celebrating its 40th anniversary as
one of North Carolina's premier ski resorts.
"We're excited for the season," Sugar Mountain
Resort's Marketing Director Kim Jochl said. "We do
whatever we possibly can with the weather we have,
like most other ski areas here. We find that
skiers and snowboarders are resilient." Ski
resorts are offering special programs geared for
supervised teens, women or men to appeal to
specific groups in addition to families and
individual skiers. Hawksnest has all four parks
open for snow tubing and now offers one of the
only winter zip lines in the nation. Wolf Ridge
Ski Area in Mars Hill co-owner Rick Bussey said it
should be a busy season, especially with the
reopening of the popular Breakaway Ski slope (a
ski-through tunnel). To find out more, visit
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091210/OUTDOORS/912100319. |
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FREEMAN
TO PRESENT NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY ISSUES AT
GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE; REGISTRATION OPENS JAN.
5 |
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Geoff
Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs
for the U.S.
Travel Association,
will discuss national tourism policy issues and
how they impact communities across North Carolina
at the N.C.
Governor’s Conference on Hospitality &
Tourism
in New Bern. With issues like H1N1, new
taxes and the Travel Promotion Act facing the
travel industry as the country recovers from the
current economic crisis, Freeman offers his
front-row perspective as leaders shape national
policies that affect the industry everywhere –
from the largest visitor destinations to small
towns.
Online
registration for the March 21-23 conference opens
Jan. 5, with a special reduced rate for
early registration. Rooms are being held at
the newly remodeled Hilton
New Bern Riverside,
Comfort
Suites Riverfront Park,
BridgePoint
Hotel & Marina
and Hampton
Inn,
so make your reservation early and be sure to ask
for the N.C. Governor’s Conference
rate.
New
information is being added daily to the Web site,
so watchwww.nccommerce.com/Tourism/GovernorsConferencefor
updates and plan to register online during the
early registration period. Watch Newslink
for information about other speakers; for
sponsorship or other information, contact Heidi
Walters at(919) 715-6702 or via hwalters@nccommerce.com.
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Missed
the Holiday Festival? Check out these photos from
the
event! |
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