Let’s explore how to give a knock-out business speech.

For many people, the fear of public speaking is right up there with fears of death, financial collapse and going to the dentist. But with proper preparation, there’s no reason you can’t deliver the speech of your life — and do it without excessive anxiety.

There are two parts to giving a speech: writing and delivery. More…

So you’ve risen through the ranks, and now you have a team to lead. Most new leaders get their position because they’ve shown skill as a worker.

But leadership is about much more than knowing how to do a task well. Leadership involves picking the right tasks and coaching others to do those tasks well.

So here are some tips for new business leaders:

One: Resist the urge to “do the job” that one of your employees should be doing. More…

Many business owners frame the first dollar they earn. Forrest Graves proudly displays a glass jar filled with $600 worth of burned coffee beans in his small coffee shop just outside of Helen, Georgia. Such a debacle seems an ill-suited memento for a coffee roaster. But for Graves, it represents his journey from passionate home roaster to professional global entrepreneur. And that’s a reminder he refuses to part with.

 “Someone actually came in the store one day and offered me $600 for the jar,” he says. “But it’s part of my rite of passage.” More…

Are you ready to start your own business but lack the capital necessary to buy or establish one? Then becoming a consultant might be the right choice for you. Businesses spend more than $12 billion a year on consultants, so there’s definitely a market for consultants in a wide range of areas.

As a first step, consider the timing. Are you in a position to continue drawing a salary at your current job while setting up your consulting business? That is the preferred strategy, as it takes some of the financial pressure More…

A massive power shift in consumer spending is taking place worldwide. It’s a quiet revolution bigger than the rising global buying power of the emerging BRIC nations—Brazil, Russia, India and China. It controls $20 trillion in consumer spending around the world, and that figure is growing annually. What is this economic force that is changing spending habits around the world? The answer, according to a worldwide study by the Boston Consulting Group, is women.  More…

Authors who have decided to self-publish and are debating among all the options and competing claims of publish-on-demand companies must navigate a minefield of considerations before making a decision that’s best for their book. The problem with choosing a POD publisher is they appear to offer the same services at near the same cost. So how does one make a decision?

By asking yourself some of the following questions, you can work through this process of becoming an author and set yourself up to achieve your goals. Whether one wants to establish a family legacy with a memoir or achieve commercial and financial success, it’s all in the choosing. More…

There’s no question about it: Technology has changed the workplace environment for good. Along with high-priced and tech-supported business systems and programs, some solid business tools are available to anyone via the Internet—and many of them are free.

There are programs to help you see your desktop remotely, send invoices and manage your finances, create and maintain websites, videoconference with clients, brainstorm with partners, make mind maps and diagrams, organize files and emails, set your schedule, and make free phone calls all over the world. More…

Retailers and online marketers working to make inroads into America’s burgeoning Hispanic community need to do more than just speak the language. It’s essential to understand the various nuances of Hispanic culture and tastes.

The lesson here: Know your market, and you’re halfway to making the sale.

Reaching the Hispanic market begins with the understanding that there is no single “Hispanic community” but rather a large and varied group of cultures More…

People trust experts. They listen to their advice, buy their products, and turn to them to make consumer decisions. Gaining the reputation as an ‘expert’ in your field or line of business can supercharge your profitability. And it’s easier than you think.

‘Experts’ communicate about a particular subject in a way that others can trust. They become known for their credibility. You don’t have to have special degrees, awards or certifications to become known as an expert. You simply have to be someone who becomes known to the public and trusted by it for your knowledge in a particular area. More…