Infinite-Vision

04/20/2021

Covid-fatique is a real thing. Often, we try to "get over" things or to find ways to "get around" things. I'm a strong advocate of "getting through" things--it's the only way to get past them. Here are a few great business ideas. Whether you are thinking of starting a new business, steer your business in a new direction, or find yourself unemployed, there are great ideas in this article. Thinking about something new will keep your mind busy and may give you a new way of looking at where you are currently at in business.

These 10 products/services are seeing increased demand and present a unique opportunity.

03/25/2021

Employee appreciate has always been an important element of business success. Our Covid reality makes this more important than it ever has been.

John Hall had this to say about 2021 in a January 10 article for Forbes.

"Nearly eight in ten people leave jobs because they feel under-appreciated. After a year of rolling with the punches, your team needs to know you genuinely value them.

Ask employees what makes them feel appreciated, and reflect it back to them. If a third of your team says 'quality time', your next move should be to set up a happy hour. Make a point of giving an authentic compliment each day to people who respond 'words of affirmation'."

People matter-make it part of your daily business to let them know!

03/12/2021

Thank you to the state of Massachusetts and the Mass Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) for awarding a Small Sector Grant to Infinite Vision.

During the second two quarters of 2020, small and medium sized businesses were not thinking about hiring sales, employee-engagement/operational consultants-they were preoccupied with surviving through necessary Covid limitations. It was a tough year for so many.

I've waited to post, until award funds were in sight. Thank you to the folks who put thought and time into making sure that businesses of all sizes receive the funding that we need to continue what we do. Let's make 2021 a year of recovery and a hopeful, prosperous future!

https://www.news10.com/news/mass-news/watch-live-governor-baker-to-make-covid-19-small-business-grant-program-announcement/

To date, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded more than $277 million in direct financial support to 5,857 small businesses.

02/04/2021

Mark Twain said, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

In the past year, all of us have experienced many false starts. Those are new beginnings! Pivot is the word that defines successfully maneuvering through 2020 and 2021. In April, a veteran consultant surprised me by saying, "What does that even mean? That has no relevance; it's a fad for people to use that word."

Being able to adjust to changes in seconds-as they happen- has become a way of life. While living and working in this Covid reality, being present in the moment is what will keep us in the game. Make your strategic plan, your goals about today, with a malleable eye on the future. None of us should be making hard and fast 3-5 year plans. We don't know what our world will look like in 3-5 years.

Let's get excited about a world we can build and shape together!
I'm sure that Mark Twain did not have these thoughts in mind when he came up with his simple, prolific advice. Interpretation is an important tool to stretch our minds.

Be strong, brave, flexible and persistent.

Remember and remind everyone around you-every false start is a new beginning.

01/25/2021

Don't lose sight of your goals! Everyone in the world, through our temporary Covid reality has been emotionally schizophrenic at times. Most of us have re-evaluated our goals. I hope that all of you are working toward something meaningful. On days when I don't feel like doing much, I think, "I don't want to look back and realize that I got nothing done." We could get stuck in covid fear or fatigue, but wouldn't it be better if we focused on reading, earning professional certifications or licenses, cleaning out closets, taking a class or two or learning to play chess? I've been learning to play chess! Don't get stuck, or not for long.

I love SMART goals. They are specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related. Whether it be personal or professional, take the time to make and work toward goals. Each of us desperately need a sense of accomplishment. Every day is a new day.

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/10-ways-to-achieve-your-goals-quicker.html

Most of us have goals, but achieving goals isn't that easy. This guide offers simple tips to teach you how to achieve goals and get closer to success.

12/30/2020

Employee bonuses pay off of in the short and long run. Happy New Year!!!!!

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/compensation/pages/more-companies-offer-bonuses-as-a-challenging-year-ends.aspx

To reward employees who have dealt with a year of challenges, more companies are giving bonuses this December. When employees were asked what they would like most from their employer this holiday season, bonuses far outpaced gifts or virtual parties

12/15/2020

I hate the word "Boss", but do understand why it exists. The best "boss" I've had was a VP. I was a newly hired Director who asked, "Is it ok if I do ____." What I wanted to do, was BIG ask and something that the organization had never done before. He called everyone on our division floor together (AVP, Secretary, IT, +), repeated my question, looked around the room and responded, "I hire people who are smarter than me to do what they do best. I trust you to make educated, informed decisions. If something goes wrong, or does not go the way we planned, as a division we will figure out how to do better next time. We don't often have to figure those things out."

Whatever your position, it's very important to respect one another for talents and skill sets. In a perfect world, what one person does is complemented by what others in the office/team do. In an Infinite-Vision perfect world, each person is reminded often why they are an important piece in achieving goals and success.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ten-things-describe-perfect-boss-50604.html

Ten Things That Describe a Perfect Boss. A boss can make an employee look forward to going to work in the morning or dread getting out of bed. Some bosses seem to have a natural gift for motivating people. Others can make life miserable for employees, resulting in lower productivity, lack of motivat...

12/08/2020

Here are tips to help keep your employees engaged and motivated during this Covid holiday season from Career Start Workforce Management Group in Syracuse , NY:

1. Say thank you
2. Write an appreciation letter to each employee
3. Give each employee a gift card, let them leave work to use it
4. Meet up on zoom a couple of hours later for show and tell

My additional comments
1. Say thank you as often as possible, every day (to people in and outside of your work world)
2. Make each appreciation letter personal-start with a first name and make sure you spell it right
3. They will probably go to a website, not leave the house-not a lot of time. If you do give a GC for a restaurant or shop, try to make it local (support a local business and, again, won't take a lot of time) and support vendors that offer curbside pick up (for safety sake).
4. Make it fun! There's always room for laughter.

https://careerstartny.com/keeping-employees-engaged-during-the-holiday-season/ #:~:text=Here%20are%20five%20tips%20to,appreciation%20letter%20to%20each%20employee.&text=Or%2C%20give%20each%20employee%20a,for%20some%20show%20and%20tell.

Keeping employees engaged during the holiday season can be a real challenge. Help keep them focused this year using these 5 tips!

11/24/2020

https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/economist-says-brick-and-mortar-stores-will-see-less-business-this-holiday-season-due-to-covid-19/

Many small, local businesses rely on holiday revenue. This year, more than ever, this could be a measure of survival. I hope we can all be creative about supporting folks who did not get PIP funds, are not as technologically savvy as Amazon and/or have been affected by Covid shut-downs. Gifts don't have to be grand. Buy someone a meal from a local restaurant, give a local grocery store gift certificate or have flowers delivered from a local florist. If you have a little bit extra, consider having a pizza delivered to the your gas station or dry cleaner. No matter who you are or what your circumstances are, you have things to be thankful for.

This news clip is a great reminder that, whether in Ohio or Massachusetts, we are going through the same. It's up to each of us to keep our neighbors in business. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Unfortunately, with the way the numbers are looking in Ohio, that’s going to discourage a lot of people from venturing out of their homes, ” said Adams. “That’s going to ma…

11/12/2020

Personally and professionally we've all got a lot on our minds these days. Don't think too much about what others are or are not doing. Take good care of you-each one of us has only 1 chance to live every day of our lives. The difference between success and failure is perspective and persistence. During this pandemic, are you limiting yourself or being creative and relentless about finding new opportunities?

"Take a method and try it. If it fails..." - Franklin D. Roosevelt quotes from BrainyQuote.com

10/21/2020

My dad died two weeks ago. I've learned much about life and business from his examples and advice. He was riding his bike every day, taking walks to his barn and back. The third week in August he was paving a brick path in the back yard. He had headaches, an upset stomach and a low grade fever the week after. On Sept. 2 Dad was admitted to the hospital with Covid, which quickly turned to pneumonia. He was seldom sick throughout his life. Being in the hospital for the month of September threw him into a delerium that he did not recover from.

Work being intermingled with every facet of life is all I've ever known. Being raised by self employed parents gave me those roots. Whoever you are reading this, whatever you do, appreciate those you love and take time to learn from them. No matter the age, we all have something to teach one another, and plenty to learn.

There's a hole in my heart, but not in my life. We should all leave the lasting legacy that Dad did. He built his first house when he was 15 and sold it when he was 16. He flipped houses in the 70's before it had a name. He had a great head for investing and was an economic genius. Dad would often say, "I don't think I've worked a day in my life. It's not work if you enjoy every minute."

09/25/2020

It's been a week, when all I can reflect on is meme's. Enjoy the piece below. "We are all in this together" is a necessary 2020 phrase. Don't forget to take time for you!

https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/working-from-home-memes

With so many people working from home because of COVID-19, the number of memes about working from home has increased as well. Check out our top relatable work from home memes.

09/18/2020

Here's a Friday afternoon reminder that we should intently live in and learn from each Covid day. I am certain that we will discover/find innovations, providing hope for our personal and business lives-tomorrow and beyond. Have a great rest of your day and weekend!

"AMIDST THESE MASSIVE DISRUPTIONS, A COMBINATION OF SHORT- AND LONG-TERM INNOVATION RESPONSES CAN PROVIDE A RAY OF HOPE FOR BUSINESSES."

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-one-good-thing-caused-by-covid-19-innovation

Hong Luo and Alberto Galasso see risk-mitigating innovation everywhere the virus spreads.

07/20/2020

I'm so proud of Infinite Vision Client, Apple Tree Arts (ATA). Through a collaboration with several Worcester, MA non profits and funding from the United Way of Central MA, ATA put together an exciting outreach curriculum, bringing programs to new communities!

05/19/2020

Here are some quick, easy ways to keep in touch with customers. Many of us are opening slowly and in phases; keeping in touch with your customers/clients is important now as it was in mid March.

https://smallbiztrends.com/2020/03/how-to-stay-in-touch-with-customers.html

You may need to reach out to customers in multiple ways to really get important messages across. Here are 25 tips on how to stay in touch with customers.

05/08/2020

Fast Company is one of my favorite mainstream business resources. This piece came out a few weeks ago. We are in different states of quarantine and opening; these suggestions bridge that gap.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90489203/5-creative-ways-small-businesses-are-succeeding-during-the-covid-19-quarantine

As coronavirus quarantines have forced many to close their doors, these small businesses have come up with ways to continue to serve customers and expand their offerings.

05/01/2020

Great advice, information and options!

"Is it possible to retain employees in such difficult economic times? Of course it is — because layoffs are, in part, a choice. They are also a consequence of how leaders run their business."
Jeffrey Pfeffer

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/jeffrey-pfeffer-covid-19-changes-everything-nothing-about-managing-workers

For employers, best practices during a pandemic are no different than before: take care of your people.