Are you improving yourself personally everyday?

One of the biggest mistakes a successful business owner or manager can do is to stop developing themselves personally. Some leaders believe they don’t need to take the time to continue learning and developing their skills. They sit back and relax. They coast.

Unfortunately the only way you can coast is downhill.

You cannot let this happen. In order to keep your business successful, you must continue to develop yourself personally. If you can keep learning and grow individually, it will be much easier to help your company grow as a whole.

There are many ways to increase your personal development. Start by building a library at work with personal development books, CD’s and DVD’s. Attend a seminar. Brainstorm with business friends and employees and develop ideas on how to improve yourself.

Below are the top five areas that if studied every day can keep you at your best as a successful business owner.

Positive Attitude – In order to maintain a positive attitude, you have to study it every day. It is easy to keep a positive attitude when everything is going great. However, what happens to your attitude when things are going bad? Dedicate time everyday to studying positive thoughts and actions. Read a couple of pages from a positive attitude book every morning, or listen to some of your favorite songs that make you happy and smile.

Goals – Many successful people reach the goals they set for themselves. However, if you have put in the hard work to reach a lifetime goal, don’t roll over and play dead. Celebrate!! Then start to establish a new goal. Pick something that is fun and that will challenge you everyday. Don’t ever quit making and reaching worthwhile goals.

Leadership – Even a great leader can take steps to become even better. You might already be a great leader, but as your people grow, you must grow as a leader to stay ahead of them. Enroll in leadership seminars or classes, and read new books on how leadership situations and styles are changing with time. Reading two books a year on leadership is the minimum for maintaining your skills.

Sales – In small businesses, the number one job of any business owner is usually in sales. Spend time every day increasing your knowledge in sales. However, don’t waste your time learning new sales tactics and techniques. Spend your time learning the reasons why people buy from you. Revisit your last ten or twenty sales and ask the customer why they decided to buy from you.

Technology – Make it a priority to stay up with current technology. Computers, cell phones, and the internet are increasing the speed of the business world at a rapid pace. Learn to embrace the changes of technology or you will be competing with a severe handicap against those who have.

Start now. Make the daily dedication to improve yourself personally. If you put forth the hard work, the results will be great!

John

Stainless steel tapping sleeves are the most common product used when making new taps on existing waterlines. However, many installations I have seen didn’t go exactly as recommended by the manufacturer. These installations turned out OK, but below are a few tips to follow when installing these sleeves that will help make installation easier.

1. Make sure you clean the pipe thoroughly.

2. Inspect area of pipe where sleeve is to be installed for irregularities. Do not install on irregular surfaces.

3. Check to be sure the outside diameter of the pipe falls within the tapping sleeves range.

4. Lubricate pipe and gasket with soap and water. (You do this right?)

5. Position the sleeve to line up with the branch-line to be connected. Never rotate the sleeve when the gasket is flush against the pipe.

6. When fitting the two halves of the sleeve together, make sure the gaskets overlap properly.

7. Alternate tightening the bolts from one side to the other, starting from the outside of the sleeve and working in.

8. Tighten all bolts evenly. Torque bolts according to manufacturer’s specifications. Wait 5 minutes to allow gasket compression and retighten if needed, again making sure to torque the bolts to the manufacturer’s specifications.

9. After attaching the valve, test all the seals using the test plug before making the tap.

In addition to these tips, please read and follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions included with the tapping sleeve you are using.

DekoRRa Decorative Rocks

These decorative rocks provide a great solution to cover up old eye sores in your landscape.

They are designed in several different shapes, sizes, and colors to blend in with any landscape. Visit the website below to see all the product offerings of DekoRRa Products