Proven Small Business Ideas&Opportunities

Austin, TX (PRWEB) December 21, 2011

Technology Futures, Inc. (TFI) is pleased to announce that “MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends,” by Dr. John H. Vanston with Carrie Vanston, has won the Pinnacle Book Acheivement Best Business Book Award. This award is in addition to several earlier book awards “MINITRENDS” has received.

According to Dr. Vanston, “Many people will be starting the New Year with resolutions to achieve new goals. I am gratified with the attention “MINITRENDS” is receiving because I believe the book provides a path to make those goals a reality. The best way for individuals and businesses seeking to start new ventures or keep existing business innovative and competitive is to be constantly on the lookout for emerging trends that are not yet widely recognized. “MINITRENDS” helps people do just that by providing a mindset and process for initial idea generation and techniques to analyze and exploit these ideas.”

Based on Dr. Vanston’s more than 30 years of experience in identifying and applying technical, social, and business trends, “MINITRENDS” provides practical guidance to individuals and organizations of all sizes for extracting business opportunities from emerging trends that have a realistic chance of becoming profitable in the next 2-5 years. The book assists the reader in launching their own exciting, profitable “Minitrend Adventure” using their creativity, foresight, innovative nature, and basic good sense.

Additional accolades for “MINITRENDS” include an Eric Hoffer Business Book of the Year Award and finalist nods from ForeWord Reviews’ Business Book of the Year, USA Book News’ Entrepreneurship & Small Business Book of the Year, and Dan Poytner’s Global Business eBook of the Year. Excellent endorsements and testimonials have also been received from top futurists Joseph Coates and David Pearce Snyder and many other opinion leaders and publications.

For more information or to purchase the book, please visit the Minitrends Website or contact us by e-mail or (512) 258-8898.

For 33 years, TFI has helped organizations plan for the future by offering outstanding technology and telecommunications forecasting services and custom forecasts for key trends to high-technology and telecom organizations.

PRESS, MEDIA, BLOGGERS: Please contact Carrie Vanston by e-mail or (512) 258-8898 if you are interested in doing a Minitrends article, to request an interview with Dr. Vanston, or to request a review copy of “MINITRENDS.”

###

by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden

Requirements for Successful Goal Setting and Achievement

Article by Timothy Anderson

Goal setting helps us determine our priorities, get organized, make big decisions, and realize our dreams. The act of merely setting your personal goals brings about positive change for many people. When you set a goal you are creating an exciting challenge for yourself. Almost all motivational experts incorporate goal setting as an important part of their programs. The effectiveness of Goal Setting can be seen in the incredible accomplishments of people such as: Henry Ford who wanted to make cars affordable for everyone, Bill Gates whose goal was to have a computer in every household, and John F. Kennedy who set out to put a man on the moon within a decade. There is a famous story about Jim Carrey who, while struggling as an actor in 1987, drove his car up on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood hills to think about the future. While sitting there overlooking the city of Los Angeles he wrote a check made out to himself for “acting services rendered” for the amount of million. He dated the check for Thanksgiving of 1995. Jim’s Goal turned out to be conservative because by the time 1995 rolled around he was making million a movie.A typical goal achievement process entails the following requirements:Well formed Goal StatementsBreaking goals down into manageable StepsMotivation and CommitmentReminders and Keeping on trackFrequent Review and Re-assessment1. Well formed Goal StatementsThe Goal Statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement. A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the old S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for:SpecificMeasurableAction-OrientedRealisticTangibleThe Goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we know exactly what is to be accomplished and when it has been reached, action-oriented declaring positive activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved given the limited availability of resources, and tangible meaning concrete and not vague. The goal statement “Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending” is an example that follows these rules.2. Breaking down Goals into manageable StepsOnce we have a well-formed Goal Statement we need some direction to follow to achieve this Goal. While the goal “Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending” is a great goal statement, this is a monumental task without being broken down into smaller detailed steps. The creation of Goal Steps gives us an “Action Plan” that when completed will lead to Goal Achievement. Steps also allow for tracking of progress towards the goal. Goal Steps should be positive and not used to list obstacles that must be overcome which focuses on the negative. Negativity can kill motivation but there is power in positive thinking.3. Motivation and CommitmentMotivation and commitment are what make us strive to achieve goals. They give us the push, desire, and resolve to complete all of the other steps in the Goal process. This motivation can be obtained by developing a personal statement that creates a high level of emotion and energy that guarantees achievement. One self help expert said that as a child he was kicked out of his local country club pool because he was not a member, in response he later made a goal that he would one day have a pool that is one foot bigger than that country club’s pool. The motivation of being asked to leave the pool provided the necessary fuel for him to achieve this goal. Commitment creates more accountability and is what sets us on direct course to reach our goals. It may create costly negative consequences upon failure to attain a goal. Making a commitment might be something like having invested your savings in your new business which you will lose if it fails. Motivation and commitment are specific to your situation and life and only you can form statements that will ensure you reach your goal the quickest. The more personal you make your motivation and commitment statements for each goal, the more motivated you will be to accomplish your goal.4. Reminders and Keeping on TrackReaching our goals requires persistence and regular attention. We need some sort of system to keep us reminded and accountable. Sharing goals with others who can give you help and support is a highly effective way to increase your chances for success. If some accountability system is not used then we are likely to lose sight and fail.5. Frequent Review and Re-assessmentWhen we first sit down and start to define goals it can seem like a difficult and daunting task but over time it begins to get much easier. Patience is required. Goal Setting is definitely an ongoing process that is accomplished over time. Any goals program that defines goals and then ignores them will fail. All goals due in the next year should be reviewed at least once a week and daily if possible. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to make big decisions and determine priorities in our life. We should keep watch for goals that are not being achieved on time or for goals on which we keep extending the deadline.Special Gift: Get over 6 hours of audio program from best-selling authors, world-class trainers and success gurus for free by clicking this link –> Success Course.

Check out these goals & motivation products:

Leading Edge Goal Achievement Product
Earn 50% of every sale and help people create more effective and fulfilling lives in doing so! http://www.core-resourcing.com/affiliates
Leading Edge Goal Achievement Product

Product Description / b>
This digital document is a newspaper article from Contemporary Educational Psychology, published by Elsevier 2004th The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon. com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can do it with a browser.
Description: BR> path analysis was used to test the predictions of a model that explains how students’ perceptions of class structures (information, support independent living and mas … more>>

Predicting high school students’ cognitive engagement and achievement: Contributions of classroom perceptions and motivation

Image taken on 2007-02-25 17:03:26 by laihiu.