Showing posts with label Entrepreneurship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entrepreneurship. Show all posts

July 23, 2021

Don't Live Within Your Means

Living within your means is well-intended advice to prevent people from acquiring debt. But could this advice prevent individuals from believing and achieving a bigger and better life?

Mean among many definitions is average. Living outside your means spiritually, emotionally, and socially can lead to an extraordinary life. Here’s how:
  • Write your big dreams and read them daily
  • Create a vision board with images that coincide with your dreams
  • Review, envision, and mediate daily of you achieving your dreams
  • Surround yourself with people who have what you desire
  • Strive for purpose and not security
  • Live by faith and not fear

July 20, 2021

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Certification

The Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) certification program prepares small business owners and leaders to succeed in today's competitive business landscape. An ESB certification will validate the skills and knowledge for individuals to work in a middle-skill trade profession, as an entrepreneur, or to pursue small business career aspirations with an understanding of core business principles and essentials to launch and sustain a successful business.

Candidates of the ESB Certification will need to have a conceptual knowledge of entrepreneurial and small business principles with a minimum of 150 instruction hours. However, students are not required to have real-world business experience to take and successfully pass the ESB exam. The ESB core concepts are:
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Recognizing and evaluating opportunities
  • Planning, starting, and operating a business
  • Marketing and sales
  • Business financials and funding
Exam criteria: ESB certification engages and prepares students to further their postsecondary training to enter the small business sector immediately after high school graduation. The entrepreneurial concepts validated by this certification will ensure these students are college and career-ready.

July 15, 2021

Don't Shoot The Messenger

Doctors write medical prescriptions to help patients heal. Training providers design or deliver training modules to meet the learning needs of their trainees. Patients must take their prescribed medicine according to their doctor's instructions. If they don't, the healing process may not reach its full potential. Trainees that participate in training and place their training material on a shelf will abort their potential to apply what they've learned in their training session.

Doctors and training providers are not perfect, but they are skilled in their craft. If patients and trainees do not use or apply the information given to them to heal or perform better at work or in business, the outcome does not rest in the hands of the physician or trainer. It solely rests in the hands of the patients and trainees.

June 24, 2021

Getting Unstuck

Where are you? Where do you want to go? How are you going to get there? These are the questions a technical instructor asked to help trainees learn how to change directories using DOS (i.e., Disk Operating System).

Post-DOS days, the technical instructor realized these questions apply to our everyday lives, and we believe these questions can help individuals get unstuck in their careers, relationships, or finances. If you feel stuck, click here and download our guide that can help you get unstuck.

April 4, 2019

Choose Yourself

Industrialized jobs have depleted in America, and if you want to stay afloat in today’s economy, you need skills that people want and what they’re willing to pay for. Essentially, your work will be based on your key strengths, accomplishments, self-marketing, connections and your performance. And that’s authentic connections, not pretentious ones to simply make a sale or to gain a client.

Social media is falsifying some efforts to connect. Some people think they’re gaining connections based on their followers. If followers aren’t being acknowledged or valued, there’s no connection. But information sharing to an audience that can relate to their content.

The realities of today’s workforce have changed. Job security no longer exists, and safe careers are simply a myth. To achieve a successful career, entrepreneurial (i.e., always exploring opportunities) skills are a must. You have to rely on your inner resources to be self-managing to plan and execute your own career. No one can do this for you; the only security you can depend on is your ability to market yourself through the ups and downs of this work climate.

Be a careerist! Learn how to navigate through the changing landscape of work, know what you have to sell, know how to live with uncertainty, and have optimism and belief in yourself.

June 26, 2017

Stand Out from the Crowd!

According to CIO.com there are thirteen IT certifications that have emerged that can help you get a leg up on your career. Whether you're a seasoned IT professional, recent college graduate, or an individual transitioning to an IT career, an IT certification can help you stand out from the crowd and show hiring managers you have the credentials to meet their IT business needs.

We've highlighted our IT certification courses that made the list to help you emerge in your business and/or career.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is a certification program developed by ISACA to develop an individual's career as a a security manager. Once certified, the CISM qualifies students to design, manage, asses and oversee an enterprise's information security infrastructure.

IT Security without question is one of the hottest and most lucrative areas of Information Technology and the CISM is one of the most valued credentials in the marketplace. This online course promotes international practices and provides management with assurance that those earning this certification have the necessary knowledge and experience to provide effective security management. This course is best suited for IT professionals like risk managers, security auditors, compliance officers, information security managers, security analysts, and IT security architects. Learn more.

Annual salary for individuals with a CISM certification is $59,000 - $225,000. (Source: PayScale)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Created by ISACA, the CISA certification is globally recognized and is commonly associated with every phase of the IT auditing process. This online course will help professionals gain the knowledge, skills, experience and credibility to leverage standards, manage vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, offer solutions, institute controls and deliver value to the enterprise. CISA is commonly associated with IT auditing roles like senior information technology auditor, information security manager, and security analyst. Learn more.

Average salary for a CISA certification is $48,000 to $171,000 per year. (Source: PayScale)

Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

A Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification demonstrates your ability to manage large-scale business projects and serve as a servant-leader to ensure Scrum team members work together to learn the framework commonly used to develop software and hardware. CSMs understand Scrum values, practices, and applications and provide a level of knowledge and expertise above and beyond typical project managers, which makes this certification a valuable skill to add to your resume. CSM certifications are best suited for IT project managers and software engineers. Learn more.

Average average salary for a CSM certification is 56,000 to $142,000 per year. (Source:PayScale)

MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure

Microsoft Cloud certification validates you have the experience, knowledge, and skills to manage and implement Microsoft cloud computing technologies. It also certifies you have the expertise to build a Microsoft private cloud solution and gain IT infrastructure automation and flexibility. This certification will benefit IT managers, directors, system administrators, system engineers, and network administrators. Learn more.

Average salary for an MCSE certification is $47,000 to $145,000 per year. (Source: PayScale)

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)

Individuals with a MOS certification demonstrates their skills and efficiency in using one or more products in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, or Access. MOS certifications are great for office managers, executive assistants, administrative workers, and individuals transitioning to an entry-level technical career.

According to an IDC White Paper, individuals that hold a MOS Certification can boost their salary by as much as $16,000 more than individuals not certified based on their current job title and certification level (i.e., core, expert, or master). Learn more.

Average salary for a MOS certification is $45,000 and to $65,000. (Source: PayScale)

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Project managers who have proven skills and experience can find exciting, highly-visible opportunities in a wide range of fields. This course is specifically designed to provide the proven, practical body of project management knowledge and skills you need to demonstrate your project management mastery. Additionally, this course can be a significant part of preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam.

The skills and knowledge you gain from this course will help you avoid making costly mistakes and increase your competitive edge in the project management profession.

IT professionals who can benefit most from a PMP certification are: IT project managers, directors of operations and IT directors. Learn more.

The average salary for an individual with a PMP certification is $58,000 to $177,000. (Source: PayScale)

July 12, 2016

Equal, But Different

When women stop seeking validation and approval from men, their equity will grow. Some women dress seductively for men. Wear heels for the approval of men. Buy hair and make-up for men. Quit their jobs for men. Surrender their will to men who don't surrender their will to God. Live under the pretense that man knows what's best instead of God.

Should women who live subjectively to men expect equal treatment?

According to Genesis 1:26, God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and to let them have dominion over every living thing that creeps on the earth. And, according to Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

These verses share how God equally created men and women in His image to have dominion over the earth in our own distinctive roles. If women grasp hold of this knowledge, maybe women will seek equality through the Image of God instead of man.

June 8, 2015

Feelings vs. Facts

Feelings can be a challenge to prove in the workplace. They’re challenging because some feelings aren’t based on current realities, but on experiences that can cloud the truth.

If you’ve experienced an offence at work, think before you respond or react. And if you want an apology or resolve from the offender, here are a few things to consider:

  • Was the offence intentional? If so, can you prove it?
  • What was your emotional state when the offence occurred?
  • Are you viewing the current offence through the lens of your past?
  • What impact does the offence have on you and the company as a whole if it’s not addressed and resolved?
Telling someone how we feel in the workplace may be impossible to validate without tangible proof. One sure way to get heard is to measure offensive behaviors against the company’s mission and core values which should be outlined in the company’s employee handbook. Also, make sure you have the ability to show your value to the company as a problem-solver, not a complainer or whiner. You can do so when you speak more about what your company does and less about how you feel.

September 5, 2013

Self-Servants Not Wanted

A prospective partner contacted The SOFEI Group to offer their services to build their brand. This person was turned down because their main purpose to join wasn’t about helping us achieve our mission – it was self-serving.

If your ultimate reason to secure employment or start a business is to make money, you’re off to a bumpy start. Many MLM (Multi-level Marketing) business owners plummet because they see an opportunity to make money, instead of an opportunity to improve the lives of others with their product or service. And, many businesses are not experiencing exponential growth because it’s replete with self-serving people who choose not to use their skills, experience, or education to serve.

In this knowledge-based workforce, employers and business owners want to connect with believers, leaders, or servants. People who believe in the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives; leaders who can influence people to achieve greatness, and people who do not mind serving their internal and external clients.

Anyone willing to believe, lead, and serve can strengthen their opportunity to achieve long-term success. But, if your willingness to work is to reap and not sow, you may be characterized as a self-server. Have you ever seen a want ad or business opportunity for self-servants?

June 12, 2013

Take the Secret out of Doing Business

Attend this seminar to receive business secrets to grow your business. Really? Let’s face it; there are no secrets to doing business, just strategies. Instead of spending money and time attending seminars or workshops to find secrets, take a deep breath and revisit your purpose for going into business. Here are a few questions to think about when developing your business strategy:
  • Who are your clients and how do they find you?
  • What’s your strategy to deliver your product and/or service to prospective clients to meet their needs, solve their problems, or enhance their lives?
  • Who are your ideal business clients?
  • How well do you know your prospective and current clients?
  • What’s your strategy to keep your clients happy and transform them to raving fans?
  • What resources will you need to support your strategy?
  • What’s your strategy to handle disgruntled clients and build their trust?
  • What’s your strategy to continue moving your business forward when funds are low?
  • What method(s) will you use to stay connected to your clients for repeat business or referrals?
  • How will you demonstrate your appreciation for your client’s business?
  • What strategies or tools will you use to measure your client's satisfaction?
Many business secret gurus or experts are simply sharing strategies that were applicable to their personality, business, and clients. Don’t get lured into their strategy because you don’t know the resources (e.g., money, people, or equipment) they had access to when they started. And, their strategy may not be suitable for your business mission, vision, or clients.

Stop seeking secrets; just create and build your strategies. You’ll be amazed of the results you will reap and you will not need to keep this a secret.

August 21, 2012

The Least Factor

At least I have a job – but it’s not rewarding, fulfilling, or impactful.
At least I have a man – even though he’s married with children.
At least I know dynamic, elitist people - but don’t have authentic connections.
At least I go to church – but don’t have a spiritual connection to God.
At least I’m liked – but you yearn for unconditional love and encouragement.
At least I have a GED – but was born with potential beyond a general education.

Energy exhausted striving for the least is a fast race to the bottom. If you’re going to run, strive for the top (i.e., your best). No one spends time practicing to enter a race with the intention to lose or end at the bottom.

March 26, 2012

Who's Tooting Your Horn?

Horn Tooting is the normalcy in many business environments. But when and how loud should we toot our horns?
  • When we’ve closed the deal on a sale? Toot!
  • When we’ve written a book? Toot!
  • When we’ve made our first million? Toot!
  • Appeared on TV or radio? Toot!
  • When we’ve been embraced by an elite or exclusive group? Toot!
  • Received a degree from an Ivy League college? Toot!
  • Best Business of the Year Award recipient? Toot!
Luke 14:11 states, For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

If our clients aren’t tooting our horns, is our horn tooting in vain? Who's tooting yours?

October 21, 2011

Ten P's of Business Success

    1. Prayer – Spiritual guidance from God to ensure your work will bring glory and honor to Him
    2. Passion – The enthusiasm to serve others through your business
    3. Purpose – Clear business vision, existence, and desired outcomes
    4. Perseverance – Determination to achieve success regardless of obstacles or setbacks
    5. Patience – Ability to deal with difficult people and tasks
    6. Partnership – Business relationships that strengthens your capacity to better serve your clients
    7. Publicity – Life-changing services and/or products that create excitement about your business
    8. Power – The power of God when you run out of your might to succeed
    9. Performance – Criteria to evaluate and measure the effectiveness and impact of your work
    10. Purity – Absence of activities and/or people that can taint your business existence or expansion

September 15, 2011

What's the Secret to Success?

Discovering and crafting your gift and sharing it passionately with greatness! In our How to Create a Great Career workshop, we teach people how to build great careers from their innate qualities; not from skills they’ve learned to make a living, but from their God-given gifts to make a life.

During the workshop, we demonstrate how people like Serena and Venus Williams, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan were able to get corporate sponsorships because of their ‘greatness’ in their respective sports, not because they had good marketing skills to promote Nike, Hanes, or Buick.

God created us to succeed so others can experience Him through our work. And, He cannot accomplish this through people that know how to wear or drive success; but through people that are willing and spiritually fit to do the work He has called us to do.

Success is a divine right. Don’t allow the definitions or opinions of others hold yours hostage.