Small Business Ideas: Why Women Are Happier in Business
I woke up this morning, thinking about my early days of starting a small business and what was going on in my head at the time. This took me to wondering why some surveys are showing that women are happier in business, and why 90% of women considered their businesses a success, as opposed to 80% of men.The way women view life is very different to men, and this carries over into the businesses they create and run.Entrepreneurship ties in closely with the way women run their families and manage relationships.Women survive personal struggles by talking, supporting, and leaning on others whenever the need arises. When entering the business world, they bring along these home-grown qualities, enabling them to approach business from a customer perspective.There is much both men and women can take away from these observations, including outlook on life and a basic approach to business.Modifying Expectations and Creating OptimismMost women do not go into business with the aim of building something huge or memorable. Perhaps they are happier with their businesses because their expectation are lower.Here is a technique to use when starting a business, that keeps you optimistic as well as realistic, while reducing stress. Decide on a minimum income you need to survive – then work backwards to figure out how many widgets or services you need to sell in order to achieve that goal. See this as your success point, and recognize every achievement above this mark as a roaring success. In most cases the goal is achievable, which gives you enough reality-based optimism to move forward and enjoy the ride.Any TaskA woman truly is the proverbial lioness when it comes to protecting and providing for her family. There is no task too menial if it benefits her children.Entrepreneurs fresh out of the corporate world, are used to having many things done for them. As a result, on entering a start-up, they need to learn quite a number of mundane skills.When it comes to business, women are more inclined to wear many hats, just as they do in their private lives. This is ability vital to a start-up environment.CommunicationNetworking and mentoring are a strength in most women. It is what makes our world go round.You too, can learn to open up about your concerns, hopes, and fears to close friends and loved ones, which helps keep fear at bay and the creative juices flowing.Listening to and communicating with customers is the heart of any successful business.Use these observations to reduce your stress and eliminate the fear of failure.Go for it! Look for something you love to do and turn it into a small business.
Correction of Some Misconceptions About Dental Health
It is very important to maintain good oral health. There are a lot of erroneous beliefs and practices related to oral and dental health which has a negative impact on the dental health.Some of these erroneous beliefs:1) Many believe that it is better to clean their teeth with a hard brush rather than a soft brush. That is wrong because the use of hard brush leads to erosion of teeth enamel from the necks of the teeth and resulting in roughness of the surface of the teeth and exposure of the sensitive layer of the teeth and receding gums form the roots. It is better to use a soft brush and toothpaste and follow a nice healthy way to clean your teeth.2) Many believe that when you note bleeding gums while brushing your teeth, the teeth must not be cleaned. That is wrong because the bleeding gums is the first sign of inflammation resulting from inadequate cleaning. And if you refrain from brushing your teeth that will leads to the accumulation of germ layer and, thus, more infections and odors. You should visit your dentist to avoid the deterioration of your gums situation.3) Many believe that the non-replacement of missing teeth does not affect the rest of the teeth or oral health. That is wrong because leaving the space created by the extraction leads to a failure of occlusion and the movement of the adjacent and the opposed teeth to fill the space which results in the periodontal pockets, spaces between teeth, the forward movement of the front teeth and sore jaw joint. You must replace your missing teeth as soon as you can in order to avoid those consequences.4) Many believe that the use of teeth to open cans of soft drinks or break the hard things is a testament to its strength and hardness. That is wrong because the use of teeth for these purposes, lead to cracks in the enamel and vulnerability, which increases the likelihood of your teeth to be broken or sensitive or even lose them, particularly if the teeth are covered with crowns or ceramic object, or has root canal treatment thereby increasing their vulnerability to break.5) Many believe that the use of teeth whitening products sold in the shops save money and time. These products May result in some teeth whitening but their effectiveness will not reach up to those used by dentists because the items sold in shops has low concentrations in order to prevent damage from misuse by the consumer. Therefore, teeth whitening when done by the doctor gives better results and it is much faster, especially using laser light or plasma. It is also safer and the color resulting from the bleaching is better and lasts longer.6) Many believe that leaving a bottle of breast-feeding in the child mouth during sleep has a calming effect on the child. That is wrong, the problem is that the majority of milk products contain sugars which lead to tooth decay, and to have the teeth immersed in milk for long periods of time that will expose it to bacteria and thus decay. The process of sucking for a long time may reflect effects on the growth of the upper jaw.7) Many believe that wooden sticks are useful to clean food from between the teeth. That is wrong; the bad use of wooden sticks leads to erosion of the teeth and injured gums. The wooden sticks should not be used in case of the teeth in contact and gums fill the space between them. In the case of spaces between the teeth or gums, you can then use the wooden sticks, but with caution, otherwise dental floss must be used to clean the spaces between the teeth.8) Many believe that it is normal for the pregnant woman to lose one of her teeth with the birth of each child. That is wrong, the change of hormones during pregnancy may make the teeth and gums more susceptible to infections and tooth decay. If the pregnant woman teeth and gum are healthy and do not suffer from infections, or decay, she will not experience problems during pregnancy. So, the woman who is planning to have children should take care of the health of her teeth, get them cleaned periodically at the doctor office prior to pregnancy. The different hormones in that period may worsen the gingival inflammation, raising the possibility of teeth loss. She must also eat healthy food during pregnancy and take the vitamins necessary to maintain the necessary calcium level for healthy teeth and bones.9) Many believe that the deciduous teeth (baby teeth) do not need to be cleaned or checked at the dentist because it will be replaced by permanent teeth. That is wrong; the deciduous teeth must be cleaned and checked periodically at the dentist between the age of two and five. You should urge children to clean their teeth from a young age, cleaning method at this stage does not matter, what is most important is for the child to get used to the use of a toothbrush. With the growth of child the family should try to correct the child cleaning method, but it should be done gradually, it is natural that the child swallows a small amount of toothpaste; therefore, specific toothpaste for children should be used because they contain less fluoride and does not pose a threat to child health.Neglect of these things will cause teeth decay and lead to abscesses and infections in the teeth nerves, causing the child pain and problems that could have been avoided easily. The early loss of deciduous teeth cause an imbalance in the chewing and affect the correct pronunciation, and lead to the loss of spaces for the growth of permanent teeth and result in overlapping and competing with the permanent teeth.To maintain healthy teeth you should visit the dentist every six months to examine teeth, gums, and get your teeth cleaned if necessary with fluoride application to increase your teeth resistance to decay because your teeth has been created to stay for life.
Chaos Theory: The Uncontrollable Factor in the Development of Management Systems
Failures in project management systems can be superficially explained by anything from a lack of project detail to managerial conflicts. However, this failure often has deeper roots. Until we begin to recognize this uncontrollable factor it will be difficult to master the implementation of any management system. This factor is known as the “Chaos Theory” or simply “chaos”. Chaos Theory could be considered a core management theory for the 21st century. According to Wheatley (1992) when management tries to control chaos by “shoehorning” it into a specific structure, an organization is bound to fail. Controlling chaos this rigidly is actually limiting information gathering (Stuart, 1995) and creating the illusion of management. According to McNamara (1999), Chaos Theory recognizes that events are rarely controlled. As systems such as those in management grow in complexity, the more they become volatile or susceptible to cataclysmic events.One way to plan for such chaos is through “contingency management”. Contingency management is having an alternative plan to fall back on when chaos strikes, allowing for critical internal processes to continue and meet the desired outcome. Most managers do not see contingency management as a necessary step, because it takes time. In a world where efficiency and timeliness is key, this step is often the first to be overlooked. Until management recognizes the importance of contingency management and allows it to be fully implemented, chaos will continue to hinder the progress and efficiency of management systems.DEFINING AND ESTIMATING CHAOSThe more general name for the field is complexity theory, where chaos is a particular mode of behavior (Rosenhead, 1998). Chaos theory explains that the behavior in turbulent systems quickly becomes disordered (Wikipedia, 2005). Chaos theory acknowledges that management systems break down. It recognizes that decisions need to be made even in the absence of all intended information (Herz, 2001). Complete order, while the ideal, will always be the one unaccounted for variable–part of our human nature. Similar to accidents, chaos is like a release of energy in an uncontrolled way (Blockley, 1998).Project management systems are considered dynamic systems, similar to those in nature, which means they change over time and are hard to predict. Even though they are changing, there is usually an underlying predictability that can be identified. This is where chaotic behavior comes into play. Behavior in systems can be placed into two zones, one, the stable zone, where the system, if disturbed, returns to its initial state and two, the zone of instability where some small activity leads to further divergence (Rosenhead, 1998).CALCULATING CHAOSChaos is immeasurable because of its level of randomness and unpredictability. Gabriel (1996) states that looking for sufficient equations to enable one to ‘manage’ such chaos is part of a futile and wish-fulfilling quest. However there are some researchers that believe calculating chaos is possible. While chaos in the business world mimics that in nature, unlike chaos in nature, there are measurable ways for project managers to try and calculate the degree to which chaos will affect their project. The following formula can help to calculate project constraints:Dynamics = D + a*P + b*R + c*D*P + d*P*R + e*R*D + f*D*P*RWhere D=directives, P=prerequisites, R=resources and a & f are constraints.However Bertelsen and Koskela (2003) postulate that aside from estimating the size of the chaos (small to extra large), a system is too complicated to predict its function and response to a given problem.WHY IS BUSINESS SO CHAOTIC?The pace of today’s businesses and technological innovations have quickened to an impossible pace. Sometimes project timelines need to be written before all tasks and resources have been completely identified, which puts a project behind schedule before it has begun. This increasingly fast-paced system is “a breeding ground” for a chaotic management system (Yoke, 2003).This breeding ground is creating a complexity explosion, which is affecting the way project managers need to manage. Undertaking a management system project is more than a weeklong project–many last for years or longer. As conditions are constantly changing, goals and objectives need to also be flexible to change. Goals and objectives are necessary, however, flexibility is key in order to ensure positive long-term results of a project.HOW TO MANAGE CHAOSThe first line of defense in order to manage chaos is a good management team and an even better project manager. According to Bertelsen & Koskela (2003) an organization can manage its chaos by seeking out the factors that are easiest to change. An organization should then handle a projects dynamics and stress in the face of uncertainties. Finally, a manager should both always have a contingency plan and be able to keep track of critical factors and issue warnings. By turning an organization into a “learning organization” successful management of chaos is more likely (Bertelsen & Koskela, 2003).Systems are so dynamically complex and highly sensitive to conditions that any link between cause and effect can set off a ripple effect rendering its future deliverable unpredictable. Technologies, timelines, scope, costs, personnel, are constantly changing within an organization and management must be adaptable. The same holds true for project managers. If they are not given the flexibility to adapt to chaos then management systems will fail. Project managers need to be seen as venture capitalists: always searching for new ideas.Most management systems set forth a detailed plan and than proceed to follow it. According to McNamara the best way to do this is to work backwards through the system of an organization. This will help to show which processes will produce the right output and what inputs are required to conduct those processes (McNamara, 1999). A good project manager is one who realizes that plans often need to change in order to accommodate a changing situation. By following contingency plans, good managers can avoid such mishaps as scope creep and cost overruns.
There are different tools that project managers can use to help manage the chaos and successfully manage complicated systems. According to the Numbers Group some such tools are:1. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – breaks the product to be developed or produced by hardware, software, support, or service element and relates the scope to each.
Example of WBS2. Program Evaluation and Review (PERT) – a model, which helps the project manager define the critical path using, randomized tasks
Example of Pert Chart3. Implementation Schedule (GANTT) – graphical representation of the duration of tasks against the progression of time.Example of Gantt Chart4. Enneagram – originally a tool for personality mapping, can find order in chaos by identifying underlying patterns in an organization. The map allows project managers to predict certain outcomes, which results in more reliable management systems. The Enneagram provides a structured view with which to see the order in between chaos (Fowlke & Fowlke, 1997).
Example of an EnneagramCONCLUSIONA good project manager is one who can adapt to a changing environment as well as allow individuals to manage their own areas of expertise. This business trend is seen in forward thinking companies in the 21st century, and is also known as “managing by objectives” or “empowering knowledge workers”. Unfortunately, in most companies this value paradigm is missed because management is focused on the financials rather than on renewing and developing knowledge (Stuart, 1995).The project manager’s main function is to recognize employees’ strengths and to empower his group to work individually, both in a team and as individuals. The new project manager needs to be forward thinking and to have the ability to be flexible, creative, and able to respond to events quickly (Yolk 2003). Organizations need to embrace disorder and look to the edge of chaos (Stuart, 1995). Perhaps this empowerment of both individuals and teams as a whole, in conjunction with managements’ ability to stay nimble in the face of a dramatically changing environment, will allow organizations to better manage the challenge of chaos in the 21st century.REFERENCESBertlesen, Sven; Koskela, Lauri. “Avoiding and Managing Chaos in Projects.” http://strobos.cee.vt.edu/IGLC11/PDF%20Files/03.pdf>.Blockley, David. “Managing Proneness to Failure.” Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management June 1998: 147-176.Freedman, David. “Chaos Theory.” Inc. October 1998: 50-60.