The Blog | Page 39 | jimraffel.com

Hello, I'm Shelby and I met him on Twitter

February 4, 2011 By Shelby Sapusek 23 Comments

Jim Raffel has been alluding to a new editor for JimRaffel.com for awhile now. It's finally time for introductions. "I met him on Twitter." That sentence has quickly become part of my everyday vocabulary. For me, Twitter started out as a way to meet people socially and keep up to date on local … [Read more...]

I thought I missed my prime

February 3, 2011 By Jim Raffel 8 Comments

I thought I missed my prime until I realized I was smack dab in the middle of it. I've survived my mid-life crises, at least the first couple and am ready to roll. I know more than I've ever known. I've always tried to focus on what to do with the tools so that my knowledge remains relevant and … [Read more...]

All costs are variable in the long run

February 2, 2011 By Jim Raffel 2 Comments

One of the things you either learn in business school or in the school of hard knocks is that a business has two kinds of costs: fixed and variable. At least in the short run, that is true. In the long run, a fixed cost can become variable and a variable cost can become fixed. Fixed and Variable … [Read more...]

Ideas have no schedule

February 1, 2011 By Jim Raffel 3 Comments

Sometimes I have a shortage of ideas and struggle to decide what to write about, like this morning. More often, I have more than enough ideas and it's just a matter of getting in the writing flow and cranking out the posts. Those are the times when I double and triple up on writing and get a few … [Read more...]

How Facebook broke down online barriers

January 31, 2011 By Jim Raffel 2 Comments

Recently, I was interviewed by Matt Mansfield for his blog post The Elephant in the Cloud – How Safe is Your Data?. During that conversation I made the comment that I feel Software as a Service (SaaS) is easier to sell today because of Facebook. Millions of folks, well a half-billion of you at last … [Read more...]

Why Strategy Matters

January 28, 2011 By Jim Raffel 4 Comments

Strategy is the third of my three words for 2011. Previously, I've written in greater depth about both customers and content. Strategy is developed by listening to customers and understanding where the pain points are in their business. Then, we create solutions that fix or remove altogether those … [Read more...]

Building Successful Teams

January 27, 2011 By Jim Raffel 6 Comments

Hi, my name is Jim and when I managed to get out of my own way I started building teams doing some pretty amazing work. Isn't that often the case in life - when we figure out how to make everything not about us - success follows? Successful teams are like successful marriages, they stand independent … [Read more...]

Starting a Business in Seven Steps

January 26, 2011 By Jim Raffel 7 Comments

There are many details involved in starting a business. Here, I've boiled it down to the seven that I have found to be most important to continuing business success. 1. Open a checking account. The moment you make the decision to go in business for yourself, open a new checking account. Decide how … [Read more...]

Mentors

January 25, 2011 By Jim Raffel 3 Comments

Mentors provide the inspirations and guidance to elevate you to a higher level of success than you might even think you are capable of achieving; at least that's been my experience. Formal and Informal Mentors Formal mentors are normally folks with or for whom you work. Formal mentors are great … [Read more...]

Six tips for the traveling business executive

January 24, 2011 By Jim Raffel 3 Comments

Recently I was asked how I manage to run a business and I travel as much as I do. The answer is that's it's not so tough most of the time. Other times the logistics of conference calls and Webex meetings can be frustrating. Here are some of the tips and tricks I use to stay on top of the game. 1. … [Read more...]