Morphing Your Business

To keep your business healthy and successful (and growing), keeping track of trends is imperative.

Now, this isn't to say you have to always follow the latest and greatest "thing" out there, but you should change your business over time to ensure its success. There are few businesses that are around today that were 50 years ago that didn't change. For example:

• General Electric started out as an electric-light company and has since changed into a multi-national consulting and multi-faceted business offering everything from financing to manufactured products.
• Hewlett-Packard was once a provider of calculators and technology, now sells PC, printers and offers business consulting.
• Microsoft once was just a provider of software, now they are a leading competitor in the on-line services world.
• Apple was once Apple Computer and produced computers; now they are a multi-media provider of music, MP3 players as well as computers and products to integrate technology into our everyday lives.
• Nike started out as the maker of waffle-soled running shoes; they are now the provider of everything from golf clubs and equipment to hockey, running and other sports gear.

The trick is to see things just ahead and flex as your markets either change or new ones surface.

The American Receivable Team

Volunteerism and the Young Professionals

Earthfest is a worldwide in-service day focused on making our planet a better place to live. Our own Tiffany Eitel participates in their events regularly.

"The Young Professionals group I serve with participated in Earth Day," Tiffany said. "Our program was a great way to serve the community and planet, while getting together with people in my network."

The Young Professionals' goal is to give back 1000 hours of volunteer time in 2011. They started with Earthfest, a street fair celebration of Earth Day. A wide variety of activities were held in Downtown Dallas at Pegasus and Pioneer Plaza The annual festival, marking Earth Day, included live music, face painting, balloon artists and and other fun activities.

YP volunteers also participate in a range of cleanup activities. In 2010, YP members were assigned to a local Dallas elementary school and assisted with trash clean up around the campus, re-painted playground equipment and planted flowers and bushes. Donning outdoor attire and gardening gloves, the YPers improved the look and feel of the school, enhancing the environment for students, teachers and parents.

For more information, contact Tiffany in our offices at 972-404-4726.