SCORE Orlando participated in the 2012 Orlando Women's Conference.  It was a great conference and opportunity to let more people know about SCORE Orlando and how it can help small businesses.  This year it was held at The Peabody Orlando hotel.

Does your business have “drainers” – people whose negativity drains everyone else’s energy and drags your business down? Or, worse yet, are you a “drainer” yourself?

“Nobody sets out to be a drainer,” notes Jon Gordon, a business “attitude” consultant who works with businesses, professional sports teams, universities and other organizations. “It’s just that some people regularly, and inadvertently, exhibit energy-draining behaviors. Many business owners allow it to continue, or are themselves guilty of the same behavior. And over time, the entire culture of the business becomes poisoned.”

Here are the top business energy drains, and what you can do to fix them:

• Squelch negativity:  There’s nothing more draining than boss, business owner or employee who’s constantly negative. Don’t let negativity be your go-to response. Respond constructively when others offer ideas.  Even if the suggestions are off the mark, hear them out. An encouraging attitude keeps creative juices flowing. Remember, as pessimism rises, performance drops.
• Halt the complain train: The temptation to whine can be powerful, but whining is infectious and before you know it, everyone is complaining about something. Instead, push for solutions. When you hear a complaint, ask the complainer how it should be fixed. Turn your employees into problem solvers instead of problem sharers.
• Ban critical email and voicemail: Nine times out of ten, the critical email you send ends up sounding harsher to the other person than you ever intended. Suck it up and conduct your toughest talks in person. You’ll be able to ensure that your tone is not misinterpreted and have a constructive dialog with the other person.
• Avoid the Monday morning load-up: Don’t overwhelm your employees with a mountain of emails or lengthy to-do lists before the week is even underway.  Boil down and bundle your orders, and parse them out in steps. Flag the ones you consider most important so others know where to start first.
• Spot the busy bee bamboozle:  Don’t confuse activity with progress.  And that applies to you as well as your employees. Just getting through daily routines can make anyone appear busy. But that’s not progress. Set goals and hold yourself and your employees accountable for results.  Make sure these are results that matter and that are visible to others and valuable to your business.
• Seek complete communication clarity: It’s amazing how the simple condition of “clarity” contributes to a positive vibe.   When people are clear on where the business is going, and what they need to do, they are free to be positive and productive. When employees are stuck trying to track you down for clarification, productivity and creativity suffer.
• Get your organization act together: Being disorganized is a drag for everyone. Sure, some things fall through the cracks when you’re busy, but chronic disorganization is a disease that drains others who have to cover your tracks.
• Don’t sacrifice quality for expediency: When there’s a lot of work to do, there’s a tendency to hastily clear your plate, either by cutting corners or passing the buck to others. Taking the time you need to do the job right sets up your employees and the rest of your business for success, and encourages others to take on projects with confidence and energy.
• Recognize real-time success: Don’t get so caught up in what’s to come later than you forget to acknowledge what’s happening now. Employees don’t need applause at every turn, but they do need to know that you can be satisfied, and that they aren’t just hamsters running in a wheel.
• Set zero tolerance for Low performance: “Simply put,” says Jon Gordon, “low performers drag the rest of your team down. They create resentment and generate more work for everyone else. And if you let them linger for too long, your best employees will move on. Hold everyone accountable for achieving their goals and meeting performance standards. If someone constantly misses the bar, take action.

Copyright © 2000-2011 BizBest® Media Corp.  All Rights Reserved.

Daniel Kehrer is Founder & Editor of BizBest (www.bizbest.com), a free and independent information service for small business. Twitter: @BizBest  © 2011 BizBest Media^®

Each year, over 1,000,000 new businesses incorporate, yet 9 out of 10 of these businesses will fail in the first 5 years. The leading cause of this business failure is the lack of preparation and timely access to adequate funding and credit. You can change the odds in your favor. Here are four key funding secrets that every business owner should know:

Secret #1 -- If you wait until you need funding and credit, it’s usually too late.
Most business owners don’t understand the need to prepare in advance for access to funding -- that is, to maximize the “fundability” of the business in the eyes of lenders. This means having several critical components in place:
1. You have created a business entity that is credible to lenders.
2. You can clearly state the assets of the business.
3. You can present company finances in a way that maximizes your creditworthiness.
4. Your business is “compliant” with lender criteria.
5. You have existing relationships with a funding advisor who understands your business model and will work with you to achieve lending goals.

Secret #2 -- Credibility is the key to your business’s success.
You may not know this, but every day your business is being reviewed by bankers, potential partners, prospects, and clients who are deciding if your company is “credible” enough to do business with. In today’s market, credibility is a critical differentiator between you and your competitors. If you are looking for money but don’t have financial credibility or an existing credit-asset foundation, you are probably out of luck (note that over 90% of all business loan applications are rejected). You can’t afford to be unprepared!

Lenders have strict underwriting guidelines that require them to check your business’s creditworthiness -- is it a fundable business? Every business owner should understand these compliance guidelines and ensure that their business is in compliance long before actually seeking a loan.

Secret #3 -- What you don’t know CAN hurt you -- and lenders often want to keep you in the dark!
Would you be surprised to learn that many financial consultants, bankers, and loan brokers do not want you to know all of your options regarding building commercial credit for your
business? They do NOT want you to know that the more business credit you build, the less personally liable you will be to these same financial services companies! They prefer that your business is financed with credit secured by your personal credit pledge.

Don’t fall into the trap of securing your business’s credit and debt with your personal assets and savings. Rather, learn how to leverage your business to secure debt and grow a credit asset independent of your personal credit!

Secret #4 -- Running a business should NOT put personal assets at risk!
In view of Secret #3, as a top priority, you should build a credit line into your business that is not tied to your personal credit. We call this a Business Credit Asset™. Yes - business credit is actually an *asset* to your business, whereas personal credit debt is a liability. Most small business owners do not realize this, and therefore are putting their family’s personal assets at risk every day. Don’t make this mistake! There is a right way to structure your business that will offer security for you and your family’s assets, and will further create business assets that result in enhanced, long-term business value.

Building business credit and protecting personal assets should be top priorities. Establishing this financial foundation will not only accelerate your business goals, but is also some of the best disaster insurance you can acquire!

The time to start making your business FUNDABLE is today.

Walter Good is Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Business Fundability, the largest membership network of small business owners delivering funding education, business credit development consulting, and commercial funding solutions in the US.

• Add up all your monthly expenses, so you know what a month of personal expenses really are for you.
• Still in a day job? Then start setting aside 5 percent of your net pay each paycheck and build savings.
• Sound like too much? Start with a goal of setting aside $100 week=$5,200 a year, which is a nice cushion.
• As an entrepreneur, you want to be sure that whenever you take a cash draw from the company, you set aside money for tax. Don't be surprised later with a nasty tax bill.
• Start now. The most important thing is to create a habit of saving each week.