Delving deeper into the specifics of these successful projects, I uncovered a similar pattern. Yes, the individual’s technical skills and the process they followed were important. However, some of the projects didn’t follow a defined process but were still successful. Some of the projects didn’t use the latest and greatest technology and were still successful. What these projects had in common with those that did was the relationship the technologists had with the business (user) community.Asking the head of the business area why they considered specific technology projects successful, their answers varied. Many projects satisfied their needs…many did not. The ones they believe were the most successful were when they could mention a specific person (manager, technologist, analyst, PC Support, or quality control) that made it that much more responsible for the success. They didn’t mention the technology. They didn’t mention the process they followed. All of them mentioned that it was more than just having their needs met…that it was the relationship they had with the technologist that made the project a true success.

Think about this in terms of YOU. Why do you have the job you have? Who really puts the food on your table? It’s the company’s clients and customers. The business person (marketing, sales, executive management) may be your interface but you have a job because they need you to give them what they want. They are the reason why you are fed regularly.

If business had its way, it would pick a team of technologists that had the best relationship with them. They know the project may be late, over budget, and some of their requirements may not even be met. Again and again, they would select the individual they find easiest to work with, the one who listens and understands them. What type of relationship do you have with the non-technical community? Meeting the business needs is only satisfaction. Having them request you over and over again… that’s loyalty.

Think about this in terms of YOU. Having a loyal relationship with the business community gives you first priority to work on the top projects. It gives you priority to learn the skills you need. It builds systems that they will remember you by. It provides a future reference. Surprisingly, it may even provide a lifelong relationship.

Your technical skills and process are important. It just shouldn’t be the first two in the list of what skills you need. Building great systems that meet or exceed business expectations requires relationship building. Relationship building provides more avenues for technologists to play with the latest and greatest technologies and less likely you will get laid-off. Yet, this is the one area that is often ignored, avoided, and least trained.

Think about this in terms of YOU. How may classes have you attended on building business relationships? How many articles or books have you read on the topic? The answer to both questions is either none or not enough. Now, how many classes have you attended on technology or process? Do you see your gap? Shouldn’t you change your focus a bit?

Now for some tough questions. Answer them on a scale of 1 to 5 (five being a loyal relationship):

* How quickly does business return your call or email?

* How often are you requested to work on the next juicy project for them?

* How long does the key business person stay involved with the project?

* Are you caught off guard with “scope creep”?

* Does the business community dread a meeting with you?

I dare you to actually ask 5 business people the following 4 questions (of course, that is if they even take your call):

* Why was the project I was on successful?

* Did you enjoy working with me on the project?

* Would you select me to work on your next project?

* How involved will you be in the project?

Your technological skill set and the process you follow is not what is keeping you fed. It’s how you exceed meeting the needs of the business. Exceeding goes beyond satisfaction, it creates a loyal partnership. CIOs and business systems manager will always select a person the business requests. Said in a technical way, technology skills and process are commodity items. Relationship building is what separates you from the pack. Building the relationship starts with YOU!

There are “rules of engagement” which illustrates sincerity and respect. Once understood and put in practice, the sincerity and respect will go both ways. It only works if you believe that the Relationship is important in the long run. It only works if you believe that relationships are more important than your technical skills and process. No matter what technical position you hold, business relationship building skills must be your top priority (Rule of Engagement #1).

Beware! Relationship building does not happen overnight. It will take up to a year to form a permanent bridge. The rewards are endless. These skills will help you build better systems and build a better relationship with business personnel (as well as other technologists, family and friends) for a lifetime. It will become part of your brand and lead you towards continual success.

Over the next week, identify specific business individuals you want to have a better relationship with by year end.

If a business entrepreneur cannot identify a need in their audience, the next best thing is to find an idea that taps into a passion – a want. When people are passionate about a subject, their rational mind is relegated to the back seat and their heart takes over. Often, wanting something defies logic. All luxury goods in the world defy any rational reason for their existence, but companies make millions from selling them.Combining a needed product with desired qualities is a sure-fire way to make money. Everyone in the developed world wears shoes, therefore you’d class them as necessities, but it is the fashion industry that has turned shoes into must-have items.

Thus you have this third hybrid group of products:the must-haves. Not simply needed, not only desired. Must-have products are a marketing dream, and this should be the pinnacle for any business entrepreneur.

The must-have entrepreneurial idea

So where exactly would you look for the next big must-have? One area that is arousing increasing interest and is set to continue in that trend is the whole eco-friendly and sustainability business. As the earth’s natural resources are plundered to death and we all belatedly wake up to the realization that we need to reverse the damage we have done to the planet, ideas and products designed towards this end are becoming ever more popular. These might not create the products we usually think of when we imagine a must-have item – which in truth are usually quite dispensable luxury goods – but as we are forced to readjust our priorities, eco-friendly products and services may well come to define the ultimate in must-have, and business entrepreneurs who can tap into this vein will, and already do, make serious profits.

Another evergreen area for entrepreneurial business ideas is the personal health and fitness industry. Anyone reading about the shocking and worsening obesity statistics in the developed world might think that people no longer care about their health and well-being, but the inevitable by-product of this is a massive backlash in the form of a parallel quest for increased fitness in the non-obese, and a desire to shed the weight in those who are obese.

The bottom line is to find something that a person can feel truly passionate about. Both the longevity of the planet and our own personal longevity are ideal candidates for the genesis of some great entrepreneurial ideas.

If you are a daycare center operator or if you are planning on starting a daycare center facility, then your primary expense becomes the cost of space. Real estate is at a premium virtually in every part of the world and the cost of real estate space is a big aspect of daycare center operations. This is true whether you are planning on renting or buying. That being the case, you need to organize your daycare center space as neatly as possible so the children can be taken care of efficiently at the lowest possible cost per child. Now, we will consider one method in this article that will allow you to organize the limited space that is available to you without having to move into bigger and bigger facilities.This involves the use of office cubicle partitions. Now every administrative office in the world nowadays uses office cubicles for its employees in the front offices. You could use these very same office cubicles as partitions for the various activity areas in your daycare center. Because these cubicles come in various height levels, you could choose the height that is appropriate for your own center. Additionally, these office cubicles come in various exciting colors and shades nowadays that will let your center look and feel professional without having to build physical walls that are expensive and may need town or city permits and approvals. Additionally, since these office cubicles do not dampen sound and are generally acoustically poor, it works to your advantage because you can hear what these children are saying or if there is an emergency in any one of the cubicles. You could set up cubicles to partition off certain areas such as reading areas, eating areas, play areas and so on and that will also teach children the value of designated areas for designated activities.

Thus by the simple use of cheap office cubicles in your daycare center, you can organize and make the optimum use of space available without spending a lot of money on renovations or getting a larger space for lease or purchase.

Dashboard software that uses Excel automation to generate high-impact executive dashboards is key to your company’s business intelligence solution. Non-technical business professionals can quickly and easily create and manage executive dashboards using the same Excel technology they already know and love. These dashboard reports automatically extract data from databases and accounting and ERP systems and then format this information into graphically rich, succinct Excel reports with dashboard charts. These daily reports provide the same data in the same format across your enterprise, so that decision-makers throughout your company are on the same page.Such reporting software leverages your existing investment in Excel and email, with no license cost per end user. Users only need Excel—no plug-ins or other software—and minimal training, saving your company time and money.

Five Excel dashboard software benefits for your company:

1. Unique information channel as a single point of truth: automated access to multiple data sources ensures that reports convey the most current and reliable information.

2. Pixel-perfect reporting: reports and dashboards are designed with corporate layouts and formats for online display and printing.

3. Customized content: data from a range of sources are compiled and targeted to various departments and specific individuals.

4. Reusable Excel report templates: users can develop standardized reports using your corporate layouts and formats.

5. Integration with Excel: easy-to-use query wizard and report designer provide advanced reporting and display via Excel.

When businesses are focussing on efficiency, it becomes easier to respond towards product demand. When considering this in the chain of distribution, the supplier knows right away when certain inventory needs to be replaced. When there are less products available on the shelf. This way, demand is being matched in real time, and less storage space is being used for inventory. Less storage space is being used because there is a focus on just-in-time processes. Businesses strive to have inventory arrive as soon as its needed. When thinking in terms of benefits, firms are able to cut costs in the long run. Short term investments are made on technology and knowledge. However, the results do pay off, and the investments do get recouped. This is because firms are able to get the product out to their customers quicker. When they do this, the customers are satisfied because their needs are met. Satisfied customers bring growth to the company.Old businesses that still retain traditional methods are being left out. They refuse to spend money and take calculated risks. When this is the case, their is less control over inventory and the cycle time is a lot longer. Therefore, the product gets out to the customer later than expected. This can lead to additional inventory being accumulated, inventory that is not being purchased by customers. This inventory requires storage and warehousing space, which costs money. Effective businesses don’t allow inventory to be accumulated. To be specific, traditional businesses may use phone calls and sales forecasts to make more predictions. When the business is not advancing, sales become volatile and less predictable.

When considering improving businesses, most of the time, inventory is in transit with suppliers because the product is delivered as soon as its needed. When the product needs to be replaced on a store shelf, costs for storage space is reduced and the products get to the customer on time. The inventory is either being delivered or on a store shelf, there is little time for it to be in a warehouse. When following this procedure, the demand for the product is matched effectively. Wal-Mart is a perfect example for this. Customer takes a product off the shelf, brings it to the cashier, the cashier scans the item. Right away, the supplier knows one piece of inventory is needed. That one inventory item needs to be replaced. This instantaneous flow of inventory will help a business succeed. It is when there is good collaboration between the supplier and retailer, we find an effective supply-chain model.

Businesses should start moving towards new ways of decreasing cycle time. Basically, reduce the time it takes for a product to get from the supplier to the customer. When this happens, not only is the customer happy, so is the business owner. The owner is happy because he or she reduced costs on warehousing. Also, changing businesses will get an edge on their competitors. By investing in technology and focussing on new ways to improve efficiency, companies will be immune in developing industries. Another crucial element will be on improving logistics, delivery methods between the supplier and retailer. By using networking based solutions, and moving away from brick-and-mortar methods, a business is able to keep up with the needs of customers. A businesses that wishes to evolve in a globalizing world, should focus their effort towards supply chain management.