The Black Friday sales numbers are in but the retailers aren’t ready to celebrate yet. With a shortened holiday shopping season and with less money to go around it’s not clear whether to be happy or worried. The question that many retailers have begun to ask themselves is “how can we maximize the value we deliver to the marketplace?” The same might be true for consumers as well as working professionals.

If you’ve ever asked this question then a quick movie review might provide some clues. In the holiday flick Deck the Halls starring Danny Devito, the discovery is made of an Internet site where they could locate the neighbors’ house. For some reason when Devito entered his home address there was no such luck. So he decided that in the spirit of the holiday season he was going to decorate his house so brightly that it would be visible from outer space.

Hold that thought as you think about the work you do on the job or the product/service you provide as a business owner in the marketplace. Whether you work on an assembly line or write punch lines, whether you’re starting a business or looking to grow your business there is a process for going from good to great that involves:

1.       Researching

2.       Prototyping

3.       Networking

4.       Fine-tuning

Did you know that one of the ways Colleges/Universities attract revenue is through research? This is where time is spent checking the laws, the facts, the history, the validity of an idea or invention. While we all don’t have the funding like these institutions we can still put our ideas in motion by first doing some research. Research will get you to open doors, roll over stones or turn pages that you would not otherwise. And this is oftentimes where an ‘aha moment’ occurs.

After researching the business concept or project idea, it helps if you can develop a prototype. Before a new car makes it to the assembly line it first shows up as a model. This allows the automaker to develop a working knowledge for the concept vehicle. Some prototypes are built on paper while others are built by hands. A young Miami Pilot showed how to do just that when he recently flew a model plane that was built by inner city teenagers.

If you’ve ever been shopping at a Wholesale Marketplace you’ll see networking in action. Effective Networking in the 21^st century is part social, part strategic and part situational. When you walk up to the table where product samples are provided for taste-testing chances are the store clerk will strike up a conversation. After handing the sample to you the clerk will say what aisle the product is located. Now, not all products are “sample sold” in the same way. It depends on the season or the situation.

After marketing the concept to customers, your boss or even your peers you will be provided feedback. This is good information for making your idea even better. Danny Devito stumbled on similar feedback which helped him to succeed with his idea. After researching, prototyping and caroling with the neighbors his goal was reached. The world was now able to see his house with the click of a mouse because it was shining bright enough for even God to see.

P.S.

A special Holiday Buy One Get One (BOGO) discount offer for my latest book entitled Becoming Layoff Proof: What it Means to be the CEO of Me Inc. Email my Publicist at pen@purposefullivingventures.com with any questions or to reserve your autographed copy now. Otherwise you can visit the Book Store to order online.

Music Soundtrack – “Good for the Soul”

Play audio track here