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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Describes the Process of Setting Goals

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Describes the Process of Setting Goals

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller is an Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Feller currently maintains an office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

Success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal. – Earl Nightingale

The ability to set goals and to make plans to achieve them is the one essential skill of success. In fact, becoming a continuous goal setter will contribute to your success more than anything else you could ever do. An average person can achieve more than even the most brilliant genius, if that average person has clear written goals and the genius does not. Still, less than 3% have goals in writing and less than 1% review their goals regularly.

The very best way to predict the future is to create it. Goals allow you to decide how your life will change; making sure that the change is in the direction you want. The reason why people with goals succeed is that they know where they are going. It is as simple as that. When you create a vision of something, you want in your life you will suddenly begin to notice the distinctions between where you are and where you want to be. You will become aware and alert to opportunities in your environment that can be resources for you to achieve the goal and you will get creative ideas and inspiration to take action towards it.

Ambition

A high level of ambition is a hallmark of all successful people. This means that you should set goals that are beyond your current ability and skill, yet still believable. You grow as a person from the demands you place on yourself, so always demand more from yourself than anyone else does. What is possible for you today comes from your experiences, and if you limit yourself based on the past you will not go any further.

Set ambitious goals and continually work to surpass them. Your goals only specify the minimum results you will accept, not the maximum. Ambitious goals push you into action and even if you do not achieve every one of them, you will still go farther than if you had settled for goals that were too easy. Find goals grand enough to challenge you. Goals that will push you forward and let you discover what you are capable of. There are no limits to what you can accomplish. The only limits are those that you place on yourself. Do not let the limitations of others be your limitations.

Big goals will motivate and inspire you far more than less challenging goals. Most people settle for far less than they are capable of and get stuck in a comfort zone. The way to get out of the comfort zone is through continuous goal setting – to continually stretch yourself, always striving for something more. The more ambitious your goals are and the stronger your desire for them is, the more motivated you will be to make yourself do what you need to do to get where you want to go.

How badly you want your goals will more than anything else determine whether you achieve them or not. You can have virtually anything you want in life if you know exactly what it is you want and you are prepared to do the tasks necessary to achieve it. The requirement is only that you do the tasks in advance and that you do all of them. To tell that the tasks have been completed is easy, because when they are the success will be there in front of you for all to see.

Selecting your Goals

Brainstorm at least 10 goals that you personally want to accomplish and organize them by priority. Write them all down with at least one for each of these major life areas:

Health, fitness and physical goals.

Emotional and spiritual goals.

Financial, business and career goals.

Family, social and contribution goals.

Material, leisure and experience goals.

Personal and professional development goals.

To clarify what you really want to be, have and do in life, you can project yourself forward 5 years into the future and imagine that all of your dreams have come true. What does it look like for each area? What kind of lifestyle do you have? Where do you live? Who are there with you? Another powerful way to find your goals is to consider how you would spend your time if you had only 6 months left to live. What if you only had 6 weeks, 6 days or 6 hours left? Finally, what would you do if you found out that you had only 60 minutes left to live?

The Steps to Goal Achievement

Define: A real goal is specific, measurable, and time-bound and in writing. Once you have decided upon a goal the first step is to define it clearly, exactly, as you want it accomplished. The more specific and concrete you are, the better. The second step is to make sure your goal is measurable. How much do you want and by when? Set the criteria for achieving it so you can measure your progress towards it. The third step is to decide on the exact date when you will have the goal achieved. Give yourself a realistic, but challenging deadline. Without one, you will procrastinate and put things off. A deadline will motivate you to do the things necessary to make your goal come true. Commit yourself to the deadline and even try to beat it. If you for some reason do not achieve the goal by the deadline, set another deadline until you do achieve it.

Once you have done these three steps, the fourth and final step is to put the goal in writing. Just writing a goal down dramatically increases the likelihood that you will achieve it. A great method is to write your goals down in the present tense, as though they were already accomplished – for example: “I have acquired a certain amount of money”, “I have reached a certain percentage of body fat”, “I have overcome my fear of public speaking” or “I have developed the habit of reading one hour per day”, followed by the deadline date.

Plan: Write down a plan of action to achieve your goal and schedule it in a calendar. A goal is defined by the tasks you have to perform to accomplish it. If your goal is to form a positive habit, such as “I will learn a new skill every month”, the action plan is the same as the goal. On the other hand, if your goal contains many steps, write out a detailed list of everything you need to do. You can then organize the action steps by sequence and priority.

To determine the steps towards your goal, you can often visualize yourself having already achieved it and then work your way back to the present. You should also identify the obstacles in your way, the resources you will require and the people whose cooperation you will need. Write it all down. You can always add to your plan later as you discover more steps. If the goal is long-term, you should break it down into sub goals with deadlines every 30 days.

Once you have written your action plans for each of your major goals, it is time to make a detailed schedule. In brief, you take a couple of minutes at the beginning of each week to schedule tasks from your action plans to the days of the week. During these minutes, you also review your plans, their progress, and set new goals.

Action: After you have planned your work, it is time to work your plan. Your goal setting must result in action, because even the best plan in the world will not work unless you do. Discipline yourself to perform the activities of your plan on schedule. Observe how effective your action steps are and adjust your plan accordingly to make sure that what you are doing is taking you towards your goals. A simple yet powerful success strategy to follow is to schedule and perform one activity for each goal every single day. If you do this, then no matter how big or distant your goals are, you will reach them eventually. It will also build a chain of habits that will put your progress on autopilot.

When you have set a goal, the question of whether it is possible is irrelevant. The only question you need to ask is how this goal can be accomplished. How do you get from where you are to where you want to go? Always be on the lookout for things you can do to contribute to the achievement of your goals and continually look for better ways to achieve them.

Persistence: Make the decision in advance that you will never give up. Never even, consider the possibility of failure. See defeat as just a temporary part of learning how to succeed. Know that as long as you refuse to quit you will eventually be successful. The ability to persist in the face of the inevitable obstacles and difficulties to your goals is essential. In fact, with enough persistence you cannot accomplish very few goals in life.

Your success in any area of life is largely determined by how well you deal with adversity. You can often tell how high and how far a person will go simply by looking at how they react to frustration and setbacks. Successful people are not those who do not have problems – they are the ones who refused to become discouraged by their defeats. Each time we face a challenge we have the choice to respond confidently, or to let it overwhelm us. If you choose deliberately to respond in a constructive way and to deal with the problem effectively, you will learn, grow and become better able to deal with future challenges.

Motivation: It is up to you to make an absolute must out of every goal you set. The more you think about, visualize, review and rewrite your goals, the deeper you will drive them into your subconscious mind, the greater your motivation will be and the faster you will move towards them. Get a clear mental picture of you reaching each one of your goals. Make it so real in your mind that it feels like you already have achieved them. We see the images in our minds that drive us towards our goals. It is these images that we can call to mind for support when the going gets tough.

You should surround yourself with symbols of your goals and plans to help keep them constantly in your mind. For example, find pictures of your goals or write them down on post-it notes that you place on your bathroom mirror or work desk where you can see or read them every day. Alternatively, carry your goals with you on cards in your wallet and review them regularly. You can even begin each day by rewriting all of your major goals, and visualizing yourself already in possession of them.

Summary:

Write your goals down clearly and set a deadline for their accomplishment.

Make plans to achieve your goals, schedule them and take action.

Do something every day that moves you towards your goals and never give up.

Review your goals often and visualize them as already achieved.

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas.

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at How Meetings When People are Disengaged

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller Ministries. Mel Feller is an Innovator and Business Leader. Visit www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com Mel Feller currently maintains office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

Have you ever been in a meeting where one person decided to display a negative attitude? You know the person who starts reading his cell phone, or the other one who suddenly falls quiet, or what about the one who starts to slide down his chair and on to the floor. Well if you are the one in charge of the meeting what is your role in this dysfunction? I recently heard a speaker, who was talking about the culture of accountability say, "You get what you put up with". Bad behavior and rudeness happen because people continually get away with it.

So let us break down bad behavior into three primary categories:

Checked out or disengaged

Negative

Rude

Because of the proliferation of cell phones, I want to specifically discuss the scenario of disengagement. Reading on cell phones and "multi-tasking" have become commonplace in business meetings. Therefore, you are leading a meeting and notice that one or more participants are texting or reading email on their phones. What options do you have now? First, you need to assess if this is a theme or an instance i.e. does the person disengaging have a reputation for checking out and not actively participating or is this something unusual for the team member. If this person has, a reputation for disengaging then it should be addressed within the meeting. As the leader of the team, you have the following options:

You can ignore the behavior, limiting the team to less than high performance and continue the dysfunction by not managing the bad behavior. If this is your choice, you may want reevaluate why you are managing a team.

You have the option of communicating to the person that you recognize that they are not currently part of the meeting. Ask them "Is there something urgent that you need to take care of at this time?" It may be that an emergency has come up which she needs to address. In addition, if this is the case and she is key to the meeting, then reschedule the meeting. If she is not key to the meeting, then dismiss her to her emergency. However, in my experience this usually is not the case.

You can wait until after the meeting and then pull the person aside to discuss what was driving the behavior. If there was not an emergency, find out how they think their behavior impacts the meeting, other team members, as well as their effectiveness in the job.

You can wait for an opportunity to ask her a pointed question specific to the conversation, such as "What do you think of Rick's idea? This will either bring the person back into the conversation and/or will create a moment of embarrassment. Depending on their response, you may need to have a follow on conversation with them one on one.

Alternatively, you can address the whole team and open the discussion to everyone. What are their thoughts about team members checking out? What would their suggestions be to become a more high performing team and have everyone engaged? This option may uncover process or content issues of the meeting that you have not considered may be part of the disengaging behaviors.

So as a leader it is your choice, allow the dysfunction to continue and you may wake up without a job in the future. On the other hand, address the issue and set the tone for more productive meetings that will lead to team success.

However, there are some things you can do to make your meeting interesting. I know that we have all been to those golden meetings full of energy and real productivity. Too many meetings end up being a waste of time where everyone is dozing off or doing other work.

According to a study reported by Fortune, the average employee sends three emails for every 30 minutes of meeting time. Conference calls make it even easier to zone out. Another study found that 43% of conference call attendees spend part of the meeting checking social media while 65% are doing other work.

Why are attendees so distracted? They are bored!

Here are five common but easily fixable meeting mistakes that could be the real reason your attendees are bored.

It is too long.

Because they typically need to meet every day, software development teams often have a “daily stand-up.” It is exactly what it sounds like: Everyone stands and discusses what needs to be done that day and potential blockers.

The idea is that is everyone has to stand for the entire meeting; it will not be a 90-minute talkfest. People will not ramble or get off-track. In addition, nobody will be hiding behind their laptop, appearing pay attention but really checking Facebook. In fact, the daily standup usually lasts no more than 15 minutes.

You can do something similar. Give your meeting a start time and promise your attendees it will not go a minute longer than necessary. Maybe that means it will take the full 30 minutes. Alternatively, you will all be done in 14.

Even if a stand-up format will not work for you, chances are you can still make your meeting shorter and more focused. Here are a few tips:

Cut out unnecessary information

Distill information to the key, actionable points

Only invite truly necessary people

Make sure everyone has relevant information they need for the meeting beforehand

Actively moderate discussions and keep everyone to the point

Narrow the scope of the meeting (try a series of shorter meetings with a clear purpose rather than a long meeting where you try to cover everything)

Prepare more than you think you need to, which brings us to the next mistake

You did not prepare.

There is a saying in the literary world: “Hard writing makes for easy reading.” The more effort you put into drafting your novel, report, or email, the easier (and more enjoyable) it will be to read.

The same is true of your meetings. Do not pull everyone into the conference room or ask your remote team to hop on a conference call if you do not have a clear purpose for the meeting and a plan to get through it.

Prepare a thoughtful and detailed agenda then hone and revise it. An effective meeting agenda includes:

Meeting topics

How you plan to cover them

Who is responsible for each topic

Time allotted for each topic

Questions you need answered

How attendees need to prepare

The ultimate goal and takeaway

You have invited a blowhard.

Some people just like to talk. They like attention. They like to let everybody know how much they have accomplished and to share all of their great ideas. We all know that person.

As you might expect, these people tend to love meetings. Avoid inviting them to yours. However, if you must, do what you can to reign them in. They should be able to contribute without derailing the meeting or keeping others from freely participating.

Start with having a clear agenda that outlines timeframes and do not let the motor mouth hijack the conversation.

Therefore, what?

There is no reason to pull your team into a meeting unless those attendees will be able to take some action on the items you discuss.

One of the fastest ways to guarantee everyone will check out is to start riffing about big-picture thoughts they know they will not be able to do anything about. On the other hand, talking in circles about a problem without ever getting to actionable solutions.

If you want to brainstorm with your team, go for it. However, even brainstorming sessions should have a clear purpose. What kind of ideas are your brainstorming and what will be done with these ideas?

For every meeting, you and your attendees should know what you would accomplish. Is this a knowledge transfer, and if so, what is everyone supposed to with the information? Do you need to come to a consensus and make a decision? Do you need to devise a plan and assign action items?

You have invited your coworkers for a specific reason. Make sure everyone knows why they are there and what you’re going to accomplish.

There is nothing to look at.

Humans are visual. More than 90% of all information our brains process is visual, according to research reported by Inc.com.

Therefore, when you invite your team to an audio-only conference call, you are leaving all that collective brainpower left to wander. This might explain why their computer monitors or their phones distract so many conference call attendees: screens are visual, and voices on the phone are not.

The solution? Host a video conference. Give your team something to look at your screen, their screens, everyone is smiling faces. Make your meeting visual, and you will instantly up the energy and focus.

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company and Mel Feller Ministries. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas. Visit www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses Ways to Become a Great Leader

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”—Wilma Rudolph

When you think about the idea of Conscious Leadership, you may even agree we need a different leadership paradigm. This is where you must pause, step back and look within. It starts with self-awareness and a commitment to lead in a better way. Every intentional step that you take in becoming a more awake leader makes the journey that much more purpose-driven and fulfilling because you will be able to unlock the greatness in yourself and in those whom you serve.

In the meantime, I will focus on practical ways you can begin developing everyday habits that will help you become a more conscious leader. None of these steps is esoteric or unachievable there are endless ways for leaders to improve, inspire and engage employees.

The reflection points below take the words out of your mind and into the real world to practice so you can step more fully into your highest potential. I recommend beginning by picking just one area to focus on initially, the area you feel would have the greatest impact for you and your team.

Cultivate authenticity. Most of us do not trust leaders who portray a perfect image. We want leaders to be real. Authenticity is having self-awareness, knowing who you are on the inside your strengths, weaknesses, values, beliefs, leadership type and bringing this into your conscious awareness.

It is an honest and a brave self-examination, which takes courage but is well worth the effort. By knowing who you are at your core, you can create an environment where others can trust you, can thrive and can do their best work.

How to cultivate authenticity:

Learn to be silent, to go within to recognize your inner wisdom, your purpose in life and then open yourself to its wise counsel.

Reflect on your leadership philosophy, values, beliefs, motives and style. What impact do all of these have on you, your team and your organization?

Think about what people consistently tell you that you need to work on. What is one new behavior you are willing to practice to be an authentic leader?

What benefits will this new behavior bring to you, your team and organization?

Develop conscious awareness. Awareness is fundamental to positive change, yet you must train yourself to be aware of it. When you do this, your mind becomes more focused and in tune with yourself and your environment, conscious awareness is being mindful, aware and present in the moment. It means being fully conscious of what’s going on, both within us and outside us, and how our behaviors affect others.

How to develop conscious awareness:

There are different ways to develop conscious awareness and mindfulness, including meditation, yoga and martial arts. All help us respond differently to life.

Take time to notice what it feels like to be aware. Stop for a moment to be aware of your awareness and observe. Do not judge it, simply notice it.

Be aware of your current state of mind. Is it impatient? Curious? Creative? Calm? What about your energy levels or feelings? Spend just 10 minutes a day to reflect and journal on your awareness.

Grow and foster virtues. Virtues give meaning and purpose to our lives and include such things as service, love, courage, compassion, integrity, humility, generosity, accountability and transparency. Virtues develop our character. This takes time, so develop yourself in stages.

No one is perfect, yet the more we practice applying virtues in different situations, the stronger our character muscle becomes. We mature in our thinking, decisions, emotions and behaviors.

Leading with virtues empowers organizations and society to operate with higher purpose. It also inspires others to be their best and delivers superior, sustainable results.

Examples of virtues in action:

Practicing Generosity as a leader means you listen with your heart to understand others, show your appreciation for unique talents, celebrate successes and develop others so they can become their best by providing tools, training, resources and coaching.

Practicing Humility as a leader means you give credit for others’ contributions, admit mistakes and change the course of action to make it right, ask for feedback and check in on your ego. It also means that you can speak of your failures and weaknesses to teach others.

Practicing Courage as a leader means you can say, “I don’t know,” ask for help, let go of the need to control situations, risk being vulnerable, have faith in people, provide tough but kind feedback to help another grow, give hope when confronted with great odds, voice unpopular opinions, and make tough decisions.

How to grow and foster virtues:

Consider what you can do to encourage the conversations within yourself and with others to strengthen the importance that virtues and character have in leadership.

What practices, personal inquiry and reflection can you implement to develop one or two virtues to become a better leader?

Think about who can support you in this development.

What would our work life look like if we practiced more generosity, humility, or courage? How would these practices increase employee engagement and commitment?

“LEADERS BECOME GREAT, NOT BECAUSE OF THEIR POWER, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO EMPOWER OTHERS.” JOHN MAXWELL

Here are a few more approaches to consider.

Embrace purpose and vision. Purpose is why you exist. Great leaders communicate their why, the greater cause and what they stand for. The why must have a foothold in the hearts of people before you articulate what you want them to do. Viktor Frankl was a neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. Frankl’s theory is that man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in one’s life. Frankl says, “those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.”

Once leaders communicate purpose, vision is future-oriented and describes what the organization will leave the world by living its purpose. Purpose and vision builds trust and inspires employees to see they are contributing to something bigger than themselves. It shows people how they fit into this big picture, the difference this will make in the world, and why they should care.

A great example of this comes from perhaps the most moving American speeches of the 20th century, Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream.” King’s speech inspired action in others then and to this day. His example of giving others something specific to strive for something bigger than themselves is a heart-felt example for a leader of any group to follow.

By bringing purpose and vision to life, employees, customers, and stakeholders will feel empowered, energized, inspired, courageous, and resilient especially when times are tough. They will step into their highest potential and produce extraordinary results and long-term success.

How to embrace your individual and organization’s purpose and vision:

What impact do you want to make as a leader? Why did you want to be a leader in the first place? What is the difference you are trying to make in the world? What do you stand for?

Think about your organization’s purpose. What is the vision for the future?

What is your message to inspire your team to rally behind this purpose and vision?

Consider how your employees will act, think and feel when they contribute to this purpose and vison.

Reflect and journal a few minutes each day on these questions.

Practice Service. Create value for all stakeholders, employees and customers so the whole flourishes. Rise above self-interest and individual perspective and serve with a more global view. By practicing service, you understand and appreciate each person’s role in perfecting this world and lead others accordingly. You also trust and believe that individuals are critical links in the chain and that their unique skills fulfill a higher purpose.

How to practice service:

Explore how you are building a culture of service in a way that contributes to the good of all.

What development programs are in the organization that will foster conscious leadership and service for the greater good? How can you engage others in this conversation?

What can you do to show employees, stakeholders and customers that you respect, appreciate and care about their goals and needs?

Increase Emotional Intelligence. Scientists base emotional Intelligence on years of research. It is about being aware of, managing our emotions, and working more effectively with others to improve relationships and performance. People benefit in many ways from having a high level of emotional intelligence.

How to increase your emotional intelligence:

Take a baseline EQ assessment. Choose one skill and one strategy, then track and practice them for at least three months.

Learn to recognize stress triggers and how to deal with them.

Practice open-mindedness and curiosity.

Hire a coach to help you to develop and grow your emotional intelligence.

Build Support: Take a holistic approach to development. Find peers, coaches and mentors to help you in your ongoing development as a person and a leader.

How to build support:

Read or attend a lecture or get involved in a conscious leadership community or forum.

When there are qualities you admire in a leader of strong character and virtue, ask yourself how you can stretch and grow to develop those qualities.

Make a commitment and take action to continuously grow and develop as a leader.

As you work through these approaches, remember developing new behaviors and habits is a process that requires commitment, patience and perseverance. Changes do not happen overnight. Yet as your leadership style gradually shifts towards conscious leadership, you will no doubt find enormous benefits from your efforts.

Yesterday’s leadership can no longer support the shifting world dynamics that are taking place today. We need a radically different leadership approach more leaders who lead from a place of service, values and higher purpose. People are hungry for this kind of leadership. Employees need to know they are valued, appreciated, respected, and make a difference. We can join hands and help each other to lead from a higher place, so individually and collectively, we can flourish and reach our human potential for the greater good of organizations and humanity as a whole.

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is located in Texas.

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Damages You can Legally Charge Tenants For

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller Ministries. Mel Feller is an Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Feller currently maintains office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

Ever wonder what you should charge for in your rentals? What size nails did your tenant use? Are they even mentioned in your lease? Make sure you go through your lease at your initial lease signing. You might have to have your tenant sign and initial the rules and regulations if you think you might have a problems in the future. Take a look at this table. It clears up the grey areas and puts things into focus.

Ordinary Wear and Tear: Landlord's Responsibility

Damage or Excessive Filth: Tenants Responsibility

Curtains faded by the sun

Cigarette burns in curtains or carpets

Water-stained linoleum by shower

Broken tiles in bathroom

Minor marks on or nicks in wall

Large marks on or holes in wall

Dents in the wall where a door handle bumped it

Door off its hinges

Moderate dirt or spotting on carpet

Rips in carpet or urine stains from pets

A few small tack or nail holes in wall

Lots of picture holes or gouges in walls that require patching as well as repainting

A rug worn thin by normal use

Stains in rug caused by your leaking fish tank

Worn gaskets on refrigerator doors

Broken refrigerator shelf

Faded paint on bedroom wall

Water damage on wall from hanging plants

Dark patches of ingrained soil on hardwood floors that have lost their finish and have been worn down to bare wood

Water stains on wood floors and windowsills caused by windows being left open during rainstorms

Warped cabinet doors that won't close

Sticky cabinets and interiors

Stains on old porcelain fixtures that have lost their protective coating

Grime-coated bathtub and toilet

Moderately dirty mini-blinds

Missing mini-blinds

Bathroom mirror beginning to "de-silver"

Mirrors caked with lipstick and makeup (black spots)

Clothes dryer that delivers cold air because the thermostat has given out

Dryer that won't turn at all because it's been over-loaded

Toilet flushes inadequately because mineral deposits have clogged the jets

Toilet won't flush properly because it's stopped up with a diaper

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company and Mel Feller Ministries. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas. Visit www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com

#landlords #tenants laws #renters rights #renters #what you can legally use the secyurity deposit for #being a good landlord #mel feller #melfeller bio #mel feller seminars #mel feller coaching #mel feller in texas #mel feller in dallas texas #success #Coaching For Success 360 #melfeller.com #melfellersuccessstories.com

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at the Best Places in Texas to Start a Business

Addison

The Dallas suburb of Addison is its own incorporated town, and it has the second-highest median annual income in the top 10 ($50,280). It also has the second-highest number of businesses per

100 people (over 26) and a low unemployment rate of 3.9%. The town is under 5 square miles but has over 22 hotels and more than 170 restaurants. The community is home to Addison TreeHouse, a resource-filled co-working space for entrepreneurs founded by the town, and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center. Addison is also home to the headquarters of cosmetic company Mary Kay, plus the app development company Bottle

Start a Business in Texas by Mel Feller

Rocket.

Webster

Webster is less than 25 miles from downtown Houston, but it has a strong economy of its own. The city has the highest percentage of businesses with paid employees in the top 10, at 53%, plus a low median monthly housing cost of $973. Only a few miles from the NASA Johnson Space Center, the town is key to the aerospace industry and is a popular place for NASA employees to live. Another growth industry in Webster is the medical field — the Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, which opened in the 1970s, and the Bay Area Regional Medical Center, which opened in 2014, have led some to call the city Texas’ “medical center of the south” (with Houston’s as the north).

Stafford

In the Houston metropolitan area, Stafford has the third-highest number of businesses per 100 people (15.26) in the top 10 list. Stafford, a former agricultural community, has grown significantly — especially after property taxes were eliminated for residents and business owners in 1995. Over 2,700 businesses are located here, including the headquarters of

Seamar Divers, a subsea construction and inspection company, and General Technologies Inc., an equipment manufacturer.

Katy

Katy started as a small Houston suburb, but over the years has grown into a city of its own. This family-friendly city is tops among our top 10 for most businesses — a whopping 6,907. It also has

the highest number of businesses per 100 people (over 46). Additionally, Katy is tied with Temple for second place among the top 10 for the lowest unemployment rate at 3.7%. The city serves as worldwide headquarters for Igloo, and the Katy Mills outlet mall brings shoppers from across the Houston area. The Katy Area Economic Development Council supports business growth in this area. Katy is also close to the Houston Energy Corridor, a district packed with energy companies.

Start a Business in Texas by Mel Feller

Farmers Branch

Farmers Branch has the second-highest number of businesses, 4,158, in the top 10. This inner Dallas suburb also comes in second place in the top 10 for the largest number of businesses with paid employees (over 1,700). Many companies have their corporate headquarters here, including Taco Bueno, a fast-casual food chain, and Ironclad, a performance wear company.

Port Arthur

Port Arthur has the second-highest population in the top 10 (nearly 54,200), but boasts the highest total revenue of businesses in the top 10 at $28.6 billion. There are nearly 3,000 businesses in this coastal town about 90 miles east of Houston. The Port of Port Arthur is a large part of the local economy and expansion projects aim to make it a bigger international cargo shipping center. Lamar State College-Port Arthur has a Small Business Development Center to help entrepreneurs. The Port Arthur Economic Development Corp. also helps support local business growth.

Texas City

About 40 miles southeast of downtown Houston, this deep-sea port city is known for heavy industry. The Port of Texas City is one of the nation’s largest ports, making it a shipping hotspot. The town also has some of the state’s largest petrochemical manufacturing

Start a Business in Texas by Mel Feller

centers and refineries, such those operated by Marathon Petroleum Corp. and Valero. Texas City has the second-highest total business revenue in the top 10 list, coming in at $23.4 billion. It also came in second for average revenue per business ($8.9 million). Of the top 10 communities, median housing costs here are the third-most affordable at $818 a month.

Temple

Temple, with nearly 68,000 residents, is the largest city

by population in the top 10 list. It’s tied with Katy for the second-lowest unemployment rate in the top 10. Temple also has the third-highest number of businesses, at over 3,900. Located in central Texas, the town is nearly 70 miles north of Austin and 125 miles south of Dallas. Temple College is based here, and the city features a growing medical complex bolstered by Scott & White Memorial Hospital. Several major company headquarters are located here, including Wilsonart Americas, a company that produces countertops and walls, and McLane, a supply chain services company. Temple is 30 miles from Fort Hood, so members of the military also help support the town’s economy.

Brenham

Located about midway between Houston and Austin, the humble city of Brenham boasts the top 10’s lowest unemployment rate — an impressive 2.8%. The city also has the top 10’s second- most affordable median monthly housing cost at a reasonable $767. Brenham, known as an ice cream mecca, is home to Blue Bell Creameries, which is working to restart production after a listeria-related recall. The city is also home to a Blinn University campus, a two-year college, which has a Small Business Development Center offering free assistance to local businesses.

Deer Park

Start a Business in Texas by Mel Feller

Located near the site where Texas won its independence at the Battle of San Jacinto, Deer Park is the self-proclaimed “birthplace of Texas.” Near the Houston Ship Channel and in the Houston metroplex, Deer Park has the highest median annual income among the top 10 — nearly $52,000. It also has the third-highest total revenue of businesses (nearly $17 billion) of the top 10. Shell has a manufacturing site in Deer Park that employs over 1,600 people. Chemical companies Lubrizol and Dow also have locations in

Deer Park.

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success! Visit www.melfellersuccessstories.com and www.melfeller.com

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Success

Success is making your life what you want it to be.

Throughout history, brilliant people have searched for answers to the question: Why are some people more successful than others? Why do some people have greater health, more happiness, better relationships, make more money and get more fulfillment out of life than others do?

Definition of Success:

Success can be divided into five separate categories: physical health, emotional health, relationships, finances and growth. Everything we want in life can be placed under one of these categories, and they are all equally important ingredients for a well-rounded life.

1. Physical health – High levels of health and energy. Freedom from sickness and physical pain.

2. Emotional health – Happiness, peace of mind and a high resilience against negative emotions.

3. Relationships – Getting along well with friends, family and people in general.

4. Finances – Enough money so that we are not worried or preoccupied with money.

5. Growth – Personal growth towards the fulfillment of our full potential.

Success comes from consistently increasing the quality of our lives in each of these areas. You must therefore become a master in all of them. We are not satisfied long-term by getting what we want or by reaching our goals. The only time that we feel truly fulfilled is when we know that we are improving each day.

Take a moment right now to think about your own feeling of success in each area – not compared to others, but for yourself only. If you are satisfied in an area, it means you only need to maintain your current strategy of improvement, and if you are not that suggests that it is time to find and apply a new strategy. A deficiency in any one of these categories will negatively affect all the others, while your success in anyone will improve your overall quality of life.

Everyone desires success in one form or another. Some just daydream about it, while others do something to achieve it.

What is Success? What does success mean to you? Actually, it has many definitions. There no just one success definition, since this term can relate to many topics.

Definitions of Success:

It is the favorable outcome of an action.

It is growth, development, improvement and getting better.

It is achieving what you have set out to do.

Getting good grades at school.

Passing your driving test.

Getting the job you wanted.

You feel it when someone you love tells you that he/she loves you too.

It is the pleasant and powerful feeling of achievement.

You experience it when you win or earn a large sum of money.

When you see your garden blooming.

It is the good feeling and happiness you experience after meditation.

When you fix a broken instrument with your own hands.

It is promotion at work.

Shedding a few surplus pounds.

Seeing your business prospering.

Becoming famous.

It is all these things and many more.

You may enjoy success in the small daily events of life, and you can find it in great achievements.

There are people, who seek success in money and material possessions, while others seek it in inner peace and strength.

What does it mean to you? Do you expect it? Do you believe you can attain it, and what do you plan to do in order to enjoy it?

Remember, success is not only something spectacular. It manifests also in the small affairs of daily life. You can enjoy it many times, every day.

You can desire to gain a large sum of money, become the owner of successful firm, become a successful and famous actor, singer or writer, a great inventor, senator, president or a prime minister.

Your goal might be success in mental or spiritual matters, such as meditation, gaining psychic powers and mind power, or peace of mind and spiritual awakening.

Some people just desire a carefree life, health, love and happiness. Others want a good job with a good pay, to enable them to live comfortably.

Whatever your goal is, there are a few inner qualities and powers, which are required for its achievement:

The ability to state exactly what you want to achieve:

A strong desire

Visualization

Concentration

Will power

Self discipline

Persistence

Focus your mind on your goal, and add the above-mentioned ingredients, and you will have a much better ability to concentrate and plan your success.

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses Advice for Beginning Real Estate Investors

First, recognize that it will probably take several years of real estate investing before you will reach your personal financial goal. Assuming that you want to have enough income from your investments to not have to work for money, I estimate about 10-15 years, if you work part-time at it while having “a day job.”

If you get to a point where you can do it full time, it may take a few years less. Some investors disagree with me on this. They apparently are very success in a much shorter period. If you can imitate them, fine. However, the average investor will take; it seems to me, the kind of time that I just indicated.

Some people have other suggestions about how to get started. They often say, “Just do it.” Go out, start trying, and learn as you go. Maybe that will work for you. My opinion is that it is better to know more before you start paying out your money. You might try to avoid mistakes by reading many books before you start—I did—but you will still make your own mistakes—I did, anyway. However, you will probably avoid many of the more common mistakes.

The “secret of success” is persistence. If you want to reach a goal, you have to keep going until you reach it. Financial independence with real estate means you have to keep going for years, usually. Thus, while you want an investing approach that makes you money, you also want an investing approach that makes you happy as you go along. If you do not get emotional rewards, you will probably stop before you are successful.

YES FOR SUCCESS:

Y----You---------------Enough said about that

E----Environment-----Where you invest, and when

S----Strategy-----------How you extract money from the environment

The strategy you employ has to suit you. My strategy could be completely wrong for you, unless you are a lot like me. If it is comfortable, you will continue with it. If it is not comfortable, you will chaff and will want to quit. In addition, might quit, long before you get to your financial goal.

The strategy has to work in the environment in which you invest. Here is a strategy: buy 200-acre farms and subdivide them down into 5-acre “ranchettes” which you sell to homebuilders or people who will live on them. Now, try using this strategy in San Francisco or Manhattan. Not going to work. What might work in San Francisco is to build a 15-story condominium complex and sell the condominiums to the owner-occupants. However, would you expect success if you were to build another 15-story complex 12 miles east of Winnemucca, NV? I do not think so. Maybe 5-acre ranchettes there? Possibly.

If you are not doing too well with your investment program, you can change the strategy, or you can move it to a different environment, where you expect it to perform better.

Your strategy has to give you a competitive advantage, as the economists say. Investing in real estate is competitive. If there is a good deal to be bought, there will be several people interested in buying it. You need to develop an approach that takes advantage of your strengths, and hopefully requires few activities at which you are weak. You need a strategy that uses the resources you have.

What are the resources you can bring to bear on real estate investing? They will vary from person to person. They include such factors as amount of cash you have saved, how good is your credit rating, amount of income you have, particularly that above what you need for living expenses. How much time do you have, and in what part of the week, month, or year? Resources include the contacts you have—people you can call on for advice, money, help, or encouragement. Your knowledge is important—what you know about the environment in which you invest the market value of properties, what your customers want either renters or buyers. What experiences can you bring to bear? How about repair skills, decorating skills, sales ability, imagination, guts, cautious evaluation? All these can be part of your resources. Go with your personality, tastes, beliefs, values, interests, and passions. Do not get involved with approaches that irritate you or make you feel unhappy. For instance, suppose you think landlords are rip-off artists. Do not become a rental property owner. There is no law that you must. Instead, consider rehabilitating rundown properties and selling them to poor people with special government loans.

As an example, I like helping people. I like to invest in lower-income areas, helping people have a clean, nice, safe, comfortable house in which to live. I rent properties to them. When I sell some property, I am happy that I am able to help a first-time homeowner get into a part of the American Dream. Some other people like to find rundown homes in higher-income areas. They spiff them up to be beautiful and then make a profit selling for much more than they paid for the properties. That does not interest me. The buyers of those properties could buy many different properties. They do not need me. In addition, I do not need them.

I also like to do research. I do not like to negotiate. I buy bargain properties at auctions, usually delinquent property tax auctions. I do not have a real estate agent to show me properties and to assure me that the property is in good condition. I have to do research on the location of the property, the condition of the property, the liens and loans against the property, the market value in the area, how much it will cost to fix up the property, and much more. My negotiating is raising my hand at a public auction and saying “Four thousand and one.” Then “four thousand and three.” Easy negotiating for me.

One thing I consider important is that you know how real estate works. What is the importance of different types of deeds? How do you know what loan is the first loan and what does that imply? In addition, there is so much more you can learn. After over 20 years of real estate investing, I am still learning. It is not boring being in real estate.

I think you should expect to spend about six months to 18 months studying about real estate, real estate investing, and the real estate market where you plan to invest – the environment, as I put it. As you study, notice the different types of approaches that different people use or advocate. Ask yourself “how does this fit me?” Imagine the different steps of the process, the activities that have to be taken. With what kinds of people will you be engaged? In what neighborhoods will you be investing? How well will you be able to accomplish that particular strategy of investing? What might prevent you from enjoying it? Being successful at it? What psychic rewards might you get out of it.

I f you are considering becoming an investor in long-term rentals, as I am, I suggest you read a couple of books on property management. This may give you some notion of what you will face and you can consider if it is to your taste. If you plan to rent properties, learn to calculate expenses of owning them—they will be worse than you imagine. Figure out what kinds of properties will provide you with profit if you own them. Learn about taxes, especially income taxes and how real estate can help you. Plan to learn about the laws related to the approach that you take. If you are doing rentals, know the “landlord-tenant” law for your state.

How do you learn about real estate? My suggestion is to take classes at community colleges near you. There are probably classes for people who want to apply for a real estate license. You can take them too.

Read books on real estate investing. Most RE books are mediocre. A few are good. Almost none are excellent. However, you can still learn if you read them. Start at the public library and borrowing books from friends, neighbors, coworkers, relatives, etc. Buy used books, cds, and dvd’s at bookstores or online at such sources as e-bay and half.com. I consistently pay less than 1/2 original price for the materials I buy there. Some is terrible, just like many real estate books. Nevertheless, some are good.

Talk to other, more experienced investors. See if there is a local real estate investors group that meets once or twice a month. Read newspaper articles and columns about real estate. If your local paper does not have nationally syndicated real estate columnists, find one that does, even if it is not nearby. Get a subscription to the Sunday edition mailed to your home.

Go on the Internet to see what you can learn there. There are many different sites devoted to real estate investing and to real estate for sale or rent.

While you study these things, learn about the area in which you want to invest. What are the different neighborhoods like? Where are there vacant, run-down properties if you want to do fixer-uppers? What are the trends of prices and where are people moving to or moving away from? What kinds of properties make good rentals in your area? What are the prospects of making money by buying low and then selling high, not carrying rentals?

I like Bill Greene’s suggestion from his "Think Like a Tycoon" book that you look at 100 houses before you make a single offer. And that is of properties similar to those you plan to buy. If, as you go along, you change your mind about the types of houses and neighborhoods in which you will invest, you may have to look at many more than 100 houses. The idea is to learn market values and what the competition is like—either rentals or other properties against which you will be competing for buyers. When I started out investing seriously, I did this and my knowledge of values increased greatly over a few months of time. Study the multiple listing service properties and the newspaper advertisements for properties. Read realtor.com listing for your area. See them and then follow up to find out for what they sold.

Meanwhile, get your finances lined up. If you have a poor credit report, start cleaning it up. Pay off outstanding debt and put explanations into the credit file. Get erroneous information removed. Cut down your expenses. Save money for investing. Yes, it is definitely possible to buy properties with no cash out of your pocket—I have done it. However, you have more opportunities for profit if you are prepared to pay cash or at least make a down payment. This is increasing your resources with which to operate.

Depending upon your investment approach, you may want to get an equity line of credit secured by your home. Alternatively, you may want to ask banks for unsecured personal lines of credit. You may want to stop throwing away all those credit card solicitations and actually apply for some. Naturally, try to get those with good terms. However, sometimes it is possible to make so much money with just one property transaction that you will be willing to use high-priced money to enable you to get into the deal. Use high-priced money for properties you plan to resell soon, not for long-term holding.

Some people talk about getting a “mentor,” an experienced real estate investor to personally train you in real estate investing. If you can find somebody who is willing to spend time helping you, fine, go ahead and give it a try. But, you don’t need a mentor to work in real estate investing. Very few investors have ever had a mentor. I call it “self-mentoring.” The approach that you take to investing will be very personal. Do get to know many different investors so you can get help with the local “nuts and bolts” of investing: referrals for good attorneys, cleaning people, repair people, learn where to get carpets and plumbing supplies, discover the good escrow and title companies, and all the other services and goods that you will need to be successful. Ask about difficulties you have and individual problems of people you know and on the on-line real estate forums. I do think you need a "mentor."

Try to understand the approaches that these different investors have and their thinking about different aspects of investing. Ask what they like and don’t like, what works for them and what doesn’t. Then you can borrow some of their ideas and approaches in formulating your own direction. Nevertheless, you probably will not find a formula that somebody else uses that will suit you to a tee. Mix and match. Take a little bit from here and a little bit from there. Make them into a coherent program that will generate money for you.

There are many, many different ways to make money with real estate. With a little imagination, you may even create a new way to do so that nobody else thought of. But, most of these ways can be put into three categories, which you can remember if you can say “CAT.”

C is for CASHFLOW. This means you get more money in from a property than you spend owning it.

A is for APPRECIATION. There are three types of appreciation, remembered by FIN: F is for FORCED, such as fixing up properties, moving them, getting rid of title problems. I stands for INSTANT, which you get from buying bargain properties at least 20% below market value. Then there is N for NATURAL. Over time, property values tend to go up, the amount and rate varying with locale, the economy, and market conditions. Held long enough, most properties will go up unless everybody is moving away for the town or you do not maintain the properties.

Which means that you may reduce the amount of taxes that you pay on your other income, non-real estate income. This is over and above the tax write-offs for your investment properties that reduce your taxable income from the properties.

Some people mistakenly add to this list of categories “pay down” or “amortization” on the loan. This is actually a sub-category of cash flow. It is the “forced savings” aspect.

Before buying properties, ask yourself which benefit you want to maximize. In general, you cannot make all three categories big with any one property. You might make one big, one moderate-sized and the other one small. So choose the investment strategy and the property which fits your goal--C, A, or T. For instance, when I buy bargain properties at tax sales, I get very little tax benefit. If I want tax benefit, I will buy a house at market value, but getting financing terms that allow me to get a break-even or slightly positive cash flow. I can also speculate on appreciation with this type of property. Normal appreciation is irrelevant for the bargain buys; the profit is built-in upon purchase with the Instant Appreciation.

Some people advocate getting a "team" together before starting--attorneys, CPAs, loan brokers, maybe real estate agents. I do not think that is necessary. I would certainly suggest that you not delay your investment actions until you get a "team" together. I advocate learning a lot about the local real estate laws and the federal tax rules as relates to real estate investing. Then you can be your own team in part. People make many mistakes by not consulting with attorneys. They sell properties and have to pay terrible taxes—unnecessarily—because they do not understand and consult accountants.

So, do not hesitate to call upon professionals when needed. When you run into problems that a professional can help with, then is the time to find one. One--not a team, in my opinion.

To be successful in real estate investing, in my opinion, you need both movement and guidance. You have to get out and actually invest in properties to make a profit. Therefore, you have to be active. Go and do it. However, don’t do it blindly. Learn a lot before you start making deals so that you don’t make too many mistakes and so you have a strategy that will fit you and the environment in which you invest. Some people get stuck in the learning phase. You will never know everything about real estate investing, so get started even when you do not feel you know it all.

There are two major mistakes that can lead to real estate investment failure, I think. One is doing nothing – there is no profit in that. The other is rushing out too soon and making expensive mistakes. I once read a magazine article about a couple in Chicago that bought, as their first investment, a run-down apartment complex in a very poor neighborhood in Chicago. I forget the title of the article, but I think it should have been “How we lost a million dollars with no money down.” They did not know how to manage rental properties at all and this property was an extremely difficult one to operate. They made many mistakes, lost the building in foreclosure, and lost all the money they had invested.

So, become active, yes. However, do it with caution. There is a lot of money to be made with real estate. Because real estate can cost a lot, there are many ways to lose a lot of money with real estate. The sellers and real estate agents selling a property are not always honest about that property. Nobody will look out for your interest as well as you do. Learn enough to be realistic about properties and how investing works.

Expect to spend about 10 to 20 hours a week studying real estate during your learning months. Even though that sounds like a lot, believe me, there is a lot to learn. If you thought it would be easy to get rich, I disagree with you. However, it is possible to get rich with real estate. The average individual can do it. In addition, it is easier than most other businesses in which you could invest your time and money. Moreover, because you can tailor your investment program to fit you, your chances for success are high. In addition, real estate is a "forgiving" investment. You can make mistakes, possibly a lot of them, and still make a profit from a property. I have made some very serious errors. Still my wealth and property holdings build up.

Just recognize real estate is a business. It will take time and effort. Some people might say it takes that four-letter word “work,” however, if you have a program that fits you and gives you enjoyment, you can convert that word into another four-letter word: “play.” Many people treat real estate investing as a game and play it to win not only money but also freedom to lead the life they want. It can do that for you.

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Reasons to Work with Mel Feller, a Business and Executive Coach, Life Coach and Coaching and Mentoring With Mel Feller

No matter what stage your business is at, a business coach like Mel Feller can make you work harder and progress faster than you would on your own. From providing a much-needed ego check to helping expand your network, Mel Feller can give you both the tools and perspective you need to go from point A to point B.

There are not very many life challenges, and/or issues, that Mel Feller has NOT personally gone through; Mel Feller has been through some very low spots all the way to enjoying the high mountain views.

Mel Feller knows all too well that we are our own worst enemies.

We each have many life challenges that sabotage ourselves, limit our thinking, trigger negative responses and compromise ourselves. Quickly scan the list below and watch for any items that grab your attention in some way. If you are open and receptive, your intuition will flag items that deserve your attention.

All of us experience major and minor life challenges. How we handle these struggles on a daily basis, which determines our physical, as well as our mental well-being. It takes only a single event to convince us we have no control over our circumstances. Sometimes these challenges consume us with guilt, panic attacks, or chronic fatigue. Our problems pressure us from every side, threatening to crush or break us.

Surprisingly, all life challenges have a direct relationship in defining our purpose in life. If only we could find assurance that there was a plan or reason for the difficulties we face. We search for meaning in tragedy, questioning our reason for hope or a future. “Why me God? How can I ever forgive? I hate my life! How do I stop the pain?”

Life and Business Challenges

Life challenges enable us to see ourselves at our best and our worst. We may attempt to temporarily escape our circumstances, falling into alcohol addiction or drug addiction. Others find themselves overwhelmed, careening out of control -- even contemplating how to commit suicide. A dear friend, Susan, recalled thoughts of driving her car off a cliff. When the rear view mirror revealed her two small children sleeping in the back seat, she brought the car back under control. “My children trusted their mother and rested peacefully even though death threatened to destroy their lives. Their hearts were not troubled and they never were fearful.” After seeking out Mel Feller, Susan realized that she could overcome fear, by receiving God’s gifts of power, love, and self-discipline.

Life and Business Challenges

We face our greatest life challenges when we struggle to find love, security, and assurance that life truly has meaning. Our fears, unhealthy behaviors, and excessive emotional struggles result from our inability to interpret and correctly cope with our circumstances and feelings. Whether wrestling with chronic pain, forgiving infidelity, or trying to conceive, it is possible to move beyond that place of hopelessness.

So Why Mel Feller

Do you find yourself in a constant state of mental chaos? Do you feel like your career goals and lifetime dreams just can’t be met no matter how hard you work to achieve them?

There is a reason, you will never reach your full potential unless you move from being an imposter to being who you really want to be by being deeply authentic. No amount of material possessions, money, or high-ranking career position will make you happy or feel fulfilled if your inner confidence does not match your external success. Mel Feller and Coaching for Success 360 coaching and the art and science of self-mastery will transform your life and get you there.

Instead of traditional and motivational touchy-feely coaching, my style is edgy, bold, straightforward, instructional and results-driven. Motivation is great but only if you do something with it!

Mel Feller chooses to work with people I feel a deep trust and connection with so we can make change on a cellular level, cognitively with passion and high-energy. No lies. No bull. No excuses. Purity, honesty, hard work.

Mel Feller – Personal Development, Business, Executive, Internet and Real Estate Investments Coach/Mentor and Business Owner

Mel Feller was a senior staffer for over 5 years with both United States Senator Jake Garn and The Senate Banking and Finance Committee.

Mel Feller is a speaker at entrepreneurial forums training business professionals on marketing strategies and the “Secrets of Online Marketing”. He provides consulting services on all aspects of business including organizational performance, sales and marketing strategies, employee productivity and retention, successful solution implementation, technology leverage and customer service in all business and fields.

Mel Feller's areas of technology expertise include emails and social media, solution development discipline and methodology, business process leads and project management.

Mel Feller has twenty-five years’ experience with companies, nonprofits and individuals in the research and writing of both government and private grants.

In addition to his regular consulting and management responsibilities, Mel Feller was published in the Top 100 Mentors; he has published two books on "Creative Real Estate Financing" and “Multiple Secrets to Success”, and presented numerous executive lectures for Fortune 500 corporations on “leadership and business practices”.

Visit him at www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com

Mel Feller’s dynamic presence, instinctive strategic vision, and creative thinking produce effective, sustainable bottom-line results for his clients. His “Can Do” attitude generates confidence in his executive coaching clients and strategic consulting corporate clients. Throughout Mel Feller’s career, he has increased the profitability of nearly every organization with which he has worked.

Mel Feller has a unique ability to relate to his clients because he came from The United States Senate, where Mel was the Chief of Staff for a United States Senator and was always meeting with prominent business people or politicians. His main love was dealing with constituents that were the grass root voters! Since founding Coaching For Success 360 In 1989, he has effectively translated that experience into results for his clients. He focuses on separating daily distractions from the real issues in order to put the executive and/or business on the right path to grow and prosper. Results are immediate, growth sustainable, and profitability long-term.

Dozens of Mel Feller’s clients have been on Inc.’s 500/5000 list and many have been named as a “Best Places To Work.

Using Mel Feller’s intuitive, systematic approach, and our proven strategic and tactical tools, we help you plan for profit.

Mel Feller believes that what gets measured is improved. Therefore, he is continually developing processes and systems that allow you to easily measure, manage and maintain a highly profitable business.

Mel Feller is ready to help you increase your sales, trim and manage your operating costs and see your profits soar and/or leverage your time for Business or Real Estate!

“Truth telling, honesty, and candor: I loved you Mel Feller! You have so much energy and knowledge! I truly hope I get another opportunity to be coached by you. I see myself a little clearer now, and it’s not so bad.”

Lisa Mathews

“Mel Feller you added more value than we can possibly see right now. Mel Feller, you are warm, inviting, and accommodating. Thank you for coming alongside us in this transition!”

Vanessa Cavanaugh

“Mel Feller the best education session that we have attended in many years! Thank you so much — I am very excited to put everything you have taught us into practice!”

Michael Randolph

“Mr. Mel Feller, Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving a marvelous keynote at our Symposium! While we have not yet collected the official feedback, the unofficial feedback was that You Were a Hit! I heard nothing but compliments regarding your presentations. Thank you for making such a positive impact on our attendees! ”

Lyle Cunningham VP

"Mel Feller uses his humor, compassion, and direct nature to help bring out the best in me. Mel Feller is committed to helping me live...I mean, really live, life to its fullest."

Jose Rodriguez

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ourmrmel · 6 years ago

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Mel Feller Looks at a Checklist for Going into Business by Mel Feller

This guide is a checklist for the owners of a business or for, at the very least, one contemplating going into business for the first time. The questions deliberate on areas you must contemplate seriously in order to determine if your awareness represents a real business opportunity and if you can really know what you are getting into. You can this use to evaluate a new venture proposal or an actual opportunity in your existing business.

Mel Feller is a strong believer in the use of tools in order to assist you in making the right decisions. Use this checklist for any possible opportunity and as you put together a business plan.

Perhaps the most crucial problem you will face after expressing an interest in starting a new business or capitalizing on an apparent opportunity in your existing business will be determining the feasibility of your idea. Getting into the right business at the right time is simple advice, but advice that is extremely difficult to implement. The high failure rate of new businesses and products indicates that very few ideas result in successful business ventures, even when introduced by well-established firm. Too many entrepreneurs strike out on a business venture so convinced of its merits that they fail to t evaluate its potential.

This checklist should be useful to you in evaluating a business idea. It has been designed to help you screen out ideas that are likely to fail before you invest extensive time, money, and effort in them.

Preliminary Analysis

A feasibility study involves gathering, analyzing and evaluating information with the purpose of answering the question: "Should I go into this business?" Answering this question involves first a preliminary assessment of both personal and project considerations.

General Personal Considerations

The first seven questions ask you to do a little introspection. Are your personality characteristics such that you can both adapt to and enjoy business ownership/management?

Do you like to make your own decisions?

Do you enjoy competition?

Do you have will power and self-discipline?

Do you plan ahead?

Do you get things done on time?

Can you take advice from others?

Are you adaptable to changing conditions?

The next series of questions stress the physical, emotional, and financial strains of a new business.

Do you understand that owning your own business may entail working 12 to 16 hours a day, probably six days a week, and maybe on holidays?

Do you have the physical stamina to handle a business?

Do you have the emotional strength to withstand the strain?

Are you prepared to lower your standard of living for several months or years?

Are you prepared to lose your savings?

Specific Personal Considerations

Do you know which skills and areas of expertise are critical to the success of your project?

Do you have these skills?

Does your idea effectively utilize your own skills and abilities?

Can you find personnel that have the expertise you lack?

Do you know why you are considering this project?

Will your project effectively meet your career aspirations?

The next three questions emphasize the point that very few people can claim expertise in all phases of a feasibility study. You should realize your personal limitations and seek appropriate assistance where necessary (i.e. marketing, legal, and financial).

Do you have the ability to perform the feasibility study?

Do you have the time to perform the feasibility study?

Do you have the money to pay for the feasibility study done?

General Project Description

Briefly describe the business you want to enter.

List the products and/or services you want to sell

Describe who will use your products/services

Why would someone buy your product/service?

What kind of location do you need in terms of type of neighborhood, traffic count, nearby firms, etc.?

List your product/services suppliers.

List your major competitors - those who sell or provide like products/services.

List the labor and staff you require to provide your products/services.

Requirements for Success

To determine whether your idea meets the basic requirements for a successful new project, you must be able to answer at least one of the following questions with a "yes".

Does the product/service/business serve a presently unserved need?

Does the product/service/business serve an existing market in which demand exceeds supply?

Can the product/service/business successfully compete with an existing competition because of an "advantageous situation," such as better price, location, etc.?

Major Flaws

A "Yes" response to questions such as the following would indicate that the idea has little chance for success.

Are there any causes (i.e., restrictions, monopolies, shortages) that make any of the required factors of production unavailable (i.e., unreasonable cost, scare skills, energy, material, equipment, processes, technology, or personnel)?

Are capital requirements for entry or continuing operations excessive?

Is adequate financing hard to obtain?

Are there potential detrimental environmental effects?

Are there factors that prevent effective marketing?

Desired Income

The following questions should remind you that you must seek both a return on your investment in your own business as well as a reasonable salary for the time you spend in operating that business.

How much income do you desire?

Are you prepared to earn less income in the first 1-3 years?

What minimum income do you require?

What financial investment will be required for your business?

How much could you earn by investing this money?

How much could you earn by working for someone else?

Add the amounts in 5 and 6. If this income is greater that what you can realistically expect from your business, are you prepared to forego this additional income just to be your own boss with the only prospects of more substantial profit/income in future years?

What is the average return on investment for a business of your type?

Preliminary Income Statement

Besides return on investment, you need to know the income and expenses for your business. You show profit or loss and derive operating ratios on the income statement. Dollars are the (actual, estimated, or industry average) amounts for income and expense categories. Operating ratios are expressed as percentages of net sales and show relationships of expenses and net sales.

For instance 50,000 in net sales equals 100% of sales income (revenue). Net profit after taxes equals 3.14% of net sales. The hypothetical "X" industry average after tax net profit might be 5% in a given year for firms with 50,000 in net sales. First you estimate or forecast income (revenue) and expense dollars and ratios for your business. Then compare your estimated or actual performance with your industry average. Analyze differences to see why you are doing better or worse than the competition or why your venture does or does not look like it will work.

These basic financial statistics are generally available for most businesses from trade and industry associations, government agencies, universities and private companies and banks.

Forecast your own income statement. Do not be influenced by industry figures. Your estimates must be as accurate as possible or else you will have a false impression.

What is the normal markup in this line of business? i.e., the dollar difference between the cost of goods sold and sales, expressed as a percentage of sales?

What is the average cost of goods sold percentage of sales?

What is the average inventory turnover, i.e., the number of times the average inventory is sold each year?

What is the average gross profit as a percentage of sales?

What are the average expenses as a percentage of sales?

What is the average net profit as a percent of sales?

Take the preceding figures, work backwards using a standard income statement format, and determine the level of sales necessary to support your desired income level. From an objective, practical standpoint, is this level of sales, expenses and profit attainable?

Market Analysis

The primary objective of a market analysis is to arrive at a realistic projection of sales. after answering the following questions you will be in a better positions to answer question eight immediately above.

Population

Define the geographical areas from which you can realistically expect to draw customers.

What is the population of these areas?

What do you know about the population growth trend in these areas?

What is the average family size?

What is the age distribution?

What is the per capita income?

What are the consumers' attitudes toward business like yours?

What do you know about consumer shopping and spending patterns relative to your type of business?

Is the price of your product/service especially important to your target market?

Can you appeal to the entire market?

If you appeal to only a market segment, is it large enough to be profitable?

Competition

Who are your major competitors?

What are the major strengths of each?

What are the major weaknesses of each?

Are you familiar with the following factors concerning your competitors?

Price structure?

Product lines (quality, breadth, width)?

Location?

Promotional activities?

Sources of supply?

Image from a consumer's viewpoint?

Do you know of any new competitors?

Do you know of any competitor's plans for expansion?

Have any firms of your type gone out of business lately?

If so, why?

Do you know the sales and market share of each competitor?

Do you know whether the sales and market share of each competitor are increasing, decreasing, or stable?

Do you know the profit levels of each competitor?

Are your competitors' profits increasing, decreasing, or stable?

Can you compete with your competition?

Sales

Determine the total sales volume in your market area.

How accurate do you think your forecast of total sales is?

Did you base your forecast on concrete data?

Is the estimated sales figure "normal" for your market area?

Is the sales per square foot for your competitors above the normal average?

Are there conditions, or trends, that could change your forecast of total sales?

Do you expect to carry items in inventory from season to season, or do you plan to mark down products occasionally to eliminate inventories? If you do not carry over inventory, have you adequately considered the effect of markdown in your pricing? (Your gross profits margin may be too low.)

How do you plan to advertise and promote your product/service/business?

Forecast the share of the total market that you can realistically expect - as a dollar amount and as a percentage of your market.

Are you sure that you can create enough competitive advantages to achieve the market share in your forecast of the previous question?

Is your forecast of dollar sales greater than the sales amount needed to guarantee your desired or minimum income?

Have you been optimistic or pessimistic in your forecast of sales?

Do you need to hire an expert to refine the sales forecast?

Are you willing to hire an expert to refine the sales forecast?

Supply

Can you make a list of every item of inventory and operating supplies needed?

Do you know the quantity, quality, technical specifications, and price ranges desired?

Do you know the name and location of each potential source of supply?

Do you know the price ranges available for each product from each supplier?

Do you know about the delivery schedules for each supplier?

Do you know the sales terms of each supplier?

Do you know the credit terms of each supplier?

Do you know the financial condition of each supplier?

Is there a risk of shortage for any critical materials or merchandise?

Are you aware of which supplies have an advantage relative to transportation costs?

Will the price available allow you to achieve an adequate markup?

Can you obtain the additional data needed?

Are you aware that there is less than a 50-50 chance that you will be in business two years from now?

It’s all to easy easy to work “in” your business rather than “on” it. As Michael Gerber tells us in The E-Myth, we need to be working “on” our businesses if we want them to grow and flourish. A mentor who has succeeded in your industry can provide you with priceless advice and serve as a sounding board.

Your checklist might be longer than this, but organizing what needs to be done before you launch and what you can take care of down the road makes it easier to prioritize your tasks.