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OCTOBER 2021
7462 Old Hickory Drive, Mechanicsville, VA 23111
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www.sklartechnology.com
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804-730-2628
A Good Entrepreneur Never Quits! THE DANGER OF RESTING ON YOUR LAURELS
not happy with the answers, it’s time to double down. In 2013, my team and I did this when we made a huge investment in our data center. We could have stuck with the services we already offered and rested on those laurels, but instead, we bought thousands of dollars of equipment and started providing server hosting because we knew it would make our client experience better. It was a leap of faith, and it paid off! Since then, we’ve made two more big investments in our data center, and it’s now our fastest-growing service. I guarantee there are opportunities in your business that will have the same effect. 2. Start a new venture. If you don’t see a ripe opportunity for reinvestment, keep yourself sharp by starting a new project. That’s how I got into the Airbnb business. If I’d rested on my laurels, I never would have built this successful side hustle or had all the fun I’ve had fixing up properties. The biggest challenge with Airbnb is that after I finish a project, like I just did, I have to remember not to rest on those laurels but keep going. 3. Invest your money away. I think of money sitting in the bank as “dead money.” It can start to feel like a security blanket and either incentivize laziness or poor spending. So, when I have the opportunity, I invest in valuable assets. That keeps my bank accounts lean and pushes me to generate more revenue. If you’re feeling like you are resting on your laurels, reach out to me. Let’s grab lunch and share experiences on ways to help keep each other motived! I’ve done this many times with friends (new and old), and at the least, we both walk away with a renewed outlook and energized.
Did you watch the Olympics this summer? If you did, you probably noticed a whole bunch of returning athletes. This happens all the time at the Olympics! When an athlete wins gold, they hardly ever call it quits — instead, they push harder and come back to win again and again. Just think about Michael Phelps. He started competing in the Olympics in 2000, won his first gold in 2004, then came back again to win more medals in 2008, 2012, AND 2016. He could have rested on his literal Olympic laurels after winning one gold, but he didn’t. Instead, he went on to become the most decorated Olympian of all time. From the Olympics to the Office When you achieve a “gold medal” in business by closing a big deal, meeting a revenue goal, or achieving some other success, you might be tempted to sit on the money you’ve made and put your feet up. But in my experience, it’s dangerous to rest on your laurels. The Danger of Sitting Still Why? Well, resting makes you lazy, and laziness makes you complacent. The minute you relax, you’re inviting your company’s growth to stagnate. Plus, when you take your eye off the ball, something always goes wrong. To prevent that, it pays to think like an Olympic athlete.When you meet a goal, celebrate for a few minutes. Then get back in the game and start training for the next big thing. 3 Ways to Make Yourself Uncomfortable I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of business success, and I’ve found there are a couple of different ways to push yourself forward after a big win. 1. Keep climbing the value ladder. One way to take your company to the next level is to reinvest your profits right back into the business. Ask yourself, “Is my business the best it can be?” and “Have I created an experience or just a commodity?” If you’re
–Randy Sklar Security. Availability. Support. .................................................................................... 804-730-2628 • 1 A REFERRAL IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY. WHEN A CLIENT REFERS FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES TO US, IT REPRESENTS AN APPRECIATION OF A JOB WELL DONE. IF YOUR FRIENDS OR ASSOCIATES COULD BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES, I’D BE HONORED TO HAVE YOUR REFERRAL!
But Where Did They Come From? QR CODES SAVED 2021 If you’ve been to a restaurant in the last year, you’ve probably seen at least once a card with a small black and white box on the table instead of a menu. You probably know what to do in that scenario: You pull out your smartphone, scan the QR code (aka quick response code), and scroll through the menu on your screen. Then, you order from there — all without touching a paper menu or spreading a single germ. For people who love going out to eat, QR codes pretty much saved 2021. They’ve made the dining experience feel safer. But where did they come from? Until now, QR codes have been more or less under the radar — but they’re a lot older than you think. The Birth of the QR Code QR codes were invented all the way back in 1994 by Masahiro Hara of the Japanese company Denso Wave. His goal was to find an alternative to the barcode, which can only hold about 20 characters of information and isn’t compatible with Japanese Kanji and Kana characters. In a way, Hara’s invention was a huge success. QR codes were revolutionary. They can hold more information than regular barcodes (7,000 characters vs. 20, including Kanji!), and you can scan them 10 times faster. However, most people didn’t hear about QR codes for years after they were created. They stayed a secret of Japanese automobile manufacturing. QR Codes Go National, Then Global In 2002, QR codes finally left the factory floor and spread throughout Japan. But it took years for the rest of the world to adopt them. Smartphones and apps — which barely existed when QR codes were invented — needed to catch up. Fortunately, they did, and today QR codes are used worldwide for everything from renting scooters to ordering food in restaurants. The Next Step for QR COVID-19 made QR codes more popular than ever. According to a Mobileiron study, more than 36% of smartphone users in Europe and the UK use QR codes at least once a week. If you’re not already familiar with QR codes, now’s the time to visit QRCode.com to learn how to use them before they kill off the barcode for good.
THE SALES POWER OF THE INTROVERT When we think of careers suited for extroverts, sales often springs to mind. After all, nothing could be more exhausting to an introvert than having to talk to dozens of people every day and maintain a positive demeanor to seal every deal.
However, a surprising study by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) disputes this belief.
The HBR reports that being an extrovert had no impact on a salesperson’s ability to sell; in fact, some of the negative qualities of being an extrovert, such as bravado and overt friendliness, are more likely to alienate customers. On the flip side, humility and modesty were two traits possessed by those who were 90% better than other sales people in their company. Interestingly, these traits often accompany an introverted personality. The reason, as Entrepreneur.com reports, is actually fairly simple. Being effective at sales does not require a profound skill for speaking or storytelling. Instead, salespeople need to be great listener s. This attention to detail and attentiveness to their subject is often found in introverts. Now, that doesn’t make extroverts bad at sales. Instead, you can harness the power of the introvert and spread the wealth among your sales team by doing the following: 1. Establish Trust: Introverts have a powerful ability to connect one- on-one with whoever they are speaking to. They thrive on personal conversations, wherein they can build a rapport with one or two other people rather than a group. This trait is necessary for salespeople to acquire, as it makes prospects feel safe and heard. 2. Ask Questions: A long spiel about a product or service is overwhelming, especially when the person providing it feels like a total stranger. Before launching into a pitch, an introverted salesperson knows to ask questions, begging the prospect to lead the conversation and push the salesperson into the appropriate action for a sale. 3. Keep It Relational: People remember stories. They want to hear stories of success and failures, often applying the lessons from those stories to their own lives. Introverts can captivate an audience — maybe that’s why so many introverts are also authors — and salespeople have to strike that balance between sharing stories and listening.
2 • www.sklartechnology.com .................................................................................... Security. Availability. Support. For more guidance on how introverts can maximize a sales team, pick up Matthew Pollard’s book, “The Introvert’s Edge.”
SHOULD YOU FLOSS YOUR ELBOWS? How ‘Muscle Flossing’ Helped Cure Randy’s Joint Pain
“Flossing and foam rolling both work to release tension in the fascia that surrounds our muscle tissues,” Mitchell Fischer, a certified trainer and USA Weightlifting coach, told Shape. “But flossing makes the process much more efficient by releasing a whole set of tissues, as opposed to one localized muscle at a time.”
When is the last time you heard someone say, “Man, that was a tough workout. I might have to go home and floss my elbow!” Never, right? If the idea of “flossing” body parts sounds crazy to you, this article may just blow your mind — and solve your muscle and joint pain.
What is muscle flossing? A few months ago, Randy was struggling with stubborn knee and elbow pain. On the hunt for relief, he discovered a new fitness tool called “muscle floss” or “voodoo floss.” The floss looks like a stretchy roll of tape or an unlooped exercise band. To use it, you wrap the floss tightly around your painful joint or muscle group, then exercise that spot for between 30 seconds and two minutes.
For Randy, muscle flossing worked like a charm! The sensation of the band squeezing his elbow and knee was a bit uncomfortable but ultimately worth it. Today, he swears by muscle flossing. How can you try it? You can buy a roll of WOD Nation muscle floss on Amazon.com for as little as $11.98, or score
RockTape RockFloss for just $20 on REI.com. When it comes to using the floss, though, make sure you follow all of the provided instructions; only wrap safe areas like your elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, biceps, triceps, quads/ hamstrings, or calves; and don’t wrap too tightly. You could risk
What are the benefits? By applying pressure to your muscles with floss, you can
break down the adhesions and restrictions that are causing your pain. According to Shape magazine, this will help relieve your pain, boost your mobility, and speed up your recovery. You can get similar benefits from foam rolling, but muscle flossing offers relief more quickly.
nerve damage if you’re not careful!
Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup Inspired by SugarAndSoul.co
This healthy, savory soup is the perfect lunch for a cool fall day.
Ingredients •
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Salt and pepper, to taste 4 cups chicken broth 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3 cups kale, chopped 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
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4 Italian chicken sausages, sliced to bite- size pieces
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6 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
6–7 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Directions 1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often, then remove from the pot and set aside. 2. Add garlic and onion to the pot. Sauté 4–5 minutes. Add squash, salt, and pepper. Sauté 8 minutes. 3. In a slow cooker, combine sautéed vegetables, sausage, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes. 4. Open the pot and add the kale. Cook another 20 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Cook 10 more minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Security. Availability. Support .................................................................................... 804-730-2628 • 3
7462 Old Hickory Drive Mechanicsville, VA 23111 www.sklartechnology.com 804-730-2628
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Inside This Issue
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The Danger of Resting on Your Laurels
Why You Need Introverts on Your Sales Team
The True Story of QR Codes
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Should You Floss Your Elbows?
Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup
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The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction
Self-Help Books Can’t Do It All
HOW READING FICTION CAN BENEFIT YOU
before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off.
Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. Less Stress and Better Sleep When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction
More Comfort With Uncertainty Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people
would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open- ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers.
Greater Happiness Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open! 4 • www.sklartechnology.com .................................................................................... Security. Availability. Support.
IS YOUR WEBSITE LOSING YOU CUSTOMERS? Get a New Look for the New Year!
Have you had the same website for the last year? The last five years? The last 10?!
If you have, consider this your reminder: It’s a new year, and you need a new look.
When potential customers find you online, your website is your handshake, so you want to make the best first impression possible. Don’t greet them with a limp, sweaty palm! 5 SIGNS THAT IT’S TIME FOR AN UPGRADE
If your website is ...
1. Tough to navigate from a smartphone 2. Antiquated, with an outdated design 3. Missing a chat box or other communication feature
4. Not up to date with the latest security and SEO optimization 5. Missing a strong call to action that grabs readers
Then YOU CAN DO BETTER!
Let us take your website to the next level, protect your data, and bring in the customers you need.
Call our office today at 804-730-2628 or visit SklarTechnology.com to set up a consultation, and we’ll craft you a handshake that closes the deal, every time.
www.sklartechnology.com.................................................................................... Security. Availability. Support.
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