The person who tries to do it all alone will probably die trying with their business soon following. Nobody is so wise that they cannot learn or be too strong to need help.

Quick Look in Mirror: Are you Mr. (Ms or Mrs.) Know-It-All who thinks that if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself? If so, no better time than present to start changing that false mirror image that you are using to so cleverly fool yourself.

A successful leader must create a Staff. Just as Captain Kirk, had Spock, McCoy and rest, so does a good business owner need his or her counselors and advisers. Every General has their Colonels. Every Colonel has their Captains and so on. No officer is left completely on their own. This is one of few wise rules of war. Every employer should have his or her own support group of competent helpers.

"How to Win Friends and Influence People."

Dale Carnegie literally wrote book on networking long before skill even had a name.

That wonderful book has deservedly sold millions of copies worldwide, yet skill of effective networking is still vastly underestimated.

There are seven magic words that every person in business should engrave on their hearts:

'People do business with people they like.'

Networking, as it has come to be understood, is a two- part equation:

1. Expand your list of contacts.

2. Make each of your contacts your friend.

There is simply no point in knowing someone who hates you, or even has no opinion of you. You must have a positive connection. Nothing else will do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To attract good fortune, spend a new penny on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend and lift up heart of a true friend by writing his name on wings of a dragon. -- Chinese Proverb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are hundreds of little ways that you can be friendly and positive towards people. I have selected seven which I have proved time and again make a big difference.

1. Call someone up just to say hello.

We are all inundated with calls and emails from people who want something from us. It is nature of this busy world we live in.

But sometimes it is wonderful to get a call from someone who just wants to say hello and asks how you are. Be that somebody. Make a point of NOT wanting anything.

2. Be first to offer help.

Downsizing, redundancy and job loss is a fact of life. But how we react to other people's misfortune makes a world of difference.

When you hear that someone you know, however slightly, is out of work, call them up and offer to help.

I was 'downsized' some years ago (it hurt) and I will never forget a man who called me up very next morning and offered me a desk and a phone in his office any time I needed it, as a base for job hunting. I barely knew this guy, and I didn't take him up on it, but his generous offer made him a hero in my eyes.

There are lots of ways you can offer people support - and one day they will be riding high again.

3. If you want a meeting, suggest coffee.

Or cakes, or cookies. There is something about informal eating that bonds people.