Societal and cultural factors contribute to the difficulty many of us have trying to balance family and work. American culture puts a higher value on work than many other cultures. This is not to say, of course, that other cultures don’t work hard. Indeed, they do. But most do not place such an importance on the amount of time working. There is an implicit (and often explicit) understanding in American culture that people who work longer hours are more dedicated to the job and thus more valuable employees.

But what about dedication to one’s family? If asked whether we would like to dedicate more time to work or to family, we would probably unanimously answer “family.” Unfortunately, our words don’t always match our actions. If we truly want to balance family and work, we have to make family a priority and take the necessary steps to change the way we spend our time. Work and family don’t balance automatically. Achieving a balance takes “work” and is an ongoing process.

Let’s look at some of the commitments you can make to achieve a family and work balance:

• Set goals: Setting goals enables you to be crystal clear about what’s most important to you. Once you are clear about your personal and professional goals, communicate them to your family. Then ask what is most important to them so you can know what makes them feel valued. Make sure every family member has an opportunity to realize their goals as well.

• Take care of yourself: Make a commitment to exercise for at least thirty minutes every day. Regular exercise boosts energy levels and relieves stress, and improves both physical and mental health. Exercise can actually help you be a better mom or dad because you will have extra energy on the weekends to fully participate in family activities.

I’m going to address both issues in an effort to demystify this topic and help you get more clients, more easily. (I didn’t say faster. More on that in a moment.)

A few weeks ago, I presented a webinar about getting more clients. In the webinar, I talked about how to create a “solar system” of things that slowly and gently PULL clients into your world. (The emphasis is on the words slowly and gently.)

That’s key.

Why?

To answer that question, let me tell you a short story.

Right now, my wife is pregnant with our sixth child. She’s a midwife, so I know a lot more about the birth process than probably 99.9% of men on this planet.

It is truly amazing when you understand the thousands and thousands of things that are going on as a little one grows from a tiny little spec into a full grown baby.

Perhaps the MOST amazing thing, however, is that the instructions and blueprint for that entire being are included right from the getgo.

Just like a plant growing in the garden, the course of its entire development (environmental influences aside) is programmed into that tiny seed.

The Same Thing Can Be Said About Your Clients

When your clients show up, they too contain just about everything for their development as a client of yours.

Where do they get their programming?

From your marketing of course. They get it from the system you use to attract clients.

If you have clients that balk at your fees, are annoying to work with and just make your life crazy, then take a look at your client attraction process.

Indeed, such information may prove especially valuable over coming months. According to new research produced by a think tank based in the north-west of England, the year ahead will be tough for many organisations in the Greater Manchester area. New Economy, which was created in 2009 and aims to promote economic growth and prosperity in the region, claimed that 2012 will be a year of “all-round challenges” for businesses.

Its latest quarterly economic outlook suggested that unemployment will rise in the region this year and the number of business failures will outstrip start-ups. This may serve as a cause for concern for firms that extend trade credit as a means of encouraging custom.

However, on a more positive note, the think tank predicted that conditions will start to improve and there will be jobs growth in 2013.

Responding to the figures, Baron Frankal, director of economic strategy at New Economy, said: “There has been a substantial increase in unemployment since the start of the recession, which has had a major impact upon our residents, but it is nothing like the rise seen in the early 1980s recession when unemployment more than doubled.

Mr. Haskell best summarized his drive and approach to life over the past 30 years, recalling a quote from his fourth grade teacher, Mr. Christensen:

“You can never get back a wasted moment.”

And his life and career certainly embody this simple, yet profound, motto.

Born in Silicon Valley, Erick Haskell grew up in Southern California. After a quick return to Northern California and a stop in Omaha, he went to high school near Denver. He attended George Washington University for his undergrad, George Mason University for a Master’s in International Trade and Finance, and The University of Chicago for a Master’s in Business Administration. His career has seen stops in Washington, Minneapolis, San Juan, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Tianjin, and Shanghai. He has spent much of his career cultivating and furthering business interests across the globe, and more specifically in Latin America and the Far East (China).

Oh, and did I mention that he also runs marathons. So apropos. In fact he recently ran his personal best in Beijing (2:59, but who’s counting), and he is training for the 2012 Boston marathon. From stocking shelves to powering start-up companies to managing business lines and serving as CFO or COO for three companies, Erick has a wealth of experience and diversity.

Think about it for a moment: how often have you been to a trade show booth which may well have been well laid out with an interesting product and/or service only to have had the impression of the booth let down by the poor state of the floor?

Of course it is hardly surprising, as the chances are that the venue has been used for a wide variety of events well beyond the world of the trade show. Everything from basketball trials to indoor motor racing may have taken part in the same venue that a business is using to help attract new customers and/or investment into their business. This is no one’s fault, but it does mean that anyone wanting to make the right impression is in danger of having all his or her hard work undermined by what may have seen a small detail.

The simple fact is that floors take a lot of abuse, which can leave them looking worse than other areas of a room. Luckily, there is an answer to this issue in the form of flooring for trade shows that can be acquired to give a trade show booth the feel of professionalism that any company will require.

It is true that not all trade shows are the same and is just as true that not all businesses are the same. Some may require a large booth, while organizers of an event may want to put floor down over the whole area of a show, or a specific section. The range of possibilities is extensive and therefore a company needs to be chosen to supply flooring that is fit for purpose.

In effect what this means is that a company can select the flooring for trade shows that best fits their needs. There are a number of options available, which should all be considered to make sure that the best and most appropriate choice is made.