By Kia Armstrong, Sales/Promotions Manager, Nash’s Organic Produce
1. Go back to the same farmers' markets or farm stand regularly and get to know the people who are selling their locally-grown veggies, fruits, grains, breads, pasta, etc. Your loyalty may earn you a discount from time to time.
2. One of the keys to strike a deal with farmers is to ask questions. Take the time to ask about buying seconds or purchasing items in bulk. Seconds are perfectly fine to eat but may be misshapen and not as pretty as the #1 quality produce on display.
3. Know what's in season so it will be easier to understand the local growing system and what will be least expensive at your neighborhood farm stand or store.
4. Check out a CSA, or Farm Share program. Invest up front in a farm, and receive weekly boxes of seasonal fresh food. Farmers usually give their CSA members an excellent value for their dollar since they appreciate subscribers' support. Many CSAs offer discounted working shares, or payment plans.
5. Walk around the farmers market first before purchasing anything. There are usually several competitors with the same fruits and vegetables, so look at all the produce available and see what the competing prices are.
6. Arrive early at a market for best picks, or leverage closing time for a good deal. Farmers don't want to leave with a full truck. Be careful not to barter too much; farmers are primarily interested in building long-term customer relationships, and they have worked hard to bring their products to market. Try out something like "I see that you have some food left over, and I want to help out. What can you give me for $20?" By initially offering a set amount of money and giving the farmer a choice in what to sell you, the farmer will be inclined to give you both a good deal and the best of what his or her table has to offer.
7. Many farmers sell fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits that you can take home and plant yourself! Consider starting a small box of herbs or some frequently used veggies, such as salad greens (which you can cut and they'll re-grow!)
8. Consider raising your own small animals in your backyard, such as chickens, turkeys, dwarf goats, ducks and rabbits. You can harvest eggs, milk and meat from these animals, ensuring that you know where the food is coming from and that it is healthy.
9. Instead of just car-pooling, consider "cow-pooling." Get together with friends or neighbors to purchase healthy, grass-fed, beef, pork, lamb, etc., from local farmers. Ask questions about how farmers are raising their animals and look for healthy animals that are free of antibiotics or hormones.
10. Many farmers' markets are sponsored by local organizations that need volunteers to help keep them running. Becoming a volunteer at the market will help you get to know the vendors who sell at the market and they will get to know you. Volunteers are often rewarded for their efforts with generous discounts and gifts from the vendors.
11. Bring your favorite farmer or producer a cup of hot coffee, or a taste of something you just whipped up in the kitchen with fresh ingredients. Compliment them if you enjoyed their food, let them know you appreciate their hard work…you may end up saving some money!
12. Inquire at your local DSHS office or Senior Center about Washington State WIC and Senior Nutrition Programs. You might be eligible to receive free vouchers that are redeemable for fresh fruit and produce at farmers markets.
13. Buy veggies, grains and fruits in bulk with family and friends to save significant money.
14. Offer the farmers more than cash. Farmers are independent and sometimes unconventional. Bartering is second nature to them. A farmer, like anyone else, specializes in a certain trade or skill. If you also have a skill or service that you can offer—web site design, carpentry, tax preparation, art, etc.—a farmer may be willing to trade for your services.
15. Participate in local gleaning or community gardening opportunities. A little donated time can provide a welcome wealth of local food in your life.
Want your voice to be heard? For only three easy
installments of $19.99 you can own the Cardinal Direction. Act now, and I will double the offer, simply
pay shipping and handling.
No, I’m not selling the Cardinal Direction. But those three
simple sentences do demonstrate important aspects of this week’s article. Last time we talked about the Foolscap Method
for big picture planning. This week we will talk about breaking that plan into
smaller pieces using another Steven Pressfield trick: The Three Act Method.
The Three Act Method isn’t just for playwrights – every
dream and the business plan to see it through can be broken down into three
acts.
“Break your dream down into three parts. Act One, Act Two,
Act Three. Beginning, middle, end.
Setup, story, punch line. Three-act structure works for a play, a romantic
seduction, the 1st Marine Division marching up to Baghdad. It’s the
architecture for a WWE wrestling match, a Frank Gehry concert hall or an
infomercial,” says Steven Pressfield.
Act one is the Why. As in ‘Why should anyone care about your
dream?’ It needs a call to action, a method to take action and a hook.
Pressfield continues, “The purpose of the first act is to engage the audience. Two
other aspects of a great beginning: it must be unique and it must make a
promise.”
Act One of a business plan also requires feasibility. If you are looking to start an Internet Café
on the Moon then you need to call Sir Richard Branson but if you’re hoping to
start one on Mainstreet Arlington, come talk to me.
If I had to pinpoint the end of Act One in a business plan
it would be the lending institution’s approval of funds. Approval from a
lending institution requires a thorough business plan in written form, some
money and a good hook.
Act Two is the fun part. The doing, the crafting, the
building. The second act is creating your dream from the ground up. “Our middle
passage—whether it’s a novel, a startup or a philanthropic venture—plays out
the promise of the beginning to the point of excruciation.”
Using troop leading procedures from previous articles as an
example, act one is issuing the Warning Order (the ‘why’ or hook), making a
tentative plan (call to action) and initiating movement (action).
Reconnaissance is ongoing, and completing the plan is act two. Supervising is
act three.
“Act Three is the payoff. The release of tension. The
climax. The resolution of the dilemma. For some reason, the human mind loves
items that come in threes. That’s the key to laying out our structure,”
finishes Pressfield.
Every entrepreneur knows that the Grand Opening is the
epilogue and not the climax of the story. The 24/7 labor of love required to
make a business successful starts with ribbon cutting and ends…never. You could
say that Act Three is forever To-be-continued.
To get to the climax you must start with a good plan.
Foolscap and the Three Act Method may help you create that plan and see your
dream come true.
The Arlington Community Development Corporation has
low-interest funding available to help you with Act One of your three acts.
Come see me at Norgaard Insurance and let’s begin writing your story.
Do you sit at a desk all day? Yeah. You’re in good company. Unfortunately, staying stationary for weeks on end can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to working out later in the day. Americans spend as much as 7.7 hours sitting each day. That’s 55 percent of the waking day spent sitting. The bad news is that a single exercise session might not be enough to combat the damage.
So, stand up, stretch your legs a bit, and consider doing a few moves at your desk to keep things from getting too stagnant.
Abs: This crunch-free seated ab workout is great way to get those core muscles strong and stable. After all, you need good posture for both sitting and running. And don’t skip the warmup – it helps release the tension you’ve created by sitting still and gets your body ready for moving and grooving.
Glutes: You can do this simple squeeze workout without anyone knowing. Though the instructions are for a standing squeeze, you can get the same impact while sitting. Squeeze your glutes as tightly as you can for a few seconds, then release.
Glutes II. And add these simple Chair Squats forever more toning power. Keep your weight centered in your heels and toes light to perform this move correctly. Lower yourself down to just before you touch the chair and repeat, keeping your core stable.
Triceps. Use your desk or chair to do tricep dips almost anywhere. Start with 15 reps and a couple sets and work up to more in no time at all. Maybe try a quick set or two of pushups if your office area is quiet. Your arms will thank you.
Total body. These six seated moves work your entire body, so get ready for it. The instructions dictate to do one set of each exercise back to back, wasting no time between moves. Then do the whole circuit up to 3 times total. You can also spread it out throughout the day.
Mini-jog. If you’re lucky enough to have an office door, consider standing from time to time and doing a little stationary jogging. Pointless, you say? Think again. There’s little difference between jogging and jogging in place, and it might even be slightly less of an impact on your joints and bones.
Bike. You can purchase a secret weapon for your otherwise sit-still day. A desk cycle allows you to move your legs without catching the attention of your boss. Unfortunately, this tool is best suited for this of us who are under 5’7″, but if you’re taller and can find a taller desk to give your legs room, go for it!
Yoga. Get your Zen on with this seated yoga. Composed of 8 stretch-tastic poses, this sequence will give your body a much-needed stretch and toning session. And if you can find a quiet time in the day, you can also practice a few of your favorite standing poses to amplify the benefits.
DUBUQUE — The Dubuque Chamber of Commerce is starting Iowa’s first “Young Entrepreneurs Academy,” which is a national program to help middle and high school students start their own businesses.
One of the instructors, Tom Rauen, got his start making T-shirts for the state basketball tournament in high school. After college, he started back up in the home where he grew up and Envision Screen Printing took off. “It went from my parent’s basement to our old location which was 2,000 square feet, to our current location which is 7,000 square feet,” Rauen said.
“By the time they complete the program, they have a fully-functioning DBA-licensed business that is ready to go and actually functioning and running,” said co-worker Molly Grover. Program directors say the academy is also designed to help young people with ideas get started in the community, instead of moving somewhere else.
Interested students must fill out an application, and meet certain criteria listed on the chamber’s website, including transcripts and a letter of recommendation. Tuition is $395 and classes meet October through May.
Post Superstorm-Sandy, more entrepreneurs are reappraising climate change and taking a closer look at sustainability.
These seven emerging trends in "greening" your business are expected to gain momentum this year, according to the recent "State of Green Business 2013" report by sustainability strategist Joel Makower and the editors of GreenBiz.com with Trucost, a London-based research firm focusing on environmental resources and sustainability.
1. Businesses are measuring their "natural capital" and factoring it into financial decisions. Natural capital refers to environmental resources. Consideration of the natural capital that companies consume in the course of doing business -- resulting in polluted air and water, extracted nonrenewable resources, or carbon emissions -- is moving from university halls to boardrooms. After the Rio+20 United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development, 39 major financial companies primarily from Europe and South America committed to make financial decisions with specific consideration for environmental costs.
2. Risk management has become part of sustainability.
Droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires have wreaked havoc on companies and their supply chains with increasing frequency. For example, Hurricane Sandy cost businesses tens of billions of dollars, the report noted. Climate change has become a top risks to manage for major corporations. The World Economic Forum said in its assessment of global risks in 2012 that "rising greenhouse gas emissions" and the "failure of climate change adaptation" are as potentially dangerous as food shortages and terrorism. Sustainability executives are learning to manage the risk of supply-chain disruptions caused by natural disasters.
3. Financial reports factor in sustainability data. More investors want to see environmental costs factored into profit-and-loss statements. "Standalone sustainability reporting may go the way of the rotary-dial phone," the report says. For example, in 2012, the French company PUMA, which also owns luxury brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen, published an Environmental Profit and Loss, or EP&L, statement last year that monetized the costs to the planet caused by its operations and supply chain.
4. Businesses are installing machines that talk to each other. It may feel sci-fi, but a growing number of machines can talk to each other via embedded sensors, taking measurements and make decisions. These machines allow corporate facilities to conserve energy by automatically turning on during periods of high demand and automatically powering down when demand is low.
5. Big investors are starting to care.
Where major investment houses haven't cared about how environmentally conscious businesses are in the past, major climate disruptions and superstorms have started to shock them into awareness. Increasingly investors are considering how businesses protect against environmental risks. "It's not yet mainstream, but it's getting closer," the report says. Bloomberg terminals, where many investors get financial information, are offering more environmental, social and governance data, called EGS data, and that data are being accessed more by Bloomberg users.
6. Companies are starting to exceed their sustainability goals. Sustainability experts are watching how companies that meet their goals establish new ones. "Should we celebrate these overachievements or criticize the companies for aiming too low?" the report asks.
7. Sustainability hiring is sliding. Even as more companies increase their commitment to sustainable practices, the number of corporations hiring sustainability executives peaked in 2008. The reason could be that sustainability practices have become the responsibility of more employees, from the purchasing manager to the facilities crew, the report suggests. It could also just be a natural ebb-and-flow of corporate involvement. "We've seen corporate sustainability unfold in waves, with continuing peaks and valleys. We fully expect corporate sustainability, unlike oil, to rebound in the near future," the report says.
Published: September 3, 2014Updated: September 3, 2014
It may not be something that often crosses your mind, but football coaches and small business owners have a lot in common. Both professions require leadership, dedication, commitment and a strong work ethic in order to succeed. Just like football coaches, as a small business owner, you must take on many roles to ensure everybody is working together as a team to achieve important goals and operations run smoothly. Here are a few other ways football coaches and small business owners play a similar game.
Pre-game
To prepare for a football game, coaches research opponents, develop game plans and determine the best lineup of players who will help the team win. Similarly, when starting a small business, entrepreneurs conduct market research to understand the competition and the key economic conditions and indicators. Entrepreneurs also build a business plan, which sets the strategic framework for the organization and maps out the path forward. In addition, small business owners find top talent who will help them execute the plan and beat the competition.
During the game
Over the course of a game, head coaches make adjustments regularly, shifting tactics to put their team in position to score and win. They consult with assistant coaches to get advice on what plays they should run. Entrepreneurs also make strategic moves to adjust to constantly changing market forces and customer demands. You can get guidance on how to set themselves for success by consulting with experts from their local SBA district office, SCORE chapter, Small Business Development Center or Women’s Business Center.
Halftime
Coaches typically deliver inspiring halftime speeches that motivate players to give their all and function as a team. You motivate your employees by providing benefit programs and encouraging their career growth through training that will help strengthen their skills. Small business owners also foster teamwork by clearly communicating the importance of each employee’s role in reaching a shared objective.
Post-game
Following a game, coaches review footage to analyze which plays and strategies did or did not work and what improvements the team can make to defeat the next opponent. At the end of each day or period of performance, entrepreneurs crunch numbers to determine how well the business performed and identify ways to boost profits, cut costs and improve customer service.
In coaching, the job doesn’t end just after one game or one season. The same can be said for entrepreneurs who work hard every day to pursue their dream of starting, managing and growing a small business. And the SBA will be there every step of the way, providing important counseling, training, financial assistance and other resources that are critical to success. Learn more about how the Small Business Administration helps entrepreneurs.
I am an author for the the SBA.gov Community, writing about topics that matter to you as a small business owner. Our ongoing goal is to improve this site to meet your needs, so we're happy to receive your feedback and participation. Thanks for joining our online Community here at SBA.gov!
I was talking last week about the Foolscap Method of getting a project started. The idea is to beat Resistance by forcing yourself to boil the whole shooting match down to one page—a sheet of yellow foolscap, a cocktail napkin, the back of an envelope.
Our project is what we want to get down. Buthow do we do it?
Here’s a trick that screenwriters use:
Three-act structure.
Break your dream down into three parts. Act One, Act Two, Act Three. Beginning, middle, end. Setup, story, punch line.
Three-act structure works for a play, a romantic seduction, the 1st Marine Division marching up to Baghdad. It’s the architecture for a WWE wrestling match, a Frank Gehry concert hall or an infomercial.
Here’s Moby Dick in three acts:
1. Ahab sets out after the whale.
2. Ahab chases the whale to the ends of the earth.
3. Ahab and the whale duke it out to the death.
Act One is the hook. “A priest, a rabbi and a gerbil walk into a bar … ” The purpose of the first act is to engage the audience. The greatest Act One ever is a roller coaster. Up, up, up and then … over the falls! You’re hooked.
Two other aspects of a great beginning: it must be unique and it must make a promise. A great fishing lure is a shiny, eye-catching object that makes the prey think, “Ah, a delicious meal!”
Here’s the Vietnam Memorial in three acts:
1. Visitor approaches site, which she realizes as she comes closer is below the surface of the ground, arrayed in a “V” and extending from a shallow end to a deep end.
2. Entering, the visitor sees a wall with the names of the fallen in chronological order of the dates of the deaths.
3. Visitor descends to view the wall, which has no barrier to impede her from touching the names of the memorialized or from leaving tokens of love or honor at the base of the wall.
Act Two is deepening complications. This is the meat of the project. Billy Wilder said, “In Act One, get your hero up a tree; Act Two, set the tree on fire; Act Three, get the hero down from the tree.”
The first movement of a symphony establishes the musical theme. The middle movements exhaust variations on the theme. Our middle passage—whether it’s a novel, a startup or a philanthropic venture—plays out the promise of the beginning to the point of excruciation. Think of making love. Think of a great meal. Think of middle age.
Act Three is the payoff. The release of tension. The climax. The resolution of the dilemma.
In the third act we learn if the defendant will be hanged or go free. Will Janie and Joey get married? Do the good guys win or lose?
For some reason, the human mind loves items that come in threes. That’s the key to laying out our structure.
On your single sheet of foolscap, write this:
1.
2.
3.
Now fill it in.
To drive us all crazy, let’s add one more requirement for Act One (this is the killer): it must contain, embedded within it, the resolution of the dilemma it poses. But that’s enough torture for this week.
Could we grow a garden in the soils of Mars and the Moon? A new study digs down deep into the interstellar dirt and says that, yes, the soil up there is capable of supporting plant germination. In fact, it might even be as good as some of the poorer soils here on Earth.
The first challenge faced by researchers at Wageningen University in answering the question was where to acquire said space soils, a problem they solved by using simulated soil that mirrored the composition of soil as analyzed on missions to Mars and the Moon. As a control, they also pulled some nutrient-poor Earth soil from deep underground along the banks of the River Rhine.
While the simulated soils had some peculiarities — the lunar soil, in particular, had such a high pH that researchers wondered if anything would grow in it at all — there was also enough overlap in the mineral content to lead researchers to believe that the plants could at least sprout. At the end of 50 days, researchers found that not only were the plants in lunar and Martian soils still living, they had also hit some important markers of plant health, such as producing flowers and seeds. While every soil was capable of supporting plant germination, however, they were not all equally good.
The moon soil had, by far, the poorest results. Martian soil, however, did quite well, showing better results than the lunar soil in numbers of leaves formed, seeds, flowers, plant size, and in the number of plants still alive at end of 50 days. In a surprise twist, the plants grown in the Martian simulant actually also did better than the plants grown in the nutrient-poor Earth soil, with the Martian-grown plants growing significantly larger. Of course, not every plant would grow in the simulated soils. Attempts at growing common vetch (a legume commonly used as livestock feed) failed utterly in both the Martian and lunar soils. Still, researchers were able to successfully sprout tomatoes, wheat, cress, and field mustard.
Before you get too excited about gearing up for your Martian harvest, though, a note of caution: While the results of the soil tests are promising, we're still a long ways away from the space vegetable garden of our dreams. Among the issues still to be resolved include how to get water to the plants, how to control temperatures, whether the amount of light will be appropriate for photosynthesis, and what the different levels of gravity might do to plant growth.
And then, of course, questions also remain about just how close the soil simulant used in the tests is to mirroring actual on the ground conditions. For instance, while nitrogen is present in our own soil due to the breakdown of organic matter, the researchers say that the nitrogen that we could expect to find on Mars could come from much more exotic sources, including from solar winds or as a result of lightning or volcanic activities. While that does suggest the presence of usable nitrogen, it doesn't tell us much about the levels we might expect to find. There are, as the researchers note, still a number of unanswered questions to explore before we can begin planting:
Our results show that it is in principle possible to grow plants in Martian and Lunar soil simulants although there was only one plant that formed a flower butt on moon soil simulant. Whether this extends to growing plants on Mars or the moon in full soils themselves remains an open question. More research is needed about the representativeness of the simulants, water holding capacity and other physical characteristics of the soils, whether our results extend to growing plants in full soil, the availability of reactive nitrogen on Mars and moon combined with the addition of nutrients and creating a balanced nutrient availability, and the influence of gravity, light and other conditions.
You can read the whole scientific paper over at PLoS One.
Image: Artist's concept of Martian settlement / NASA
Learn more about body language, in this short video.
Have you ever been in the situation when you really didn't believe what someone was saying? Did you have a sense that something didn't ring true or a gut feeling that all was not right? Perhaps they were saying 'Yes' yet their heads were shaking 'No'?
The difference between the words people speak and our understanding of what they are saying comes from non-verbal communication, otherwise known as "body language". By developing your awareness of the signs and signals of body language, you can more easily understand other people, and more effectively communicate with them.
There are sometimes subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – movements, gestures, facial expressions and even shifts in our whole bodies that indicate something is going on. The way we talk, walk, sit and stand all say something about us, and whatever is happening on the inside can be reflected on the outside.
By becoming more aware of this body language and understanding what it might mean, you can learn to read people more easily. This puts you in a better position to communicate effectively with them. What's more, by increasing your understanding of others, you can also become more aware of the messages that you convey to them.
There are times when we send mixed messages – we say one thing yet our body language reveals something different. This non-verbal language will affect how we act and react to others, and how they react to us.
This article will explain many of the ways in which we communicate non-verbally, so that you can use these signs and signals to communicate more effectively.
First impressions and confidence
Recall a time when you met someone new at work. Or think about the last time you watched a speaker deliver a presentation.
What were your first impressions? Did you sense confidence or a lack of confidence in them? Did you want to associate with them or not? Were you convinced by them?
Did they stride into the room, engage you and maintain eye contact or were they tentative, shuffling towards you with eyes averted, before sliding into a chair? What about their handshake – firm and strong or weak and limp?
Moving along in the conversation, did they maintain solid eye contact or were they frequently looking away? Did their face appear relaxed or was it tight and tense? What about their hand and arm movements? Were their gestures wide, flowing and open or were they tight, jerky and closed?
As you observe others, you can identify some common signs and signals that give away whether they are feeling confident or not. Typical things to look for in confident people include:
Posture – standing tall with shoulders back.
Eye contact – solid with a 'smiling' face.
Gestures with hands and arms – purposeful and deliberate.
Speech – slow and clear.
Tone of voice – moderate to low.
As well as deciphering other people's body language, you can use this knowledge to convey feelings that you're not actually experiencing.
For example, if you are about to enter into a situation where you are not as confident as you'd like to be, such as giving a big presentation or attending an important meeting, you can adopt these 'confidence' signs and signals to project confidence.
Let's now look at another scenario.
Difficult meetings and defensiveness
Think of a time when you were in a difficult meeting – perhaps a performance appraisal or one where you are negotiating deadlines, responsibilities or a contract. In an ideal world, both you and the other person would be open and receptive to hearing what each other has to say, in order to conclude the meeting successfully.
However, often, the other person is defensive and doesn't really listen. If this happens during an appraisal meeting, and it's important for you to convey to your colleague that he or she needs to change certain behaviors, you really want them open and receptive to you so they take on board what you are saying.
So how can you tell whether your message is falling on "deaf ears"?
Some of the common signs that the person you are speaking with may be feeling defensive include:
Hand/arm gestures are small and close to his or her body.
Facial expressions are minimal.
Body is physically turned away from you.
Arms are crossed in front of body.
Eyes maintain little contact, or are downcast.
By picking up these signs, you can change what you say or how you say it to help the other person become more at ease, and more receptive to what you are saying.
Equally, if you are feeling somewhat defensive going into a negotiating situation, you can monitor your own body language to ensure that the messages you are conveying are ones that say that you are open and receptive to what is being discussed.
Working with groups and disengagement
Have you ever delivered a presentation, and had a sense that people weren't really buying into what you had to say? What about working with a group to facilitate a consensus on responsibilities and deadlines? Was everyone on board with the ideas, or did some appear disengaged?
Ideally, when you stand up to deliver a presentation or work with group, you want 100% engagement with all concerned. This often doesn't happen on its own, though. But you can actively engage the audience when you need to if you're alert to some of the typical signs and signals of people not being engaged. Some of these signs and signals include:
Heads are down.
Eyes are glazed, or gazing at something else.
Hands may be picking at cloths, or fiddling with pens.
People may be writing or doodling.
They may be sitting slumped in their chairs.
When you pick up that someone appears not to be engaged in what is going on, you can do something to re-engage him or her and bring their focus back to what you are saying, such as asking them a direct question.
And while this is going on, make sure that your own body language is saying what you want it to.
Lying
Of all the non-verbal body language that we may observe, being able to tell whether a person is lying or not will stand you in good stead.
Some of the typical signs and signals that a person is lying include:
Eyes maintain little or no eye contact, or there may be rapid eye movements, with pupils constricted.
Hand or fingers are in front of his or her mouth when speaking.
His or her body is physically turned away from you, or there are unusual/un-natural body gestures.
His or her breathing rate increases.
Complexion changes such as in color; red in face or neck area.
Perspiration increases.
Voice changes such as change in pitch, stammering, throat clearing.
As with all non-verbal language, it's important to remember here that everyone's personal body language is slightly different. If you notice some of the typical non-verbal signs of lying, you shouldn't necessarily jump to conclusions, as many of these signals can be confused with the appearance of nervousness. What you should do, however, is use these signals as a prompt to probe further, ask more questions and explore the area in more detail to determine whether they are being truthful or not.
Further clarification is always worthwhile when checking out your understanding of someone's body language, and this is particularly true during job interviews and in negotiating situations.
Interviews and negotiations, and reflection
What do you do when you are asked a really good question? Do you ponder for a few moments before answering?
You might simply blurt something out without taking time to think about the answer, or you could take a moment to reflect before answering. By taking some time to reflect on your response, you are indicating to the questioner that they've asked you a good question and it is important enough for you to take some time to consider your answer.
Be that in an interview situation or when negotiating something with someone, showing that you are indeed thinking over your answer is a positive thing. Some typical signs and signals that a person is reflecting on their answer include:
Eyes look away and return to engage contact only when answering.
Finger stroking on chin.
Hand to cheek.
Head tilted with eyes looking up.
So, whether you are on the receiving end of someone pondering, or you are doing the pondering, there are certain gestures that give it away.
One size does NOT fit all
We mentioned earlier that each person is unique, and that their signs and signals might have a different underlying cause from the ones you suspect. This is often the case when people have different past experiences, and particularly where cultural differences are large. This is why it's important to check that your interpretation of someone else's body language is correct. You might do this through the use of further questions, or simply by getting to know the person better.
To help practice and further develop your skill in picking up body language, engage in people-watching. Observe people – be that on a bus/train or on television without the sound – and just notice how they act and react to each other. When you watch others, try to guess what they are saying or get a sense of what is going on between them.
Even if you do not get the chance to check whether you are correct in your assessment, you will be developing your observational skills. This in turn can help you to pick up signals when you are interacting with others.
Tip:
As well as learning to read body language, people often consciously use it to project messages and reinforce what they're saying – we can all call to mind the body language used by a "slippery" used-car salesman.
Whether or not this is acceptable depends on the situation. It's fine to put on a "brave face" when you're about to meet someone or do a presentation. However, it's not acceptable if you're trying to persuade someone to do something that's against their interests – what's more, the gestures you can't control may give you away, leading to a serious loss of trust and credibility.
Key Points
Body language impacts a great deal of how we communicate, and can reflect quite accurately what's going on inside us.
Body language includes body movements and gestures (legs, arms, hands, head and torso), posture, muscle tension, eye contact, skin coloring (flushed red), even people's breathing rate and perspiration. Additionally, the tone of voice, the rate of speech and the pitch of the voice all add to the words that are being used.
It is important to recognize that body language may vary between individuals, and between different cultures and nationalities. It is therefore essential to verify and confirm the signals that you are reading, by questioning the individual and getting to know the person.
By Kia Armstrong, Sales/Promotions Manager, Nash’s Organic Produce
Do you sit at a desk all day? Yeah. You’re in good company. Unfortunately, staying stationary for weeks on end can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to working out later in the day. Americans spend 
