Working on the Internet

Working on the Internet
With all the corporate downsizing going on in the world and
the shipping of jobs overseas to countries where labor is
cheaper, it is quite possible that one can find himself or
herself without a job. It's a very tough situation to be
in. You might be in this boat and have heard that there are
employment opportunities on the internet where you can work
online and get paid for it and all from the comfort of your
home. Well, it is possible but it is not a get rich quick
scheme. If you keep your expectations in check and make
informed decisions you too can enjoy this new way of
working through online employment opportunities.

More that likely, if you find work through an online
employment opportunity, you are going to be what is called
a freelancer. There are really very few online employment
opportunities where companies hire you as their employee
and pay you a bi-weekly wage. Usually, something like the
latter occurs when an employee has already worked on the
company premises for quite some time and the company knows
and trusts him or her. We are not saying that these types
of jobs don't exist (where you start working from home
right away) but that they are rare. So, you are more than
likely going to find yourself as a self-employed person.

Now you have to decide what it is you are going to do. This
requires taking an inventory of your skills. What is your
education in? You will find that online employment
opportunities work best for jobs that work well in an
internet domain. In other words, the best online employment
opportunities are those where you can send the product of
your work electronically. So usually you will see web
designers, web programmers, computer programmers, writers,
photographers, artists, translators, and transcribers
working from the internet because the products of all these
professions can be sent electronically.

Not only can the products from these professions be sent
electronically but they are traditionally freelance
professions too. Companies these days typically don't hire
fulltime translators specializing in one language. It would
not be cost-effective. So, for example, the translation
company will call a freelance translator they have in their
database when they receive an order to do a translation for
the language that translator is qualified for. If you
cannot identify yourself with any skills that fit well for
online work then you need to either get the training
required or not pursue online employment opportunities.

So once you have made the decision of what services to
provide, you then need to find the people hiring. When you
are first starting out with online employment, you will
need to build a portfolio of your works. A portfolio is not
just a resume although it can include one. It is more of a
catalog of your best works. For example, web designers will
take screenshots of some of their page design and put them
in their portfolio.

Now that you have your portfolio, you will want to know
where to start looking for work. A good place to start is
the online freelancer job sites like Elance.com,
Getafreelancer.com, and Scriptlance.com. There are many of
these sites. You can also check Craiglist.org,
Talkfreelance.com, and Digital Point Forums for those
seeking the services of a freelancer.

Online employment can be very rewarding but at the same
time it can be very stressful. For starters, you are going
to have to be constantly seeking out new work. Just make
sure you take care of yourself physically and take a break
once in awhile.

----------------------------------------------------
My name is Tom Husnik. I live in Minnesota. my web site is
at: http://www.thesmarthomebiz.com

Self Storage

Self Storage
According to a recent survey, one in 11 American households
rent self storage space. The first self storage facilities
originated in Texas in the late 1960s and now nearly 50,000
self-storage facilities have been developed throughout the
United States.

Self-storage's popularity comes from several sources. A
recent industry survey indicates that 44% of clients use
storage because they are moving, 34% don't have enough
space currently in their homes, and 15% of clients are
people with business needs.

The biggest element in the use of self storage is America's
mobility. It is a fact that more households are in
transition, whether its because of job opportunities,
moving to be closer to grandchildren, or divorce The
average American will change residences 11 times in his or
her life.

And so many times when moving your household goods you just
may need to store your possessions temporarily. Timing is
always a factor, whether it's complications with closing
on a house or difficulties in locating a permanent home in
a new city, you may find it necessary to store your
belongings for a few weeks, a month or maybe even longer.

Or sometimes the move involves family members who just
temporarily join your household. For example, what does one
do with the recent college graduate's futon or what happens
to Grandpa's toy train collection when he needs the spare
room after an operation? You may find what so many others
have that self storage is the answer.

The other way self storage comes to the rescue is by
providing extra storage space for those houses with
precious little of it. So many older houses have small
rooms and even smaller closets. There's simply not enough
room for today's modern family's acquisitions. And many of
the small houses and ranches so popular in the Sunbelt
states, an area that has seen the most population growth in
recent years, come without basements. And because it is
cheaper for contractors to use trusses rather than rafters,
we no longer can spend an afternoon rummaging through
Grandmother's hot and cluttered attic, because attic spaces
have all but vanished.

So when reality shows such as The Learning Channel's Clean
Sweep inspires people to get organized, how can they
achieve that lean look and still have access to items they
are not ready to sell off at a garage sale for fifty cents.
Self storage is once again the answer.

And when you're thinking about self storage: don't think
small. Many of today's facilities have options to store
boats, motorcycles, wave runners and recreational vehicles.
So instead of dealing with the complaints and frowns from
your neighborhood association, because you parked your
camper in your driveway, it's so much easier to use the
self storage solution.

Also, businesses as different as film companies to small
stay-at-home-mom offices may need space from time to time.
Also with the emergence or so many people selling items on
E-Bay, self storage makes sure the business doesn't consume
the home with books, computers or other collectibles. The
self storage solution once again is the perfect solution.

So whether you're looking to store just a few items,
selected pieces of furniture, archive your paperwork, save
precious mementoes from your youth, get the boat out of the
driveway or put most of your possessions in a safe place
for a few weeks or more; it's clear self storage is the
answer.

In addition, self storage offers both personal and business
users a storage solution that they can almost control
themselves. In the past, large storage companies offered
limited access, no flexibility, long-term contracts and
high charges.

But unlike traditional storage methods, self storage now
allows easy access to your storage space free-of-charge.
And that means you can take your Christmas decorations out
of storage and replace it with your summer camping gear at
your convenience. Or you can take Junior's furniture, books
and gear out when he finally gets a job and moves out of
the house.

If you're looking to use self storage, the first difference
you'll notice is that it's your responsibility to get your
stuff to the self storage facility and then pack your goods
into the space provided. But this is a great option because
it means you can pack your storage space in the way that
best suits you. That way you can easily access items
without having to unload everything in the unit when you
need to get extra lawn chairs for your next family reunion.

And here are a few hints to make storing you items in self
storage more efficient. Box everything that you can and
make sure you label it for easy identification. If items
are in a box they will stay cleaner and free of dust. And
make sure you don't fill large boxes with heavy items such
as books. They'll become impossible to carry and who needs
the extra backache? Also, using cardboard boxes or paper
bags will keep your items from mildewing. Sealed plastic
bags, should be avoided when possible. Remember to store
books flat to protects their spines, and remember fragile
items such as mirrors and china need the extra protection
provided by bubble wrap. Also, make sure your keep an
inventory. Make sure to place your inventory list near the
front of the unit. That way you know which box the bread
maker is in and you can get it out easily to make your
favorite loaf of bread for the Thanksgiving feast.

Also, keep in mind most facilities will sell you packing
supplies and may even offer removal vehicles to make the
whole process quick and simple.

Another big advantage self storage has is that your
belongings will be secure. In most cases, the storage unit
you lease can only be accessed by yourself and you'll be
the only authorized key holder. Though of course you can
authorize others to access your space. In most cases,
you'll be expected to provide your own lock for your self
storage space. This gives you an extra guarantee of
security.

And keep in mind in the competitive self storage industry,
many operators now offer state-of-the art security with
such security devices as secured fencing, code-access
gates, individual unit alarms, video cameras, security
lighting and even guard dogs. Each of these measures
focuses on keeping unauthorized people from entering a
facility and gaining access to units. This means your
personal possessions will many times be safer in self
storage than in your own home or business.

And remember, facility operators do not have casual access
to the contents of your space. A self storage operator
never takes possession, care, custody or control of the
contents of the storage rental space unless the issue of
non-payment of rent becomes a problem.

Another advantage to self storage is that the units are
clean, dry, safe and vermin free. In addition, many
facilities offer climate controlled units that allow
storage of fine wines, furs, antiques and prescription
drugs.

And you can store almost anything in self storage,
everything from pots and pans to the mounted deer head your
new wife won't allow in the den. Do keep in mind there are
some very basic limitations as to what objects or goods you
can store in the self storage units and these vary from one
storage company to the other depending on the services each
one offers. But, most do not allow their clients to store
flammable goods, chemicals, toxic material or anything
hazardous. Most storage companies also do not permit
storing food or other perishables. So expect to be asked
to drain the tanks if you're storing items with fuel tanks
such as lawn mowers. Fuel is one of the few things that you
cannot store in a storage unit facility.

If you are like most people, you'll prefer storing your
family belongings as close to your home as possible, or
someplace convenient to the roads you use to get around
town on a day-to-day basis. At one time the most efficient
way to locate a self storage facility was to use the Yellow
Pages and then call company after company until you found
the right match for your needs. Now you'll find the
Internet is a good place to find units close to home. And
websites can often provide you with an easy-to-use,
efficient means of obtaining free self storage quotes. You
will usually have the opportunity to choose from a vast
selection of self-storage facilities. Not only is this a
convenient way to quickly locate a self storage facility,
but it is also an excellent way to obtain discount moving
boxes, and various other packing materials.

----------------------------------------------------
Self Storage
http://www.selfstorageowner.com/documents/home.html

3 Factors Determine an Entrepreneur's Sales Success

3 Factors Determine an Entrepreneur's Sales Success
Many entrepreneurs view the task of selling their ideas,
products and services as an undesirable necessity. Some are
fearful at the prospect of calling and visiting others in
the hopes of growing their business. The Web is full of
articles and stories documenting their disdain for selling.
Sales is neither a job that they typically enjoy nor one
for which they are particularly skilled and well-prepared
for. What is to be done? Who is going to do the selling?

Entrepreneurs and small businesses often lack the budget
needed for employing a sales professional. They often
become the lone salesperson for their fledgling company.
There are many skills to be learned, techniques to be
mastered and sales closes to be remembered. It soon becomes
readily apparent that sales is a tough requirement on
unfamiliar ground. Many actually find it quite
uncomfortable, perhaps formidable.

For entrepreneurs, superior selling skills can be broken
down into three basic components which dictate the entire
process:

1. Goals you set

2. Decisions you make

3. Actions you take

The establishment of goals is critical to the company's
sales success. Prior to the business plan and subsequent
marketing and sales plans, the entrepreneur must establish
focused goals. These actually commence with dreams and
ideas. He/She must have a clear and vivid mental picture of
what they want to accomplish. They must want it above all
else and be totally focused upon it's achievement. Their
dream must constantly occupy their thoughts. Critical to
the establishment of goals is the commitment to maintain
written goals. Without the "writing down" component, goals
are nothing more than impotent wishes.

Clear, concise decision-making is also critical to success
in virtually any endeavor. There can be no meandering or
fence-sitting when it comes to making decisions. While
designing a precise timetable, prioritizing tasks and
developing an expectant attitude will help to validate
one's decisions, these will not replace actual
decision-making. In the event that a prior decision ends up
being incorrect, waste no time in correcting the matter,
deciding upon a better course of action.

Goals and decisions require action to both empower and
complete them. The entrepreneur is always moving, always
contemplating, always adjusting. To remain static would
invite failure. These three key sales components will keep
your selling efforts in check. You can monitor your
progress at any time by reviewing your path towards the
completion of your goals. That path will be always be
enabled by your decisions and actions.

Sales is a dynamic function; one requiring confidence,
courage and tenacity. Successful selling may sometimes
require some give-and-take, some negotiating. The result
should be a win-win situation for both the entrepreneur and
customer. That is a decision you must make.

The key to remember is, that in the end, selling is simply
people dealing with people. Your goals, decisions and
actions are your road map to sales success.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com

What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Comparative Advantage

What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Comparative Advantage
As a small business owner, you wear many hats. In addition
to being an entrepreneur, you may be your company
bookkeeper, web designer, administrator, sales person and
more. Having so many rolls is challenging, but at least it
saves you the money you would have spent hiring staff or
outsourcing these tasks. This is the mindset of many
entrepreneurs who are struggling to take their business to
the next level. They believe that if they do it all, they
save money. The truth is that this is usually not the
case. The error being made by the entrepreneurs, who
believe this, is that they are ignoring the opportunity
cost of their time (i.e. what they forego when they work on
these secondary, but necessary tasks).

Comparative advantage is a term used by economists to
explain the gains from international trade. It suggests
that even if a country has an absolute advantage in the
fabrication of all goods, it will maximize its wealth by
specializing in those products in which it has the greatest
advantage and trading for the others. How does this
concept apply to business? Well, a business owner may be a
better worker than anyone he hires to work for him, but he
may still stand to increase his revenue by performing the
tasks that bring him the greatest profits and delegating
the remaining tasks.

Consider how much your time would be worth if you could
spend more of it doing the tasks that make you the most
money. For example, if you make $60 per hour when making
sales, but you have to spend 2-3 hours of your day on
administrative functions, that is a potential loss of
$120-$180 that could have been generated during that time.
This is the opportunity cost of these administrative
duties. If you consider that outsourcing them would likely
cost you no more than $30 per hour, you can see that you
could stand to increase your profitability substantially by
outsourcing.

Spending more time doing what you do best could be the key
to taking your business to the next level of success.
Don't hinder your business' growth by attempting to avoid
the monetary costs of hiring an administrative assistant or
by outsourcing the work. Do the calculations and you may
discover that comparative advantage suggests that you
should delegate certain tasks to others, so that you can
concentrate on performing the tasks at which you have the
greatest advantage.

----------------------------------------------------
Kelly Sims is a Virtual Assistant and President of
Virtually There VA Services. To find out more about how
working with a Virtual Assistant can simplify your life,
visit her website at => http://www.virtuallythereva.com .
While you're there, don't forget to sign up for her free
monthly newsletter providing useful information that
enhances and simplifies the lives of busy entrepreneurs.

Your Home Renovation Project Checklist

Your Home Renovation Project Checklist
Are you dreaming about hosting your next Christmas party in
a better setting? Maybe swap out that old carpet in the
living room, re-do the kitchen, or just give an allover
facelift to your house or apartment? Well, if you're
planning to renovate this year, here are some of the most
important things to pay attention to.

Make sure you design your plan well.

Understand design trends before finalizing your remodeling
plans. Home remodeling considerations most commonly include
kitchens and private areas. Larger kitchens have a greater
resale value than smaller kitchens. You should design the
working area with appliances in a triangular position for
easy working. As for private areas, bedrooms and bathrooms
should be separated visually from the working areas of the
house.

Write down every little remodeling specification detail

Designing the remodeling specs is the most important task
that you will undertake. This task can be the most
complicated since you need to detail everything about your
remodeling plans so that you can bid the project out to a
contractor. Make sure you list down everything you want to
change, so the contractor will have a clear idea of what
you want. This can prevent design conflicts in the future.
Make sure you write exactly which type of new faucet you
want for your kitchen. Specify exactly which shade (and
company) of hardwood floors you want. No detail is too
small to be overlooked here, since based on these
specifications the contractor will quote you his price. If
you want white Italian marble for your living room, it will
be a very different quote than maple hardwood floors.

Find a great contractor

The home remodeling specs that you created will be used to
bid the construction project. Take your specifications plan
and follow these three important tasks:

Take your specification plan and have it reviewed by an
architect or other home designer. It will help them design
or revise a house plan to fit your remodeling specs. Take
the architectural plan and submit a request for bids from
remodeling contractors. The architectural plan should
include your construction specs.

Make sure you research the contractors bidding on your
project, and make sure you protect yourself in negotiation.
You can find a builder by checking the local newspaper,
looking around in your neighborhood for houses being
renovated, referrals by friends and associates, and
referrals by the architect that looked over your
specification plans.

Get the bids

After you've done your research, it's time to take bids.
The rule of thumb is to get three estimates, but try for
five - and then ditch the rock-bottom bid.

"That's the guy you want to run away from," says R. Dodge
Woodson, a general contractor for 27 years and author of
"Tips & Traps for Hiring a Contractor." "The typical game
is to come in as low as you can so you get the job, and
then add extra after extra." Since one of the main
responsibilities of a general contractor is to hire skilled
subcontractors (electricians, masonry workers, plumbers),
you might wonder: Can't I hire the subcontractors myself?
Well, of course you can, but make sure you can walk away
from your job at a moment's notice to rush home and take
care of a sudden crisis. If you can't do that, you're going
to need a professional to take care of things.

Get Everything in Writing

Get a written contract to make sure you're protected
against lawsuits resulting from disputes, accidents,
work-related injuries or damages to third parties. Any of
these things can happen - even with the smallest of jobs.
Your contract does not have to be complicated, but make
sure you include the following:

· Contractor contact details such as name, phone
number, email, and address.

· A full description of the work contracted (including
a detailed list of the materials and specifications of the
entire job).

· The start date and the target completion date.

· The overall cost and how you pay.

· Your contactor's insurance plan and number, with a
list of covered items and the period of time covered by the
warranty.

The big 5

There are five things every contractor must have.

1. If required by your state, a license. You can check the
Web (contractors-license.org) for your state's rules. If he
does have a license, take down the number and call your
state or local licensing board to verify it.

2. Liability insurance. This protects your house and
property in case the contractor or his employees cause
damage.

3. Workers' compensation insurance. Without it you can be
held responsible if someone is injured while doing work on
your property.

4. The subcontractors should be insured. The same liability
and workers' compensation insurance that your contractor
has should be carried by all the specialists (plumbers,
electricians and others) he hires.

5. A clean record in the Better Business Bureau. How many
complaints have been filed, if any? Remember that
misunderstandings do and will occur, so if there was a
complaint, see if it was resolved satisfactorily.

Are you ready?

You have to adhere to some standards too. It's important to
be thorough about your wants and needs, but you also have
to get along with your crew. "You've got to deal with these
people; they're going to be in your house," says Tom
MacGregor, a New York contractor. You can't change your
mind every other day and not expect people to get a little
frustrated. If your contractor is a reputable one, your
goals will be the same: a fast and smooth job, well
executed, that everyone walks away from satisfied.

----------------------------------------------------
MyHome is a New York general contractor firm, working with
top interior designers in New York and providing full
remodeling services for homes and offices in NYC.
http://www.NewYorkGeneralContractor.com/

Secret Shopping

Secret Shopping
Secret shopping sounds mysterious and fun and well,
shopping is great no matter what. Secret shopping in its
basic form is shopping someone or someplace without the
person or business knowing it. Shopping secretly seems to
draw on this fantasy of part detective, part spy, and part
shopaholic. In the best scenario you receive your "mission"
and then go to the location and pretend to be a real
customer all while noticing all the things going on around
you. Some secret shopping companies will have the shopper
actually purchase something so that the whole shopping
encounter seems more realistic. If you search the words,
"secret shopping" on the Internet you will get over 4
million hits on websites that have something to do with
secret shopping.

There are all types of secret shopping businesses out
there. There are businesses, corporations and large chains
that have their own department or group of people that
travel around and try to shop the stores. Sometimes this is
part of the internal security team that helps reduce
shrinkage or loss prevention specialists. Then there are
the companies and stores that will choose to hire a secret
shopping company who specializes in secret shopping that
specific industry.

Some of the things that in person secret shops might
uncover are:

How many customers in the store when entering?

Did anyone greet you when entering the store or how long
did it take for someone to greet you after walking in the
door?

Was the store neat and clean?

Did anyone offer to help you find an item or offer to help
you?

Was the associate dressed appropriately?

Was the bathroom clean?

Was the associate using their time wisely?

Did an associate offer to get you a shopping bag, shopping
cart, or basket or to start a dressing room for you?

Did the associate let you know of any specials or
promotions going on in the store

Was it easy to navigate through the store?

How long did you have to wait to check out?

Was the cashier friendly?

Were your items rang in correctly?

Did the associate offer to open a store credit account?

Did the cashier thank you for coming in?

These are just a few questions that a secret shopper might
have to fill out when doing a report on how the shop went.
Of course depending on the company, different key areas
would be listed and other items of interest that would be
specific to that company. Besides a person going into a
store and shopping them, some companies are having their
shoppers wired for sound and or video. While a person can
go to a place and shop and come up with their opinions,
sound and video are hard to ignore. Often sound and video
are used in extreme circumstances where sound and video
would implicate a person or business of a wrongdoing.

There is a show on television right now that shows all
kinds of hidden video of stealing, people acting stupid,
intoxicated, fighting, driving recklessly, and more. It
just goes to show you what people will watch on television.
But is proves a powerful tool for incrimination or
reprimanding employees.

What kind of business would use a secret shopping service?
Lots of businesses use a secret shopping service whether it
is an internal monitoring or hired out by a company that
specializes in secret shopping. Corporate businesses would
use a secret shopping service to make sure that the
individual franchise or store is keeping up with the
company's rules and regulations. While some franchises are
individually owned they still have to sign a contract with
the home office that they will uphold the standards,
appearances, and make sure that all the stores are
virtually the same. Smaller businesses might use a secret
shopping service for a number of things like monitoring,
training, compliance, or incentive based information.
Monitoring is just that, a basic service that gives the
manager or owner a simple description of the secret shop.
On going training is essential to any business so companies
can use secret shopping to help with continued training.
Compliance goes a little further with specific areas of
sales, customer service, safety, and rules being covered.
Incentive based secret shopping is when the person or
business being shopped and that said person or business
doing a great job would get a reward. The reward could be
monetary, time off, bonus, lunch, or other items that the
owner or manager will choose.

Some companies choose to do telephone secret shopping
instead of or in addition to the in person secret shop.
Telephone secret shopping uses the same principles as above
except the whole interaction is done over the telephone.
Modern software and telephone equipment have made this type
of secret shopping easier and more secretive. But with
technology comes the backlash of trying to be secretive,
the arch nemesis of the telephone secret shopping world,
caller id. There are ways around caller id and they will
not be shared in this essay, but if you need to bypass a
caller id there are systems that can do it, just check out
the Internet. So the basic telephone secret shops goes like
this:

Store-"Hi, thanks for calling XYZ business, this is Bob,
how can I help you today?"
Shopper- "Hello Bob, I was wondering if you could give me
some information about your...."
Store- "Sure, I can help you with that. You see here at XYZ
business we have..."

You can see where this is going.

The telephone secret shop is typically recorded to an audio
system or to the Internet where the call can be retrieved
at a later date. Different software systems allow the
secret shopping calls to be listened to online in real time
or saved and sent via email when the audio format is in
MP3. This software also allows its user to edit the call.
Trimming the call in the beginning before the rings start
and after both parties have hung up allow the call to
remain in a manageable length. Some companies record the
call and then send it to their clients on a CD. The CD
allows the manager or owner to listen and share the call
with the employee.

Are you looking for a secret shopping job? There are many
established secret shopping companies out there that are
looking for shoppers, but how do you know which ones to
trust. First of all, like the old saying goes, "if it
sounds to good to be true, then it probably is" so don't
fall for all the Internet hype about secret shopping. Could
you in reality find a reputable secret shopping company and
make some money, yes, if you do your homework. This is such
a serious issue that the Federal Trade Commission has
advice on how to avoid being scammed by fake secret
shopping companies. Here is some advice on how to avoid
bogus secret shopping companies:

Do your homework; check out the company BEFORE you give
them any personal information

Beware of catchy banners and click me sites that offer to
hire secret shoppers off of the Internet. This is a "sounds
too good to be true" situation.

Check with the Better Business Bureau about background
information on the company before you jump in with both
feet.

Many fake secret shopping sites want you to complete
"offers" before you are assigned any jobs. These offers are
actually ways for that site to gather information about you
like your name and email. Offers like; try these magazines
or a free trial offer for who knows what, and all you have
to give them is your information and sometimes a credit
card number. These sites are known to sell or use your
email to spam sites that will then riddle your inbox with
tons of junk email.

If you know someone who is a secret shopper ask them how
they got into the business and I bet they will have some
advice of their own to share.

It's not as easy as it seems, there is often some travel
involved and reports have to be written in detail, called
in, typed or emailed for you to be able to get paid per job.

So if you are looking for a secret shopping company or a
secret shopping job, the bottom line is check the company
out before doing business with them. Ask for business
references (and call them, just giving a sheet a references
won't do you any good if you don't call them), check with
the better business bureau and ask around. The time you
spend doing your homework before you hire or look for a
secret shopping job will pay off in the end. There are some
great secret shopping companies out there that offer secret
shopping services and your business will prosper from the
knowledge and training that a reputable secret shopping
business can provide for you.

----------------------------------------------------
Secret Shopping
http://directory.selfstorageowner.com/

Psssst... Sales Reps LeaveTheir Jobs For More Money!

Psssst... Sales Reps LeaveTheir Jobs For More Money!
When I first started in sales recruiting I cold called
CEO's of major company's everyday until they either
accepted a meeting with me or handed me down the line to
someone else. One day one of those cold calls paid off and
I ended up meeting with a newly appointed VP of HR for a
$2.5 billion company.

At one point in the meeting he asked me why happy,
successful sales reps left for new sales jobs. Being very
well read and up on the industry news, I started to recite
the results of a poll I had just read about this very
topic. I said something to the effect of, "sales reps
leave because they feel no respect from their bosses, they
want more recognition, they want greater challenges in
their sales jobs, they want more vacation, more flexible
hours so they can be with their families."

I went on and on with this malarkey that I quite frankly
didn't believe but thought was the right thing to say.

He stopped me and said, "Steve, sales reps leave for new
sales jobs for one thing and thing only. They want more
money!"

We wrapped up the meeting. It went well - I ended up with
the account and helped them recruit on average of a sales
rep a week for quite some time.

But the one thing I learned from that meeting was more
important than any number of successful searches that I
could ever complete.

I learned then and there to never say anything but what I
felt to be the truth.

That said - I just read a post at The Recruiting Edge -
one of my fellow recruiting industry blogs.

The post has survey results listed that appear to be taken
from a survey completed by Careerbuilder. The results of
this survey seems to be more in line with what I hear and
see from sales professionals.

Here it is as clipped from the site The Recruiting Edge:

8 Hiring Trends For 2008

EIGHT MAJOR TRENDS FOR 2008

#1 Bigger Paychecks

(here's more info on this point as it was broken down at
http://biz.yahoo.com)

56 percent of employers expect to increase salaries on
initial offers to new employees, up from 59 percent in 2007

#2 More Flexible Work Arrangements

#3 Screening Candidates via the Internet

#4 Rehiring Retirees

#5 Diversity Recruitment

#6 Freelance or Contract Hiring

#7 More Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Special Perks

#8 Career Advancement

Hey, I'm no fortune teller, but it was common sense years
ago that people went to work to make money. I'm just glad
CareerBuilder decided to let us all know.

----------------------------------------------------
More sales recruiting information and resources can be
found at the sales rep recruiter blog (link below). The
author, Steve Crothers, has been a sales recruiter since
1993, working with companies ranging from start-ups to
multi-national Fortune 50 corporations and helping them
recruit and retain sales professionals, sales managers
through VP Sales. Search current positions or contact Steve
at http://www.salesreprecruiter.com

Shredders - A Great Buyer's Guide

Shredders - A Great Buyer's Guide
Shredding confidential and sensitive documents is an
important activity for businesses of all sizes and all
households.

The rise of identity theft and fraud means that it is more
important than ever to shred your confidential waste
effectively and to invest in a shredder that you can rely
on to shred your sensitive waste to a secure level.

Shredders are also available to dispose securely of your
multimedia and CD waste. The purchase of a multimedia
shredder could prove invaluable to your business, if your
workforce regularly need to download sensitive and
confidential information to disc and then find a way to
dispose of it safely and securely.

Shredders are graded according to how securely they shred
your confidential paper and multimedia waste. Consumers
should seek to purchase a shredder from a reputable
supplier who lists the shredding security level of their
machines to ensure they are purchasing the most suitable
shredding for their requirements.

A shredder's DIN level indicates the level of shredding
security the machine provides. There are currently six
levels within the DIN scale, which begins with Level 1, as
being suitable for documents of low level security and the
disposal of general waste.

Level 2 works at a slightly more secure level, with both
Levels 1 and 2 shredding waste into long strips through
machines known as strip cut shredders. Level 3 shredders
can be either strip cut or cross cut shredders and are
ideal for shredding a range of confidential documents.

Levels 4 to 6 of shredding security are only available via
cross cut shredders and are for the specialised disposal of
commercially sensitive, classified and top secret
documents. DIN Level 6 is currently the highest available
level of shredding machine grade and is backed by the U.S
government for the disposal of the most sensitive and
confidential documents.

The DIN shredder grading levels are not currently
established as an industry standard in the UK, so consumers
are strongly advised to approach shredding machine dealers
who already operate the DIN grading system to be assured of
purchasing a suitably secure shredder for their needs. The
DIN standard originated in Germany, where DIN stands for
Deutsches Institut fűr Normung (German Institute for
Standardisation), which is the equivalent of the British
Standards Institute (BSI).

Cross cut shredders are ideal for the office environment,
as they shred to a more secure level than strip cut
shredders and also reduce the shredded bulk of paper your
documents create to roughly a quarter of the volume of
shredded waste generated by a strip cut shredder.

Leading brands of shredder include Acco Rexel, Dahle, EBA,
Fellowes, GBC, HSM, IDEAL, Intimus, Kobra, Martin Yale and
Schleicher. All leading shredding machine manufacturers
offer a range of machines to suit differing requirements,
including the shredding of multimedia waste. Shredders can
come in a variety of sizes to suit different environments
and needs, including deskside shredders, small office
shredders, large office shredders, heavy duty paper
shredders, commercial shredders, automatic shredders, and
high security shredders.

The variety of materials that can be shredded securely by
differing levels of machine include paper, cardboard, CDs,
DVDs, multimedia items, A3 and large size paper. When
purchasing a shredder it makes good sense to evaluate your
secure waste disposal needs and then approach a quality
supplier, who can guide you towards the right shredder for
your requirements.

Well-designed shredders are highly safe machines and some
of the leading manufacturers offer a range of security
features as standard on many of their shredding machines,
including Fellowes - who feature a heat-sensing device on
some shredders designed to sense when a body part is too
near the shredder's throat and cease operation of the
shredder immediately.

The Mercury range of shredders from Acco Rexel are fitted
with patented Anti-Jam Technology, whereby a machine's
paper entry area is illuminated with a green light when the
shredder is operating correctly and a red light when too
much paper has been inserted into the shredder for it to
operate safely or effectively.

When researching the purchase of a shredder for your office
or home, it is important to determine the level of
shredding security and capacity you require to suit your
needs. Questions to ask during this process include: What
documents will you need to shred? How often will you need
to use your shredder? How many users will access your
shredder regularly? How securely do you need to shred your
documents? Do you regularly need to securely dispose of
sensitive multimedia waste, such as CDs? How fast do you
need your shredder to be? How frequently will you use your
shredder on a daily basis? How much room do you have to
house your new shredding machine?

With identity theft and fraud rising year-on-year, it is
essential to make the right choice when investing in a
piece of shredding equipment. If you consider the sensitive
waste your workplace produces to be highly confidential,
then investment in a suitable high level shredder will be
an investment you will never regret.

Providing a well-designed and easy to operate shredder for
your colleagues and staff, alongside outlining a clear
company policy for shredding documents, will enable
everyone to participate in consistent housekeeping
procedures within your company and keep sensitive company
information safe and secure.

----------------------------------------------------
You can learn even more about the wide selection of
shredders available to you. Simply visit:
http://www.abt-shredders.co.uk/ to browser through their
massive range of well-priced shredding machines.

Include Team Members In Setting Goals for the Year

Include Team Members In Setting Goals for the Year
Ah yes, the new year. That time when, regardless of past
failures and disappointments, we hopefully make promises to
ourselves and great plans for the next twelve months. We do
this at home, and we also do it at work. As managers, we
spend many hours planning our strategy for the department
and what it should achieve during the year. But do we
include our team members in setting goals for the year?
Usually not.

That's a great pity, because when it comes to implementing
our great plans, all members of the team, all employees,
all staff members, everyone must play a part. Oh sure, you
are excited --- after all, they're your plans. But how
enthusiastic is everyone else? Can you really expect them
to share your enthusiasm and commitment if they had no
opportunity to share the vision, no part in creating the
strategy, no chance to add their ideas and insights?

How difficult would it be to include team members in
setting goals for the year? Not very. All it takes is the
will to do it and a few logistical arrangements. Here's a
suggested plan of action:

1. Let everyone know about the new process. If you are a
department head or team leader, and if it is logistically
feasible, do this in a group meeting. Otherwise, arrange a
telephone conference. Either method is better than an
e-mail broadcast, because you want to send a message right
away that this is a "human" process and not just another
layer of bureaucracy. This first communication could
include a summary of the past year's achievements and
challenges, and how these affect plans for next year. Then
offer a very broad statement of what you hope to achieve in
the next twelve months, one that allows for lots of ideas
and input on how this can be done.

2. Allow time for people to think about the subject and
develop their ideas.

3. Set up a strategy session, preferably with everyone in
the same room. This meeting should be facilitated in a way
that allows people to voice their ideas and opinions but
does not intimidate. Their ideas may be accepted, postponed
or rejected, but never ridiculed. Everyone should be
treated with respect and appreciated for their input. The
World Cafe process is ideal for this part of the plan, and
can bring out deep, clear and unexpected insights that can
make your strategy come alive.

4. Using the information from the session, create a
strategic plan as well as the tactical plans need to bring
it to fruition. This process MUST be completed as quickly
as possible, and no later than two weeks after the meeting,
in order to capitalize on the team spirit created. Any
delay will dilute the positive effects and create an
impression that nothing has changed.

5. Provide everyone with a copy of the plan documents, with
a reminder of their commitments to follow through (this
commitment will be part of the World Cafe process).

6. Set up a mechanism for ongoing group monitoring,
allowing for necessary course corrections as appropriate
throughout the year, based on what is actually happening.
This should culminate with a year-end look back at the
plans and implementations, which automatically sets the
stage for next year's goal setting process.

Include team members in setting goals for the year,
communicate with them appropriately and honestly about the
goals at all stages, and prepare to be amazed at the
positive results that can be achieved.

----------------------------------------------------
Helen Wilkie is a professional keynote speaker and workshop
leader specializing in workplace communication. If you'd
like to have her facilitate a World Cafe for your
organization, e-mail her at hwilkie@mhwcom.com For more
information on her services, or to subscribe to her free
e-zine, "Communi-keys", visit http://www.mhwcom.com

21st Century Recruitment - Choosing the right jobsite!

21st Century Recruitment - Choosing the right jobsite!
In this second article in the series we take a look at
recruitment utilising jobsites, A quick search on Google
for the word "jobsite" instantly gives you 451000 search
results, so where do you begin? Like so many things word of
mouth can seem a good place to start, unfortunately
everyone involved in recruiting staff has a favourite
jobsite and they unlikely to tell you that the one they are
currently paying for does not give value for money as it
would make them look a fool for having chosen to buy the
jobsites services in the first place.

Before beginning your search there are a few basic
questions to ask yourself and to make this process easier
to explain I am going to use an example. I am seeking to
hire a sales manager for a bank, so I now go to Google and
search for banking sales jobs to see which sites such a
jobseeker would come across first, the site currently
holding the number one spot is .

Great so I have now found the best site to use it must get
the largest number of candidates visiting it; well perhaps
we should investigate the site further to see how it is
going to help us find that top flight sales manager for our
bank. First I do a search on the site for sales manager
banking in the UK and get 104 vacancies in the results,
although not one is for a major retail bank, this might
just put off my candidate, but before we give up we will
delve a little further. Now we look for the page of
services for recruiters, The information for recruiters
page gives me some information on the services available
and yet gives me no information on prices, all I am offered
is contact forms, a phone umber in the USA and some
testimonials that are anonymous, there is no demographic
information as to how many visitors the site receives or
any evidence that supports how effective the site is.

I now go to the post a job page and find I am offered the
option of paying online and that a single advert for the UK
market will cost me a staggering $985 which even with the
historic high of sterling against the dollar is very
expensive and I have been given no evidence as to what kind
of result I should expect for my money. Ask for a free
trial as well as some evidence of the likelihood of success
in filling your sales job before using this site or any
other site that gives so little information or evidence up
front,

In the next article in the series we take a look at a
jobsite that has been designed to maximise the utility of
both sales jobseekers and sales recruiters and to offer
excellent value for money,

----------------------------------------------------
Louise G is a highly experienced sales recruitment
professional with over 20 years experience in all areas of
sales recruitment and is currently Sales and Marketing
Director of The sales Recruitment Jobsite.
Find out more about The Sales Recruitment Jobsite the place
for sales jobs and sales recruiters all around the globe at
http://salesrecruitmentjobsiteblog.blogspot.com or go to
the new site http://www.salesrecruitmentjobsite.com

The History of Baume et Mercier

The History of Baume et Mercier
Personality, elegance and precision is what has classified
Baume et Mercier watches since its beginning in 1830.
After more than 170 years of creative and distinguishable
watch making, the company continues to modernize its
watches and appeal to the public. Every year there are a
plethora of stylish watches available for men and women
with several different models to choose from.

It all started when Louis Victor and Pierre-Joseph-Celestin
Baume found the "Freres Baume" trading entity in the Les
Bois Village in 1830, which lies within the Swiss Jura
Mountains. From there a dynasty took off among this family
that had already been making watches for several years.

In 1834, members of the Baume family founded the Societe
Baume Feres in Le Bois. At first the family targeted
enameled pocket watches, but it soon branched off into a
large company with great diversity. In 1844, Joseph
Celestin Baume traveled to England to set up business
relations. It was this trip that helped diversify the
company and spread their watches across Europe. Soon
after, watches signed "Waterloo," "Diviko" and "Sirdar"
opened markets in Australia and New Zealand.

In the early 1880's the second generation of the family
headed the company into more modernized watches.
Louis-Victor's son, Alcide Eugene headed the Swiss firm
while Alcide's brother, Arthur Joseph was managing the
London branch. Their elegance and precision was rewarded
in 1893 as their watches won the timing competitions at the
Kew- Teddington Observatory. The watches scored 91.3 out
of 100 possible.

The turn of the century saw new and exciting things for the
company beginning in 1912. It was in 1912 that William
Baume met the watchmaker and jeweler Paul Mercier at the
Geneva watch and jewelry shop in Haas. This meeting
between the two would eventually lead to a signing for the
establishment of Baume and Mercier in Geneva on November
26, 1918.

The agreement amongst the two proved to be an extremely
smart and successful one in years to come. Just three
years later in 1921 the company was rewarded again, this
time by the coveted Poincon de Geneve, which was the
official recognition of flawless quality products.

After World War II the company shifted its focus to
conventional men's watches, chronographs and ladies'
jewelry watches. In 1965 the Piaget family took control
over Baume et Mercier outbidding international competition
and that same year the new owners switched to electronic
tuning fork movements.

Currently, Baume et Mercier just opened a store in
Switzerland in 2004 and has made a name for itself as a
trendsetter. Continuous production and modernization in
watches such as the Riviera, which was released in 1980,
has kept the company alive and strong over 170 years later.

----------------------------------------------------
To obtain information about the beauty and elegance of
owning a Baume et Mercier Watch visit our Baume et Mercier
Watches section
(http://www.watchesonnet.com/Baume-et-Mercier.html). For
information on Patrick Bedford or to browse our large watch
section visit Watches On Net (http://www.watchesonnet.com )

Self Storage Advertising

Self Storage Advertising
We are bombarded with an incalculable number of
advertisements on any given day. Think about it; just on
your drive to work you'll hear radio commercials for car
dealerships, local events, restaurants, furniture stores,
shopping centers, radio sponsors and more. You'll see
billboards, bumper stickers, company vehicles, semi-trucks
and moving trucks that all display company logos and
phrases. And don't forget about the billboards. So, it may
seem that advertising for your self storage facility is
like casting your net in a huge ocean and hoping to come
back up with something.

On the contrary, a well organized marketing plan will lead
you to the exact point at which to cast your net. Marketing
centers around the research you should conduct within your
industry. You should determine your demographic, or target
customer. Then you should consider the economy in which
your business is located. After thorough marketing, where
to place your advertisements will come more naturally.

Advertising is the end result of a good marketing plan.
Still, self storage advertising seems to be an illusive
science. Many self storage operators can't quite get the
right concoction of phone book ads, billboards, flyers,
etc. In addition, they wonder which of their advertisements
works the best and which ones aren't doing so well for them.

Because advertising budgets usually don't allow you to
plaster your business name on every street corner, every
search engine, every mailbox, and each radio commercial, a
self storage owner has to know where he gets the biggest
bang for his buck.

A simple way to find out how your customers heard about you
is to ask them. Train your facility managers to ask
customers, "How did you hear about us?"

You should keep in mind that it isn't useful to have your
managers asking that questions unless you provide them a
way to track each response. Give your facility managers a
spreadsheet or tracking system so that all the data
gathered can be evaluated and reports can later be
generated in order to determine what ads bring the largest
ROI. Something as simple as a piece of paper with a column
for Yellow Pages, Internet, Billboard, Radio, etc so that
the manager can tick a mark for the appropriate column will
offer effective tracking.

The self storage owner should collect the sheet monthly and
stay on top of his marketing and advertising campaign. He
can analyze the data to determine what media to which he
should allocate more of his budget.

You should also caution your facility managers not to turn
a simple question into an interrogation. Some self storage
facilities have their managers go so far ask to ask which
page number of the phone book it was that they saw the ad.
While collecting the data is valuable, it is not intended
to supersede the goal of talking with a customer- to gain a
new tenant. Asking such pinpointed questions as the page
number of the phone book, or time of day when they heard
the radio ad could distract the conversation. The focus of
talking to customers should be about meeting their needs,
not your own marketing needs.

If you desire such in depth research, you should hire an
expert in the field. Self storage managers wear many hats;
however, research and development should not be one of them.

Whether you hire a professional or use your own expertise
to determine your customer demographic, knowing who your
customers are is key to an effective advertisement.

Research will allow you to know where your customers come
from. Self storage customers typically result from several
universal, common life circumstances that lead to the need
for storage. Some of these events are due to a move or
remodeling a home, military service, campus or apartment
living, and/or divorce, to name a few.

If you find that a good portion of your customers are due
to relocating or moving to a new home then your advertising
dollars should go towards areas that this kind of customer
would frequent. For example, advertising near home
improvement stores will attract customers that are moving
or remodeling a home. Advertising in the newspaper near the
Classified ads where a home seller or buyer will look is a
great way to draw attention to your services. Online
advertising with realtor websites and other relocation
services will also impress customers to rent with you.

There couldn't be a more noble reason to need self storage
than serving your country. Advertising near military bases
will pay off when our country's men and women are
transferred, relocated or deployed. Many self storage
operators advertise a military discount, which is an
excellent way to thank the men and women in the service.

Students drive the busy season of self storage as they move
from campus to apartments and back home with Mom and Dad.
It would be a mistake not to advertise in every opportunity
campus life presents. The possibilities for advertising to
students goes as far as your imagination will take you.
From flyers to brightly painted cars to raffles and more,
advertising for near campus will bring an exponential
return on your investment because students need self
storage at least twice per year.

Apartment living often presents opportunities for tenants
to store. Tenants never have enough closet space, so self
storage becomes a necessity as families grow. Consider your
demographic and aim your advertisements to the average age
of the apartment community. For example, apartment
communities housing a majority of college students require
advertising for discounted rates or short term storage for
the summer, while apartment communities for young families
may do better by highlighting the convenient location and
security. Senior living communities should point out the
security and care heirloom items will receive while in
storage.

Families grieving the loss of a loved one can become
overwhelmed by the daunting task of shuffling through
inherited items. In many cases, families inherit more
furniture than their current homes allow. Or perhaps they
want to store their old furniture to make room for the
antiques they recently acquired. Advertising aimed at
individuals going through such a painful circumstance
should be approached with the utmost respect and dignity.

Self storage advertising attracts a wide demographic of
customers with methods such as television advertising,
radio announcements, direct mail, door hangers, fliers,
phone book ads and billboards.

Television is an effective way to target a variety of
customers while standing out among your competitors.
National broadcasting would be overkill for storage
facilities grouped in localized areas. Local broadcasting
is less expensive and reaches your target group. A
television broadcast should last from 30 to 60 seconds.
Effective TV budgets for storage advertising ranges from
$5,000 to $10,000 per month. There will also be some
production cost which can be great or small, depending on
the choices you make for the broadcast. This is an
excellent tool for bringing in 50 to 100 new customers per
month. A self storage owner should know the value of each
of his customers and therefore can easily justify a budget
for TV advertising. A self storage business could also
consider sponsoring local events or newscasts to receive
additional advertising.

Radio advertising for a self storage business is purchased
similar to TV advertising. However, radio broadcasts are
less expensive than television. Production is usually free.
To be effective, radio advertising should be broadcasted
during morning and evening drive times. When self storage
businesses combine TV and radio advertising, they both
become more effective. A self storage facility or company
could also sponsor radio traffic reports and weather
reports in exchange for advertisement.

Direct mail can produce excellent results, if purchased
correctly. It should be purchased in bulk and works best
with high saturation. You can count on about .1 percent
response on your mailing. The cost should be approximately
3 cents per piece.

Professionally designed door hangers have proven to be a
successful means of self storage advertising. Having a
professional design the hanger will ensure the best
results. You should also use quality material that will
withstand outside elements. A laminated 3-by-9 inch, full
color hanger with a perforated card at the bottom is the
best way to make a good impression on customers. Door
hangers cost around 20 cents each and can be purchased in
variables of quantities.

Fliers are a great advertising option for self storage
owners. Colored fliers can be distributed to realtors,
competition, attorneys, insurance companies, auto
dealerships, etc and have shown successful results.

Phone book ads are the most common and effective tools used
for self storage advertising. Over eighty percent of all
customers use the Yellow Pages to contact your storage
business. This means that your competitor will have his ad
somewhere close to yours. The phone book isn't a new idea
and everyone knows they need some sort of advertisement
here.

----------------------------------------------------
Self Storage Advertising
http://directory.selfstorageowner.com/

Seven Ways to Supercharge your Strategic Planning Process

Seven Ways to Supercharge your Strategic Planning Process
At this time of year, many companies look to the future and
put together a Strategic Plan and/or a Business Plan for
the coming year(s). For many, this has become a matter of
looking at the last plan and changing the numbers to match
new goals. If this is your process, you're missing a huge
opportunity to build the strategic thinking and planning
capability of your organization.

Whether you have a team of two, twenty, two hundred or two
thousand plus, the strategic planning process provides
multiple opportunities to develop employees and positively
impact the bottom line. Here are a few suggestions of how
to supercharge your strategic planning process and make it
a vital part of your organization's success.

Create Pre-Planning Teams

Charter a team of three or four people to do advance
research on industry trends, internal and external factors
that will likely affect the future of your company in both
positive and negative ways. Build time early in your
agenda for a presentation from the team. This not only
saves time in your planning session but gives those on the
advance team an opportunity to think and learn from the
research.

Charter a Stakeholder Audit Team. The size of this team
will depend on how many stakeholders you identify. A
stakeholder is a person or entity that has a "stake" in
your success as a company. Stakeholders might include
customers, suppliers, community leaders, etc. The job of
this team is to interview these key individuals to get
their input about what they need from your organization
and/or how you might work more effectively together. This
team will need to summarize and analyze the data they
collect and bring it back to the planning team for use in
the actual planning session.

Be sure to include some of your high potential non-managers
on these teams so they are exposed to the process and have
the opportunity to think at a higher level than their job
usually demands.

Include Bargaining Unit Leaders and HR

If you work with a bargaining unit, include them in the
process. Many items become easier to negotiate when Union
leaders understand the big picture and the challenges the
organization is facing. Also, Union leaders bring the
viewpoint of your employees to the table in a unique way
that can be very helpful in designing the "people"
initiatives you will need to be successful.

Make sure to invite your Human Resources Director/Manager
to the table. Many companies put together a strategic plan
with multiple "people" strategies without the input of the
HR Department. Since most of these strategies will fall to
the HR Department for implementation or at least major
support, it's in everyone's best interest to incorporate
their ideas as well as making sure the strategies are
implemented "as intended."

Use an Outside Facilitator

This can either be from another part of your organization
or an outside consultant. Either way, your focus should be
on the actual strategic thinking and planning. Executives
who try to facilitate their own strategic plans are like
doctors who try to treat themselves. It's not the best use
of your professional expertise. A trained facilitator will
bring out the best in each of those participating in the
process, including the leader!!

Include a Communications Professional in the Process

You will want the document you create to be a tool that is
used throughout the year. A professional can help you
simplify difficult concepts, communicate concisely and
format for utility. Remember, the major purpose of the
document you distribute to employees is to engage them in
the goals of the organization.

Distribute a Copy of the Plan to Each Employee

Make sure your first line Supervisors understand the major
components of your plan and, more importantly, how they
will contribute to reaching the goals of the plan. Then,
have them distribute copies of the plan. Research shows
that employees trust the Supervisor that they know more
than upper management. So, roll out the plan but give your
Supervisors the info they need to explain it.

Keep the Plan Alive Throughout the Year

Include regular updates on progress toward strategic goals
in your organization's communication channels. Bring the
planning team back together once a quarter to review the
plan and track progress. Showcase teams or individuals who
are directly impacting the success of the plan in company
communication vehicles. Most importantly, celebrate
milestones reached along the way.

Use the Plan

If your copy of your company's strategic plan doesn't have
dog-eared pages and coffee stains by mid-year, you're not
getting the most out of the plan. As a leader, those you
interact with should be so used to seeing you with a copy
of your plan that they notice when you don't mention it.
And, since you are their leader, you will begin to notice
that they are bringing up company goals, milestones and
impacts on a more regular basis as well. This is the power
of the plan. It has the potential to engage people at
every level of your organization in striving to meet
company goals.

You may be thinking, this is fine for larger companies but
I'm an Entrepreneur and/or my company consists of only a
few people. How will this work for me? It will actually
work very well if you think about all those who have a
"stake" in your business and engage them in the process.
Ask associates, your Mastermind Group, or key individuals
you respect from the networking organizations you belong to
for their help in building your plan. That way you will
not only build a plan, you will build relationships that
energize your success.

----------------------------------------------------
About Gayla Hodges
Gayla Hodges is the President Change Agents, Inc., a
company that specializes in energizing workforces to
achieve strategic goals. She coaches executives and
managers on leading corporate change, facilitating the
development and implementation of organizational
effectiveness strategies. For more information, visit
http://www.changeagentsinc.com or call 623-362-3876.

Social Networking with Training Wheels

Social Networking with Training Wheels
Look, I don't really think that the mySpaces and Facebooks
of the world are that important for the typical small
business as they stand today. There may be very practical
business reasons for some to actually use these and other,
what are called social networks, for business gain, but
most people that have jumped on the social network
bandwagon have found themselves left with a "is this all
there is" kind of feeling.

To those I say this, the value of the current public social
networks for business folks is not what you can get out of
them for gain today, but what you can learn by using them
for practical gain tomorrow. That's why SpacebookedIn makes
sense for you now

The Facebooks of the world are busy teaching millions and
millions of business folks how social networks work, how
social networking works, how shared applications can be
viral and ever-present. The real payoff in my opinion is
that the wave to come after the Facebook bubble bursts is
the "personalized business network." Once everyone of your
customers and prospects knows how to use what are easily
replicatable social networking tools, like building
profiles, sharing video and connecting based on mutual
interests, your job of building your own social business
network around your own very specific community of niche
will get a whole lot easier.

2008 will be the year of the personalized social business
network. So, if you've decided to take a pass on the whole
social networking trend, I would suggest that you use this
handy list to start learning to ride this bike with the
training wheels on.

Ten ways to get started with Social Networking.

1) Read 10 blogs - sign-up for a Bloglines account and
search for and subscribe to 10 blogs about social
networking - you can return daily to your page on Bloglines
to find and read all the new content on your 10. Of course
you can add blogs about your industry and interests here
too.

2) Comment on 10 blogs - posting relevant comments to blogs
you read is a very simple form of social networking. It's
also a good way to get some extra visitors your site or
blog.

3) Join Facebook - Join and create a profile. Find and
friend some of your existing contacts using tools on
Facebook. You'll be surprised how many people you already
know have Facebook accounts. Facebook has some real value
for you because of the rich set of tools and large amount
of active users. This is a great place to experiment with
how people interact in social networks. Once you get your
feet wet you may also find that Facebook is a great way to
connect with business contacts you may never bump into
otherwise.

4) Create a mySpace page - this service is really embraced
primarily by musicians and the younger set. It also happens
to have a large underbelly contingent so be warned, but it
is a great tool for learning how to build a presence
outside of your web site.

5) Join LinkedIn - this is a service that's been called
Facebook for business. It is really about meeting and
connecting with like-minded business folks. It is a great
service for people looking for a job or to make connections
with people who may be out of reach without an introduction.

6) Visit Ning - this is the largest custom social
networking service that allows you to create your own
community using a variety of tools that can be branded to
match your current site.

7) Create a Workbench profile - this one's a little
self-serving as this is my new social business networking
site but it's a good example of the personalized business
community that's the next wave for small business.

8) Create a Twitter account - this tool is pretty silly on
the surface, it allows you to type in 160 characters or
less what you are doing right now. It feels like a giant
waste of time but a very large and active community has
grown around this kind of micro-blogging and you should
understand how people are using it.

9) Create a StumbledUpon profile - This is a social network
built around discovering and recommending sites that you
like. Active stumblers can send a lot of traffic your way

10) Create a Digg account - this site allows you to keep up
to the minute with what's happening in the world of
business. Users submit and vote on what is believed to be
the most important content.

You might also consider Mixx, Squidoo and Flikr as places
to find and develop niche related communities when you're
ready to really get out there.

Think of mySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook as your labs - get
in there and experiment for the future. then start planning
your own personalized social business network.

----------------------------------------------------
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning
blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most
Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more
information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

How To Write Your Resume to Overcome Age Bias

How To Write Your Resume to Overcome Age Bias
DO trim your resume back to the most recent 10, 15, or 20
years. Your resume is a marketing document. It is NOT an
autobiography. Readers want to know what you have done
recently to add value in the companies you have been
associated with. Skills, experiences, and achievements from
25 or 30 years ago or more are almost certainly irrelevant
at this point. But, if those early experiences are still
relevant, you do have options...

DON'T be afraid to mention early experience that is still
relevant. Just don't mention the dates associated with it.
You might choose to highlight the undated achievements or
qualifications in the summary profile section of your
resume. Or, another effective strategy is to summarize that
experience at the end of your resume. Your description
should be concise. Just one or two sentences that begin
with the words "Additional experience includes..." will
usually suffice.

DO be creative and strategic in how you list employment
dates on your resume. Don't feel locked in by the
traditional way of including dates. For example, I recently
worked with an executive candidate who had three years with
his current employer but more than 35 years of progression
with his last employer. Traditionally, on a resume, you
would show the total span of years with each company and
then the dates in each position (illustrating progression).
But this method clearly wouldn't work for this client
because he began working for that last employer sometime in
the mid 1960s - a date that we did not want to include on
the resume. So instead, we left off the total dates with
each company and just listed dates in each position, going
back approximately 15-20 years. Like this:

Employer 1, location

Current position (20xx - Present)

Employer 2, location

Position a (20xx - 20xx)

Position b (19xx - 20xx)

Position c (19xx - 19xx)

Position d (19xx - 19xx)

** Additional experience includes...

DON'T leave dates of education off of your resume unless
you have a good strategic reason to do so. One of the most
common errors that I see are dates of education left off
the resume when they should not be left off. For example,
if you earned your degree 15 years ago and began working in
your current career track the same year, you will actually
raise questions about your age by not including your degree
dates. The dates on your degree tend to close the "loop"
and eliminate age-related questions in the mind of the
resume recipient. But if you leave the dates off, the
recipient will assume you are hiding your age and are older
than your work experience indicates. On the other hand, if
you have shortened your resume to the most recent 10, 15,
or 20 years, and your most recent degree was earned earlier
than a year or two before that cut off point, it is
probably in your best interest to leave the dates off the
resume.

DO be proud of your age and the associated experience and
perspective that you bring to your employers. Even though -
in most cases - you should not emphasize and draw attention
to your age, do recognize that you bring to the workplace a
value offering unmatched by your younger competitors in the
job market. Your self-assurance and confidence will come
across in your resume and during interviews.

DON'T forget to fill your resume with achievements and
results that illustrate your personal brand and the unique
promise of value that you bring to the workplace. Position
yourself for the position. Demonstrate through past
accomplishments and value add that you are the perfect
candidate for the job. When your resume is filled with
achievements that illustrate you will deliver a strong
return on an employer's investment in hiring you, your age
will NOT even be an issue.

DO create a resume that showcases achievements that
illustrate the traits most valued in older workers - your
credibility, your depth and breadth of experience, your
judgment and decision-making abilities, your range of
professional contacts, your work ethic and reliability,
your emotional stability, and your commitment to company
goals. Subtly, in your resume and cover letter, touch on
achievements that illustrate a high energy level, strong
technical skills, and adaptability to change.

----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com

Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com

Georgetown Tx Properties: Is It A Worthwhile Place To Call Home?

Georgetown Tx Properties: Is It A Worthwhile Place To Call Home?
Several factors determine purchase of real estate
properties. To buy a small piece of real estate is once in
a lifetime deal for many of us, and it is but natural on
the part of a mediocre investor to be skeptical and
cautious before he can invest into one.

After considering many factors a right decision can come.
Firstly investing in a property should be worthy for the
big money that you have after all saved for many years to
acquire one.

Georgetown, a small town about 35 km north of Austin is one
place that is looked up by investors for realty investment
these days. Georgetown Tx properties are worth giving a
thought at least for the attractions that the town place
has to offer. The small town in Texas is with plenty of
scenic beauty. For the same reason the residents of
Georgetown call it as an abode of peace and beauty. The
neighborhood of Georgetown Tx is another worth considering
factor for an investor to invest in Georgetown Tx
properties.

Georgetown Tx realty also boasts of some really high
quality schools and employment options which makes it a
good choice to make an investment here. For the elite who
are looking for new vistas of real estate investment
options, Georgetown Tx properties can be one. Close
proximity to schools and Hospitals, well connected highways
and its distance to the city of Austin are added
attractions for the investors to put in their investment in
the real estate properties here. Leander is very close to
Austin, just about 5 miles and very accessible. Its
proximity to the city of Austin is actually a plus factor
in considering residing in Leander, a place with not so
expensive houses but has a lot to offer to residents.

The town is continually progressing as is evidenced by the
growing number of natural recreational facilities including
public, state and national parks, zoos, and amusement theme
parks. Georgetown Tx properties do have appreciation value
from an investors perspective. The historic and ancient
looking buildings in this place attract the retired and the
elderly communities to invest in the properties and come
and settle down to take a chance of reliving their past.

It is not a bad choice to invest in Georgetown Tx whether
residence or commercial properties. While a resident will
start feeling at home here right from day one, commercial
property investor can expect his property to appreciate
well in the next few years. The nature lovers and the
animal lovers and the peace lovers can feel at home in
Georgetown Tx. Once the Federal laws curb recession, the
properties here promise to go up. So invest in Georgetown
Tx properties now before they start going up again

----------------------------------------------------
For more information on Georgetown TX Properties please
visit http://www.wilsontx.com/GeorgetownTXProperties.ubr

Give Your Prospects Value

Give Your Prospects Value
Have you ever attended a free workshop or teleclass just
waiting for a nugget of wisdom that would help transform
your business? But when it's over you think, "Well that's
an hour I'll never get back"?

Don't get us wrong, we think free workshops, seminars and
teleclasses can be an extremely effective way to build
relationships with potential clients. But, there's nothing
worse you can do to your prospective clients than waste
their precious time on an hour-long commercial disguised as
a free workshop or teleclass!

Sure, you might get lucky and get a one or even two new
clients. Unfortunately the vast majority of the time your
prospects will walk out or hang up annoyed that you just
wasted their time. Now they're even more frustrated and
even less likely to attend your future workshops. And you
can just forget about them passing on your information to a
friend!

So here's a novel idea...when you are fortunate enough to
have a room full or line full of people that are interested
in hearing what you have to say, make it worth their while!
Give your prospects some valuable information they can
start using immediately.

For example, how many times have you heard your prospects
and clients say, "Yeah, I have been meaning to do that but
I just haven't gotten around to it yet."? We all know why
they haven't done it yet (whatever "it" may be). They
don't have an easy way to accomplish their task or achieve
their goal.

Why not give them a strategy - your strategy - that helps
them get around to it?

We can guarantee every person sitting there is waiting to
hear what you have to say because they want you to help
them find a way to take away their pain or help them
accomplish their goals.

When you help people discover an easy way to solve their
problems or achieve their dreams, three things will happen:

1. Your prospects will recognize you as an expert.
Remember, experts are called on as a first resort versus a
last resort, they get paid more money, and are offered more
opportunities like paid speaking engagements, joint
ventures and endorsements.

2. Your prospects will appreciate your generosity and want
to reciprocate. They will buy from you, refer others to
you and evangelize about you.

3. You will unleash the power of your Marketing
Karma™ and help you create an abundant business that
not only thrives, but provides value in the world.

We challenge you to create a program that provides value to
your target market - all wrapped up with a neat bow just
from you! Your prospects will love you for it, tell
everyone they know about it and keep coming back for more!

----------------------------------------------------
Kelly L. LeFevre, MSM, and Molly A. Luffy, MBA, authors of
the upcoming book Unleash Your Marketing Karma: How to
Build Your Business by Giving It Away, are Co-Founders of
the Business Building Roundtable. This free virtual
community helps service-based solo/micropreneurs create
powerful strategies and implement innovative techniques to
achieve their ultimate success and satisfaction. To learn
more visit http://www.BusinessBuildingRoundtable.com

Are You Talking to Me? The Secret to Successful Sales Speak

Are You Talking to Me? The Secret to Successful Sales Speak
First, you had better just get over the notion that
effective salesmanship is the ability to deliver a good
pitch. That's old-school thinking and a great way to
experience the heartache of missed targets and declining
revenues.

Of course you must have something to meaningful to say. But
to assume that a canned sales spiel is going to work on
every sales prospect is a severely misguided notion.

Consider this concept instead: effective selling is always
a dialogue, a conversation. It is an exchange of
information. If you're not receiving twice as much
information from your prospect as you're delivering, you
aren't even coming close to maximizing your sales
effectiveness.

It is your job to create and nurture a relationship with
your prospect. And the more meaningful that relationship,
the greater the rewards for both of you.

Solution selling. Promoting benefits, not features. However
you say it, the bottom line is this: the needs and desires
of your prospect dictate how you will sell, if you're
actually going to do any selling at all. And in order to
craft the right message for THIS client, you will have to
get to know them pretty well, at least as it relates to the
sale.

Why is this level of personal understanding so critical
today? Why do you have to really "know" someone in order to
sell to them? Simply because the world and everything in it
is at our prospective customers' fingertips, 24/7. There is
nothing your customers don't have access to. Information
about your company, your product or service, about you and
your background, who likes you and who doesn't. And most
important of all, everything about your competitor.

The wolf is waiting right outside the door, ready to pounce
with a better offer. And your customer knows it. Either you
are going to connect with them, or your competition will.

So just what do you need to learn about your prospects, and
how do you use that knowledge to make yourself more
effective?

1. Find out who your prospects are and what matters to
them. The more you know about a sales prospect before you
meet, the greater your odds of success. It just stands to
reason. People like doing business with people they are
familiar with and who understand them. But it goes far
beyond a comfort level. By discovering how your prospect
thinks, what they like and don't like, what they are trying
to achieve and what they're afraid of, you can position
your product or service as the ideal solution for THEM. For
starters, you should at least know your prospect's age,
professional background and education level. But dig
deeper. Where were they born? Where did they go to school?
Married, or single? Kids? How many? What are their hobbies?
Golf or tennis? What specifically are their work
responsibilities? What are they trying to accomplish, and
what are the greatest challenges facing them in their jobs?
How can you find all of this out? ASK—ask them, their
colleagues, their assistants. Ask your co-workers or others
you know in your industry? Ask Google! The internet can
reveal amazing information with just a few clicks.
Remember, when it comes to sales success, knowledge is
power.

2. Learn their language. If your sales prospect spoke only
Japanese, and you could only barely manage English, the
conversation probably wouldn't get very far, no matter how
strong your pitch. But the "language barrier" doesn't have
to be so extreme or obvious to be a deal killer. I've seen
sales people who showed up for a meeting in traditional
business attire instantly disregarded by ultra-casual
customers, and vice-versa. Know the style and attitude, the
language, your prospects are comfortable with, and then
adopt it to the best of your ability. Are they formal or
friendly? Will they be offended if you call them by their
first name, or completely put-off if you address them as
Mr. or Ms.? Do they enjoy a good joke, or are they all
business? Are they young, either literally, or at heart? Or
are they seasoned pros who value maturity and experience?
One of the best sales pros I know always says that people
need at least a dozen reasons to hire you and only one to
pass. Don't let "style mismatch" be that one.

3. Show them how you will make they're life better. Once
you know who your prospects are, what really matters to
them and how to speak their language, all that's left is
connecting the dots. Search for ways to reconcile their
needs with what you have to offer, and present it in a way
that is meaningful to them. This is the essence of solution
selling, and it is key to sales success in the current
business environment. Think of your sales negotiations a
maze—you're at one end, your prospect is at the
other. Your job is to find the way through, uncover the
connection, and unite your desire to sell with their desire
for a solution.

No more than 20% of selling is "telling." The rest is
"gelling," forging strong, personal, mutually-beneficial
connections through excellent detective work. Ask
questions, watch for clues, use your gut and you'll be able
to deliver precisely what your prospects really need.

----------------------------------------------------
Keith Harmeyer is EVP of Marketing and Creative Services at
C2 Creative in New York City. He is a marketing,
communication and presentation skills expert, author,
speaker and creator of The SuperSkill (sm), a proven method
for using traditional marketing techniques to achieve
personal and professional success. You can email Keith at
kaharmeyer@gmail.com, or visit his website at
http://www.thesuperskill.com .

Behavioural Interviews - More Success Strategies for Serious Career Changers

Behavioural Interviews - More Success Strategies for Serious Career Changers
Behavioural interviews can be the career changer's worst
nightmare. Since being introduced in the 80s by industrial
psychologist, Dr Tom Janz, at least 1 in 3 recruiters make
use of behavioural interview questions. This article shares
simple albeit powerful steps by which people seeking to
make career changes can answer behavioural interview
questions successfully.

1. Be Friendly - If the job in question requires people
skills (and most sociable jobs do) then your interviewers
will want to see tangible proof of your claims. Don't go
over the top though, just be polite and confident,
listening attentively and emphasising similarities whilst
making small talk. For instance, if your interviewer has
just had a baby, extend your congratulations and ask how he
or she is coping with the change in lifestyle. If you have
recently had a baby yourself, briefly share experiences
that the interviewer may find humorous and helpful. If all
goes according to plan, be sure to tender your rapport
building skills as ample evidence during the course of the
behavioural interview.

2. Ask - Nothing denotes timidity and disinterest like
candidates who fail to ask questions of their own during
job interviews. After giving a good account of yourself,
find out if the job is really a great match for you by
asking the interviewers some behavioural questions too.
Good questions to ask each interviewer are: 'How did you
come to work for this company and what have you enjoyed the
most so far? How many hours a week do you put into this job
and what have been your biggest challenges yet? In what
ways have the company rewarded hard work and initiative of
recent?' It is also a great idea to ask your interviewers
if they would be willing to offer you some feedback on your
performance at a later date. If you manage to build good
rapport and express genuine interest in the company, many
interviewers would be more than happy to give you interview
feedback.

3. Recap - Never forget that employers want to hire multi
talented people who will add long term value to their
organisations. At the end of your behavioural interview,
recap by summarising the talents and behaviours that equip
you for the role as well as the values and ethics that will
enable you fit well into the organisation. Some candidates
even go as far as preparing power-point presentations that
demonstrate their competence and show how their long term
goals fit in with the prospective employer's. Be creative
if you want to stand out from your competitors. Don't
forget to thank your interviewers for their time and say
how much you look forward to hearing from them.

4. Follow Up - Don't leave the interview room without a
contact name and direct telephone number you can use for
follow up purposes. However, make sure you find out how
long you should wait before getting in touch. It is good
manners to send a thank you note a few days after the final
interview and to ring for the result within agreed
time-scales. If further follow up is required do so no more
than twice per week, contacting the key decision makers
(usually the interviewers) directly where possible. Do
exhibit polite and professional behaviour at all times.

5. Get Feedback - It is vital that you get some feedback on
your performance as this will serve you well should you
have cause to attend future behavioural interviews.
Candidates who are humble enough to solicit constructive
criticism score high marks with hiring managers and often
get special consideration when subsequent vacancies arise.

In a nutshell, people who shine at behavioural interviews
are those who have taken the time to find hidden talents
and discover their purpose in life. By passionately
communicating how your talents, skills and behaviours
complement your prospective employer's ethics and business
objectives, you can put yourself head and shoulders above
your competitors and make the career changes you desire.

----------------------------------------------------
Ogo Ogbata helps individuals and businesses to discover,
develop and maximise hidden assets. Are you ready to get
more fulfilment and profit out of the work you do? Then
visit http://www.creativityandsense.com for tips and
strategies guaranteed to help you create the lifestyle and
career changes you desire.

Leveraging Your Time and Money

Leveraging Your Time and Money
Today, the role of leveraged income is becoming a strong
force in our economy. People are approaching the horizon
of retirement only to discover they have not been able to
sufficiently save for the years the have looked forward to
enjoying. Last year the United States had a negative one
percent savings rate. Corporate shifts leave people
without the job or career they thought they once had.
Those who are left find they are increasingly doing more
work, spending more time, and getting farther behind.
There is market need for our product which is creating
passive income. Electronic or e-commerce is growing
dramatically and with it the ability to share businesses
that commonly have been conducted in traditional methods
has grown almost beyond one's imagination. According to
Home Business there are 175,000 people joining a network
marketing business each week. I believe there are many who
are seeking a professional opportunity, one in which they
can participate with dignity.

What does this say for us? It speaks volumes! Journalist,
Malcolm Gladwell in his book, "The Tipping Point",
discusses how small-scaled events can create enormous
change, both socially and economically. Economist, Paul
Zane Pilzer, in "The Wellness Revolution", predicts the
health and wellness industry will be the next trillion
dollar industry. These indicators support the idea that
entrepenturers seeking a new channels for income will be
looking very closely at an opportunity like ours both
full-time and part-time. We are very unique in the
marketplace. I do not know of another organization with
quite the same approach - one that appeals to a broad range
of people.

Organizations who develop a system with a strong commitment
to success are winners in their field. Coaching people to
strengthern their portfolios and in doing so align
themselves with a solid network marketing company will be
paramount to achieving long lasting passive income.

Look for an established company, own you feel is strong and
one that you are confident you can support. You want to be
assured that your investment of time and energy are safe.
Choose a company with a broad range of products. This
secures that those participating in the business model will
not need to worry about the safety of their commissions.
The compensation system (often the best are hybrids) should
be fair and equitable and should pay out at many levels.

Choose leadership where there is a complete system with an
appealing approach to the marketplace. One who has
researched how successful organizations are managed in top
producing areas. The business model and system within needs
to be succinctly defined and automated so you can
concentrate on attracting into your organization those your
desire and then provide them with a way to easily replicate
the system to produce a stream of passive income for
themselves.

----------------------------------------------------
Financial Strategist Nancy Quinlisk helps thousands of
young families and those nearing retirement to create
wealth for themselves. She charts the way for developing a
solid plan and teaches how to replicate the system for
others, thus dispelling the common myths that sabotage
wealth cycle development.
http://www.powerof12online.com