Secrets to Successful Hiring - It's Better to Hire a Squirrel

Secrets to Successful Hiring - It's Better to Hire a Squirrel
Many organizations today are still making recruitment
decisions based on an individual's qualifications, skills
or schooling (in some professions it amounts to 'which'
school an individual attended). However these don't give a
clear view as to whether an individual is suited to a role.
What makes better sense is to recruit for those
characteristics linked to success in the role.

Since the early 70's, leading organisations have been using
competencies to help recruit, select and manage their
outstanding performers after Dr David McClelland, Harvard
Business School Professor of Psychology, found that
traditional tests such as academic, aptitude and knowledge
tests, did not predict success in the job.

More recent research by individuals such as Daniel Goleman
in Emotional Intelligence and Rick Boyatzis, in The
Competent Manager, have reinforced and emphasised the
importance of competencies as essential predictors of
outstanding performance. There are 5 different types of
competency characteristics as defined by McClelland:

Motives - the things a person consistently thinks about or
wants - typically very deep seated eg the desire to climb a
mountain or be the best at what you can do Traits -
physical characteristics and responses to situations or
information eg reaction time and good eyesight are physical
trait competencies of pilots but how an individual responds
to a stressful situation is also a trait Self Image - a
person's attitude values, how they see themselves eg if you
value being 'in management' you are more likely to exhibit
leadership behaviour Knowledge - information a person has
in a particular area eg a surgeon's knowledge of nerves and
muscles in the human body Skill - the ability to perform a
certain physical or mental task eg a dentist's physical
skill to fill a tooth without damaging the nerve

What this means

It is important to distinguish between the types of
competencies because they have implications for recruitment
and selection and training once a new recruit is in a job.

Both motives and traits are deep seated and intrinsic to
the individual. They are more likely to predict what
people will do on their jobs long term, without close
supervision. However they are also more difficult to shift.
Skills and knowledge are generally easier to train. If
you have a salesperson who gets satisfaction out of
managing others rather than being the best then chances are
they will never be the best salesperson. On the other
hand, if you get the salesperson with the right motives and
traits but who lacks the knowledge of the product being
sold, this can easily be addressed via training courses.

It makes more sense to recruit on the basis of motives,
traits, self image and train individuals in the technical
skills and knowledge component of their role. Hence the
saying, "you can teach a turkey to climb a tree but it's
better to hire a squirrel".

How do you use competencies to recruit?

Firstly, you need to understand and define what your 'good'
people do. What do you see them doing, saying,
communicating that makes them 'good' performers?

Secondly, take what the good performers do and define these
as competencies such as 'Leadership' or 'Team Working'. It
is possible to use off-the-shelf competency models but
tailored models usually give better results.

Thirdly, and this may take some expert know how - you need
to understand the relationship between motives, traits,
self concept, knowledge and skill and the competencies.
Which of these competencies are more directly related to
motives and which are more skill based? If you're really
clever you can prioritise motives and trait type
competencies over those of skills and knowledge.

Finally, use focused interviewing to identify these
competencies during recruitment interviews.

Once the new recruit is on board competencies can be used
for performance management, coaching and training.

----------------------------------------------------
Pam Kennett is Founder and Director of Chiswick Consulting
Limited a management consultancy which provides advice and
direction to clients in marketing and human resources. Pam
has more than 20 years experience working with companies to
deliver more through better people management practices.
Contact her at pam@chiswickconsulting.com or visit
http://www.chiswickconsulting.com for free downloads and
information on competencies.

Business Card Tips

Business Card Tips
Networking is an invaluable opportunity, and one that
should not be wasted. In order to maximize networking, it
is strongly suggested that all business professionals carry
business cards. The business cards can be exchanged during
introductions, both as a convenience and as a memory aid.
In other words, business cards allow networkers to further
the relationship through future contact.

Business cards may include one or more aspects of striking
visual design, but should also contain important contact
information. Use this guide to make the most of your
business cards:

1. What to Include

All of this information should be included on a
professional business card:

Name - This does not have to be your given name, but should
be what you expect people in business to refer to you as.

Position - This is really optional; many small business
owners find themselves wearing many hats, and may find it
beneficial and/or less confusing to leave their official
title off the cards.

Address - Physical office location and/or mailing address.

Website - Adding a website address to business cards is now
very common and expected.

Email - Email is also now a very common and popular
communication channel.

Phone - Include your business phone number.

Instant Messaging/ICQ Address - Internet chat address.

2. Double Sided Cards

If your company is global, or your sales territory focus is
in a region where your spoken language is not the
predominant language, you might wish to consider using the
backside of your business card to include your information
in an alternate language. You can also use the back of the
card to provide more extensive information and details
about your products and services. Or, if you do a lot of
local business, you might want to include a small street
map to your office on the back of your card. There are lots
of things you might be able to do with all that blank space
on the back of your cards.

3. Conversation Starters

Savvy sales people often use their business cards as a
conversation starter. Of course, the card needs to be
unique or unusual in order to generate a dialogue. Some of
the more interesting cards I've seen recently were printed
on micro-CDs, on magnets, on translucent plastic, etc.

4. Standard Size

Even if you are aiming for something unique, you should
still not diverge from the "standard" business card size.
For managing their contacts, many people will create a
business card rolodex, or may have a hand scanner
specifically sized for business cards. So stick with the
standard size -- otherwise you may be excluded from their
contact databases simply because your card didn't fit!

5. Order Quantity

Quantity discounts apply to business cards. When pricing
printed business cards, check to see where the price breaks
occur; sometimes you can significantly increase the
quantity of business cards for very little additional cost.

6. Quality Matters

Flimsy cards that are paper thin, and cards with ragged
perforated edges, just scream "amateur". If you are going
to print cards yourself, be sure to use heavy business card
stock, and use stock that has "clean-edge"
micro-perforations. And "glossy" finished stock can also
help boost the quality perception of self-printed cards,
especially if lots of color is used in the card design.

7. Brand Cards

Your business cards should be similar to all of your other
printed promotional material. Business cards should contain
your business or product logo. Double-check the colors with
the printer to make sure the correct pantone colors are
used. This will ensure that the logo is printed using the
correct and matching color scheme.

8. Keep Current

Information contained on the business card should always be
kept current. Business cards with obsolete information
crossed out are very unprofessional. If any information on
the card changes or becomes obsolete, have new cards
printed to reflect the change, and throw the old ones away.

9. Change It Up

Textured business cards, or cards with scalloped edges,
stand out. Consider a wide variety of ways to make your
card jump out of the pack. The texture or color of the card
can also be utilized to ensure your card stands out.

10. Legible

Use a legible font that makes the text on the business card
easy to read. Avoid making the fonts too small. Use
contrasting colors, and avoid using porous paper that will
allow the ink to bleed and the text to blend into the card.

11. Spelling

There is little more embarrassing than business cards that
contain typographical errors. Proofread the cards multiple
times. Let me say that again -- proofread your business
cards! And have other people proofread them too, as they
will often be able to spot mistakes that you've overlooked.

Maximize the power of your business cards. Whether you are
networking, or just being personable, business cards are a
must in the professional world, and crucial to business
marketing.

----------------------------------------------------
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing,
publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon
manages marketing for RecordForAll
http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing
software.

Product Review DIY Accounting Paye and Payroll Software

Product Review DIY Accounting Paye and Payroll Software
Payroll Software Strengths

An essential feature of the payroll solution is the
inclusion of an employee details worksheet in which simple
details are entered for each employee such as name and
address, income tax code, national insurance number and
relevant dates which satisfies the requirements of small
businesses operating a paye scheme. The payroll software
then uses these details particularly of income tax code and
national insurance dates to calculate the income tax and
national insurance deductions. Once the employee details
have been entered running a paye system couldn’t be
easier.

The payroll software pre-enters each employee’s name
on the payroll each week or month and simply entering the
employee gross pay triggers the payroll to automatically
calculate income tax and national insurance contributions
including the employers’ national insurance
contribution using the standard income tax and national
insurance tables which are embedded within the files
supplied with the payroll software system.

Having calculated the net pay the payroll software then
goes that extra step and automatically completes the time
consuming paye deduction sheets, all arranged in the same
appearance as the official inland revenue deductions sheet
for recording income tax and national insurance deductions.
In addition also included in the employee paye section are
copies of the employee P60 certificate, P45 if required and
the P14 which is a summary of the pay, income tax and
national insurance contributions made by each employee.
This feature of the payroll software is extremely valuable
in saving employers using the small business payroll
solution a great deal of time in paye administration.

Many payroll software systems require the purchase of
payslip stationery. The DIY Accounting payroll software is
different in this respect. First of all the payslips are
all generated automatically from the information in the
payroll file which shows the weekly or monthly gross and
net pay, income tax and national insurance and the gross
numbers to date. The Payslips all preset on payslip
templates can be printed at any time on normal A4 copy
paper being another money saving feature of the paye
solution.

Finally having calculated the income tax and national
insurance contributions throughout the year the payroll
software also produces the Annual Paye Employers return,
the P35. An excel copy in the same format as the inland
revenue form which can be simply printed out enabling the
payroll figures to then be entered and filed online for
employers to both avoid late penalties and receive the
online tax free bonus available.

It is also worth noting that the payroll software is very
easily integrated into the DIY Accounting software simply
by saving the payroll files in the same folder as the
accounting files providing a complete accounting and
payroll solution for users.

Payroll Software Weaknesses

The DIY Accounting payroll system does not deal with income
tax K codes. K codes are income tax codes that are
allocated to employees by the inland revenue in cases where
taxable expenses will exceed the annual income tax
allowance and is then not applicable to the vast majority
of employers.

The calculation of statutory payments such as statutory
sick pay and maternity leave are inserted manually by
employers. Considered to be a minor weakness since these
figures when applicable can be easily looked up on the
employers CD-Rom as required.

The quoted package sizes of 5 employees, 10 employees and
20 employees include all employees during the year
including new starters and leavers and it is important then
to obtain a package likely to be in excess of the total
number of expected employees to avoid changing the payroll
solution during the financial year.

Pricing

At £14.99 the small business payroll software for up
to 5 employees including starters and leavers is almost a
giveaway price with many competitive products priced much
higher. The 10 employee payroll version is £19.99 and
the 20 employee payroll version just £24.99.
Considering the considerable paye administrative work these
products save. The packages are not upgraded each year with
employers purchasing the new package each financial year.

Conclusion

Exceptionally good value, the payroll system is very quick
and easy to use and produces exactly what every employer
requires from a small business payroll solution. Accurate
income tax and national insurance contribution
calculations, significant reduction in paye administration
time, regular payslips for each employee, compliance with
paye administrative requirements and the satisfaction and
valuable tax free bonus prize of producing the payroll on
time.

----------------------------------------------------
Terry Cartwright is a qualified accountant in the UK
designs Accounting Software at
http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/index.htm
providing complete accounting solutions for small to medium
sized business with Payroll Software at
http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/payroll.htm
for 1 to 20 employees that automates the revenue payroll
tax returns.

5 Strategies for Getting Clients NOW

5 Strategies for Getting Clients NOW
I received an email from a struggling business owner the
other day. She's good at what she does, but is in danger of
closing her doors after being in business for over 3 years
due to a lack of long term clients.

The problem? There are actually two:

1. She's not *consistently* marketing to get new clients
(filling her funnel, pipeline, pyramid) and

2. She suffers from distraction (yes. . .it is like a
disease).

She and I are addressing the above problems for the long
term. The most immediate need, however, is getting clients
in the door.

Remember the famous quote by Albert Einstein:

Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and
expecting different results.

To get clients quickly, you must be willing to take a step
outside your comfort zone - take a big gulp and confidently
move forward.

1. Make time to market for new clients.

While she thinks she's busy now, a quick look at her time
allocation shows she could tighten up her day to insure
she's *productive*, not just busy.

When you're just starting out or in need of new clients,
you should spend up to half your day performing marketing
activities.

Do what you need to do to make this happen - after all,
without clients, you don't have a business.

2. Get clear on the RESULTS and tell everyone.

Write a letter to everyone you know (friends, family,
former clients, prospects) and educate (not sell) them on
your ideal clients and the results you provide (NOT what
you do - no one really cares) and ask them if they know
anyone who may benefit from your services.

People like to be seen as a good source of information -
you are giving them the ability to help others by
connecting them with you.

3. Partner up!

In the online world, we call it "joint ventures" - it can
be called the same thing in the offline world.

Make a list of other small businesses who offer
complementary, not competing, services and contact them
about mutual referrals. For example, a bookkeeper should
call CPA firms and offer bookkeeping services to their
clients (especially at this time of year in preparation for
tax season).

4. Get out of the office.

It's time to get out of the house/office and do some actual
face-to-face networking and speaking.

Groups are always looking for speakers - give your local
Chamber of Commerce, Real Estate Broker, BNI and Rotary
Club a call and offer to speak on a specialized topic
linked to the services you provide.

5. Advertise to those who know you.

If you are sending out an email newsletter (or any type of
CONSISTENT communications) to your prospects, let them know
that you have a few openings for new clients.

You never know who is thinking about working with you and
just needs to know you have the space.

These steps are designed to get you clients quickly. Once
you solve your immediate "client crunch", it's time to put
processes in place to insure you have clients in your
pipeline consistently and remember, by not marketing
consistently, you are denying those who need you the most!

Your Coaching Challenge

If you're currently looking for new clients, pick one of
the above items to do EACH DAY of the coming week -
starting tomorrow.

----------------------------------------------------
Sandra Martini, the Automatic Business Coach, and
award-winning author teaches small business owners how to
implement processes and systems designed to take them out
of the day-to-day running of their business. For more
information and to receive her FREE e-course/audio series,
"5 Quick & Easy Ways To Put Your Marketing on Autopilot",
visit http://www.SandraMartini.com

Free Downloads - the good and the bad

Free Downloads - the good and the bad
We have all stumbled across sites that are offering free
downloads. But are they always that good? What inevitably
happens is you end up with a hard drive of useless stuff
that you have to wade through and often cannot make head or
tail of anyway.

Then there are the items you purchase. These are digital
items such as ebooks or software that will help you manage
and market your business online. If there is a price on
them they are probably of a higher quality. But then you
have the problem of what to buy and how much your budget
can withstand.

There are not many organizations out there that can provide
you with a fully integrate system of help and support.
Those that do often charge a large sum of money to assist.
You need to source the select few that will balance cost
effective support with free support.

The biggest problem that exists on the internet for
business owners is the amount of information that has to be
waded through to get to the real stuff. What you are
looking for are quality ebooks and software that you can
use now or later to learn from and build your business.

You want to learn from those who have gone before you.
Often the free stuff is all you need. Other times you may
need to grab quality help that you have to pay for.

If you pay for help consider items you can resell. Resell
rights allow you to make a bit of extra money from your
website or have give-aways to lure new customers. Make sure
you always use digital products - that is products that can
be downloaded.

Bottom line? Look out for fully integrated businesses that
offer you a combination of information both free and paid
for, software and tools both free and paid for.

If you do find free stuff consider it carefully. There are
a few business resources out there that will offer fully
packaged free tools that have been tried and tested to
assist you. Most of these will be free to on sell to make
extra money or offer for free as sweeteners through your
business.

So free downloads are good but only if you get quality from
quality services. Don't overload yourself with singular
downloads that you will lose on your computer. Align
yourself with one or 2 sources to obtain quality
information so you can increase your business profit via
the internet.

----------------------------------------------------
Katherine Quirke is an Australian based business
entrepreneur. She has worked in the IT industry for over 10
years and owned a number of businesses over the last 20
years. Sharing her knowledge has become a passion. Further
information may be referenced at:
http://www.yourbusinessresource.info and
http://www.onlyfreedownloads.com

Desire

Desire
Desire! You worked hard creating your business. You
suffered through all the expenses of getting your worksite
and equipping it. You've assembled your support team --
sales, marketing and administration. You thought that by
now your business would be demanding less of your time and
energy. But what's happening? You're still working too
many hours putting out fires, still struggling with those
hard decisions and still doing those things you're not good
at and don't like doing. That's the Problem! What's the
Solution?

You've read every book relating to your business, attended
workshops, maybe you even hired consultants to help you
tweak your business. Yet the problem persists. You
wondered, "What could possibly be wrong with the way I
designed my business?"

What probably is wrong is that you're asking the wrong
question. You may not realize this, but what separates the
highly successful and highly satisfied business owners from
the rest is not the design and makeup of their business.
It is the design and the makeup of themselves.

There are certain attitudes and emotions you need to
achieve greatness. This article addresses the most
important one -- desire.

Most of the people, who have achieved greatness, did so NOT
because they were so brilliant, but because they developed
the inner power within them to go for the gusto. They
learned how to keep stoking the fire in the belly. They
kept their desire and passion burning.

Ask yourself this question. How successful are you right
now? I guarantee you, whatever level of success you have
achieved so far is more tied to your attitude than your
aptitude. Success in business or any other playing field
ultimately depends upon the level of your desire.

Desire motivates you, makes you courageous and keeps you
going when the going gets tough. Desire is the fuel that
drives you to achieve greatness. Desire is the number one
attitude you need for success.

If you have "fire in your belly," anything is possible.

I remember when I was just a kid during the Great
Depression. Dad was out of work. Mom took in washing when
she could find somebody who could pay her. There was just
enough money for food, hardly any for clothes. Anything
else, like toys, was out of the question.

I knew how to have fun with empty boxes, using a stick for
a sword and my finger for a gun. But there was one toy I
really wanted -- a new Buck Rogers rocketship. I saw it in
the local hardware store. I watched with fascination as
the salesman demonstrated it. It was really neat. Wind it
up and sparks shot out of its tail. I had to have it. How
could I get money to buy it? We had an apple tree in the
backyard. It was fall and the apples were ripe. I would
sell apples to raise the money I needed. I quickly picked
the reddest ones and polished them to a bright shine.

I took my treasures out in the street and found grown men
on the street corners selling apples too. "Beat it kid,"
the man told me. Discouraged I started walking home. I
kept thinking about that Buck Rogers rocketship with its
sparks shooting out of the tail.

On my way I passed some business places. I looked into a
barbershop and saw some men waiting. I went in and was
able to sell two apples before the owner gently ushered me
out. "This will work," I thought.

I went to the next store and just got in before the owner
chased me out. I was discouraged and scared, but I thought
of the two apples I did sell and that Buck Rogers
rocketship. That renewed my courage. I did not understand
it then, but that Buck Rogers rocketship had become a
trigger. Every time I thought about it, it triggered me
into action.

I kept on going, store after store. Some owners were nice
and let me come in and sell my apples, others ushered me
out. Not all of them were kind. Every time I got
discouraged I thought of my successes and of that Buck
Rogers rocketship. I had two triggers now, the memory of
my getting money for my apples and the thought of that Buck
Rogers rocketship. I kept on going until I sold all the
apples.

I ran to the store and bought my toy.

That simple story is an example of the power of desire.
This is the same principle that works on any enterprise,
from selling apples to landing a rocketship on the moon.
Desire can trigger your motivation and move you into action.

To strengthen your desire you need to review all the
reasons why you want that goal -- all the things you will
gain. Then you need to list what you will miss out on --
all the things you will lose -- if you don't reach your
goal. Strong desire is essential to create a highly
successful and highly satisfying business. Take the time
to practice strengthening your desire. It is extremely
important to do this when you are feeling lacking in energy
or discouraged.

----------------------------------------------------
Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives
and commission salespeople to substantially grow their
business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified
Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources
please visit http://www.stanmann.com

I deliver customized
coaching programs to help you become the leader of a highly
successful and highly satisfying business.

The #1 Secret to Reaching Your Peak Performance Level

The #1 Secret to Reaching Your Peak Performance Level
Today I'd like to tell you about the #1 secret to reaching
your peak performance level.

It has been proven again and again that all successful
people have used this secret at some point in their lives,
and that this secret is responsible for generating
successful people and financial giants each and every day.

Over the past few months, I have interviewed over
eighty-four successful entrepreneurs, trainers, and coaches
who are at the top of their profession.

I asked them about the lessons for success that they have
learned throughout their lives, and about the top principle
that contributed most to their success.

Surprisingly, most of them revealed that the #1 secret to
their success and to reaching their peak performance level
was having a MENTOR.

Most of these entrepreneurs have been mentored by someone
who is specialized in and has achieved a high level of
success in their same field.

Having a mentor helped those entrepreneurs cut their
learning curve into shreds and allowed them to leverage the
experiences and knowledge of their mentors.

You, too, must look for a mentor.

Why go down a long path of trial and error when you can
work with a mentor who has already traveled that path and
can help you reach your peak performance level with
lightning speed?

The best mentoring method is to work one-on-one with the
expert in person. But there are other types of mentoring,
too. You can read books, listen to tapes, watch videos, or
attend seminars of the best people in your field. Then,
apply every idea they share with you to your own goals.

This secret is vital to your success. It just doesn’t
make sense to reinvent the wheel. Other successful people
have done it, and all you need to do is to find the best
mentor out there and let him coach you and show you how to
reach your peak performance level and achieve massive
success.

To sum up, if you want to perform at your peak level, learn
from the best.

Having a mentor is the proven, fastest way to reach your
peak performance level.

Go out now and search for your first mentor. Set a goal,
then look for the best mentor to help you reach that goal
on the fastest path possible.

Successful people leave a trail of clues, and wise is the
man who picks up those clues and leverages them to his best
advantage.

----------------------------------------------------
How would you like to be mentored by 70 ultra successful
professionals? Each one has his own specialty to help you
achieve success in your life and business. It's like having
an entire mastermind forum at your fingertips. You can
access them now at:
http://www.Success-Avalanche.com