Five Basic Points To Team Building

Everyone needs to know and and team building basic option run every department.

1. Team Building Explained

For years now, people's perception of team building has been synonymous with images of people building rafts, taking part in 'awkward' trust exercises, or being stranded whilst orienteering in the middle of nowhere.

It may come as a surprise to a lot of people to learn that things have actually evolved.

A survey by Videophone UK and You Gov has concluded the UK staff have become turned off by team building as they often breed 'awkwardness'. According to the survey, experiences like being blindfolded and led by colleagues are considered the least effective team-building activities.

Findings showed the most effective events are social events like going out for a drink or a meal; Team building events that are interactive, fun, fast-paced and down-right entertaining event are the sort you will want to share with colleagues.

2. Conferences - The Good/The Bad

Whilst conferences are the single most common way to converge an entire company in one location for a collaborative session of discussion and networking, quite often you are asked to provide Conference Energiser activities to whip-up the room and revitalise delegates throughout the away-day after prolonged periods of intense presentations and slide shows.

A poorly delivered Staff Conference can have a negative impact on the morale of your employees.

Without the addition of carefully choreographed team building activities, energisers or keynote speaker, you can be faced with delegates criticising the day for being "death-by-PowerPoint", "chalk-and-talk" or another favourite is "analysis-paralysis".

3. Think about Going Abroad

Organising team building events that are to be delivered overseas and internationally can be a daunting event to manage as there are so many variables and added logistics to cope with; hundreds of flights, hundreds of requirements, hundreds of hotel rooms - all in a venue that aren't exactly fluent in English - needless to say things can be lost in translation!

That being said the output of such an event is very useful to a team and something where people are away from their comfort zone and having to work together will definitely mould a team quicker and stronger than anything local.

4. What team building events will your team most enjoy?

Often clients want to drill down to finite details about the specific activities that make up team building workshops including a minute-by-minute agenda. Not only is that not applicable for this type of training since it's often a fluid and dynamic process, but it is really focusing on the texture of the bark on the trees rather than stepping back for a view of the forest.

What is important is having a clear goal for this portion of your meeting. One mistake companies make is having a "We do a team building activity at this meeting every year" attitude with no real thought about what they want to get out of it. How do you choose the right team building activity? It's best to take the Stephen Covey approach and begin with the end in mind.

Before you start filling out Internet forms and making phone calls to team building companies, think about the goals for this session. If you are the information gatherer, press the decision makers for additional information beyond the tired and overused "team building" and "communication" for something more concrete like breaking down silos or building creative problem solving skills. On the surface you might be looking for something fun and interactive, but there's a good chance that if the company is spending thousands of dollars on this event, someone is looking for tangible outcomes.

Team building activities are exercises that can help teams build cohesion and work through a host of common group issues. They are used as educational tools to provide opportunities to at least begin discussions that can be continued back at the workplace.

How do you choose the right team building activity for your meeting? It's like the ingredients of a delicious recipe. Instead of focusing on the bok choy, which isn't particularly interesting in itself but put in context of other ingredients becomes a flavourful dish, begin with the end in mind. If you take a step back and focus on the goals and outcomes from your meeting you will make the right decision for a team building activity.

5. When to do team building? Take a look at January!

Research has shown that one of the best ways to avoid that after Christmas lull into depression is by doing things that actually give you a cause to look forward to something. So why not invigorate your team and give them something to get excited about with a January kick-off team building events. A fun corporate event means that whilst Christmas is over, the gifts just keep on giving. Activities testing physical, mental, skill and creative capabilities revive the thrill of Christmas and good old family fun, and your team will be left feeling energised and ready to take on the working world once more. Or why not revitalise your team and get their engines going with a straight-talking super-car racetrack experience or Golf Day?

There are a range of no-nonsense successful packages catering to any budget and that really aim to target the core skills for devising your perfect team, team building events are guaranteed to put a much needed smile on your employees face... and yours too!

New Year's resolutions - we've all made them. Whether it's deciding to join the gym and actually use it this year, de-clutter the house or stick to your diet for longer than just New Year's Day this time around, January 1st is a day designed for CHANGE.

But for all our good intentions and spirit, studies have shown that by January 10th most of us will have already given up our resolutions, a mere nine days after they were made, with three-quarters of 3,000 British admitting they were no longer confident they would stick to their promises for the rest of the month.If you're failing to see these changes through at home though, don't let this be the case at work. Take the opportunity to really target the issues you may have with your team and challenge them to raise their game.

CRM Transportation Logistics And Storage

Launching new services, targeting different industries, moving into new territories requires that company's communication with partners and clients will be effective. In addition to transportation and storage, logistics companies can also assemble or package goods and provide consulting work to address complex global supply chain problems. For this reason Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system appeared on market to serve as a key point for sales funnel and client relations in logistics companies.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a model for managing a company's interactions with current and future customers. CRM tool is an advanced solution to integrate, organize, automate and synchronize sales, customer services, marketing, order management, pricing, technical support which helps improve customer satisfaction and deliver goods on time. There are several reasons why it's profitable for logistics service providers to invest in a CRM system:

Reason 1: Increased productivity

Well-developed and thought out CRM system always helps pre-define some general work flows for every department and automate administrative tasks. Using it, your staff members will spend less time on filling forms, making quotes & proposals, creating reports, running calculations and will thereby raise their productivity.

Reason 2: Systematic way to track business activity

CRM solution helps understand when and what is needed to be performed for which customers. With the help of this IT tool you are able to unify all your business areas and thus track them in one place. Leveraging this market information, a logistics company will be able to maintain competitive pricing and delivery options.
 

 Reason 3: One source for all the necessary data

A CRM system allows you to have access to constantly updated information for decision-making and communication between staff members and departments with different office locations. It's an opportunity to build intelligent customized interfaces with all contacts along business lines available by CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and line managers.

Reason 4: Measurability of marketing and sales activity

CRM services can help transportation and logistics business capture better understanding of customer needs and behavior. This will give a possibility to manage effectively time, business resources and efforts which then benefits clients and overall business.

Reason 5: Individual customer service

Industry-based CRM platform gives a clear road map for effective communication with partners or clients and provides access to industry best practices. Knowing your customers needs and the main points to contact them you can identify major clients increasing their loyalty and mitigate the possibility of relationship with irresponsible customers.

Reason 6: Automated information updating

CRM software helps benefit business profitability focusing on timely updating customer information and fast order processing. It also allows to organize efficient shipping of FCL/LCL freight and delivery of dangerous/perishable goods.

Reason 7: Ensuring safety of shipments

Due to cross-globe operations and various regulatory systems in all the different countries it's usually hard to propose on-time delivery and 100% safety of goods. Customized CRM system can have integration with electronic databases such as Transit MRN to provide information about current status and location of the cargo.

Taking into consideration all the above mentioned advantages, it's evident that a customized CRM system can drive up profitability and provide a systematic way to measure and control everything that is happening in your business regarding communication and relationships with customers.

Industries and Technology Areas:

Industries: logistics, transportation, information technology

Technology Areas: software CRM development, CRM application development

With over 15 years of experience and over 300 professionals on board worldwide, Eli next Group is a global supplier of IT solutions for various industries, including advertising, accounting, banking, education, finance, health care, hospitality, real estate, retail, tourism and others.

Why We Should Buy Local Products Meaning

The next time you have the option of purchasing a locally produced good over something outside your region, consider those who are ultimately benefiting from your purchase. When you embrace local businesses, you are keeping money within your own community. If you were to buy foreign or non-local goods, you are not only hurting a local seller, you are also hurting yourself. The money which you sent out of your area by purchasing that foreign product will likely never circulate through your community creating jobs, roads, schools, and countless other beneficial elements.

These days, it's not uncommon to see "Buy Local" decals on cars, trucks, surfboards, and restaurant doors. The reason behind this advertising is to encourage customers to think about buying local when they are out and about in their communities. The "Buy Local" phrase is really just asking people to embrace the bounty that their own areas and communities have to offer. These offerings can include: produce grown locally and sold at markets, seafood caught in our country's waterways, or the products made by businesses in and around different communities. Local businesses often survive solely off the profits they receive from their neighbors and community members.

Here are some important facts you should know about buying local:

 77 million Americans are employed by small businesses.

Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales than chain competitors. Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains.

Residential neighborhoods served by a successful independent business district gained, on average, 50% more in home values than their citywide markets.

If just half the U.S. employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.

Many people who will read this or see "Buy Local" stickers may often think to themselves, "but I can't buy some products locally." This is true. There are many things which cannot be produced or grown locally within communities across the nation. 

For example, some foods grown in San Diego, California may not grow well in Atlanta, Georgia or even as close as Los Angeles. Every geographic region, every state, every city has something different and unique to offer. The buying local movement isn't trying to make all communities self-sufficient overnight; it is simply trying to shift the balance back, putting money back in you and your community's pocket.

Identity Badge System For Security Purpose

ID badge systems can be a convenient way to monitor the occasions that people enter and leave the building without having to look over tedious sign-in sheets or even other antiquated techniques. Not only can they be used to track exactly how people move all through your building, they will also serve as an all-purpose pass card. One such example on this versatility is the all-in-one student card that allows students to enter the campus, obtain food from the on-campus store, or check out materials from the library. The possibilities pertaining to ID cards are unlimited today. 

ID Badge systems are easy to implement and affordable, making it easier for you to monitor how people are moving throughout the workplace. There are many card printers available on the market today. It really depends on your individual needs as to what sort of printer you should buy. You should consider some of the following points before investing in a printer: 

- Why are you printing id cards? Are they required for a small businesses or a college? 

- How many cards will you need to print? If you need to print in bulk you will need a specific type of printer. If you are only going to print a few cards then you can purchase a smaller printer. There are three main types of ID badge printers: Value, Standard, and Premium, with Value being the most economic up to Premium which is one of the most robust and versatile ID badge printers on the market. 

- Would you like to print both sides on the card? Some id badge cards only offer single-side production, while these usually are cheaper, it might be necessary to get double-sided printing. You should definitely know which one you need. 

- What kind of encoding features do you need from your ID badge printer? Depending on the level of security needed, there are multiple options you can choose. Bar codes are one of the easiest options for encoding. 

The ID badge software includes the bar code technology. Some cards possess a magnetic stripe that allows data to be stored around the magnetic band located on the back of the card. Credit and debit cards will often have this option. Even more advanced smart cards include Contact and Contact less cards. These cards enable you to store more advanced data, such seeing that encrypted certificates. 

There are many advantages to using ID badge systems in your workplace, school, or apartment complex.

Decent And Good Looking Trained Salesman

Almost everyone will see you as someone who likes to push products or service onto others. On the other hand it can be seen as quite prestigious to be referred to as a good salesman. It is quite an art to turn customers No's into yeses and to overcome objections with ease to the point where your customer run out of objections and feel obliged to confirm the deal. As as salesman you should be proud of yourself that you have the ability to turn a no into a yes.

Come to think about it, the one profession, where what you could earn is not limited, is being a salesman. You are the one that determines your own paycheck at the end of the day. You may choose to work only one or two days in a week, but be sure that it will reflect on your paycheck at month-end if you chose not to give it your all.

Contrary to common believe it is really not necessary to subject your customers to small talk and getting to know the whole family before you try to close the sale. To have a greater measure of success, you should get straight to the point and use very few words. The saying goes that you can talk yourself out of making a sale. In fact, there is no need for you to be a smooth talking slick person to be a salesman, all you need is a positive attitude while being yourself to become an exceptionally good salesman.

The Key to Being A Good Salesman

Have you ever been in touch with a family member or friend of yours where you experienced a down feeling due to them being negative? It goes without saying that whatever mood the person you are facing are in, would rub off on you. One crucial point that every salesman should remember is to maintain a warm, friendly and positive outlook when out in the field, selling over the telephone, or when they are hosting a seminar or workshop. It will rub off on those around them and get them sales sooner than they think. Being positive as a salesman is key to being successful. No one is without problems, but you should set aside your concerns when you are out to close a deal as it can have a negative impact on the commissions you make for the day.

Another key component needed to being a good salesman is to make a solid first impression. By giving the other person a firm handshake while giving them a warm smile and looking them in the eye, instills confidence in your abilities as a salesman that knows his product while being able to relate the various benefit of the relevant product or service to the customer. Whether we agree or not, in almost all cases the customer buying the product is doing so due to the impressive way the salesman handled the whole transaction. They are in effect buying the salesman and not the product as they like him.

Unlike what some salespeople would think, it is important to mention the price of your product at the start of your sales pitch. Even though the customer may think that it is way to expensive, it gives you as the salesman the ability to convince them by listing all the benefits and features. In addition, they will not get a big fright at the end of it all and start thinking about their bills, school fees, rent, lunch money, etc.

Reading the customer is key to being successful when perfecting your sales technique. Some customers would be fearful, other will be prideful, and some would be caring. This will enable the salesman to choose which sales-pitch will have the desired effect. Fear is generally a good sales technique to make use of. When you think of very good vacuum cleaners, you will find that a good salesman would state how it can eliminate dust mites and other allergens that is harmful to their health. Looking at the customer's body language when you do this gives you a good indication as salesman that they are ready to buy.

Making Quick Money Through Telemarketing

Quick and fast making money with Telemarketing. Telemarketing is a good way to earn some easy money quickly, provided the company is legitimate and the purpose of the telemarketing calls are specific and not just aimed at calling random phone numbers from their database for selling something. This is a job that most youngsters prefer because the basic requirement from a telemarketing executive is good communication skills. Telemarketing is a hot profession among fresh graduates who have a flair for the required language and who possess a pleasant voice.

The process of recruiting a telemarketing candidate is quite easy as the applying, interview, selection and induction processes are very easy and fast moving. A telemarketing job has reasonable monetary benefits, as it not only involves the salary portion but also other compensation and benefits. Generally telemarketing job involves round the clock shifts with people rotating for the different time zones. Hence graduates, usually males, who are willing to work in the night shifts, get extra allowance and benefits. This is a huge bonus for the graduates who are just out of college and they grab the opportunity with both hands.

Though there are many forms of telemarketing, sales are the most preferred option because it has the added benefits of commission rates. Each individual in the sales segment is given a particular target for a month or day and this motivates the employee to work towards his goal. If the targets are met or exceeded, the employee gets a huge percentage of commission in addition to his original compensation package. Sales, is understandably the toughest part of telemarketing, however it is chosen by many youngsters today, irrespective of the gender because it has some really attractive benefits.

With the huge success of telemarketing opportunities across the globe, big brands have started to outsource their telemarketing profiles to exclusive call centers that target at reaching out to the customers. These big companies have call centers under their own brand names that add more credibility to the telemarketing job. These telemarketing jobs are not too stressful and they don't require much of physical efforts. It is all about speaking pleasantly and succeeding in developing a customer or satisfying an existing customer.

Most of the telemarketing jobs require a minimum qualification of graduation; hence there are lots of takers for the jobs. Now the telemarketing industry has penetrated deep into the marketing world and pushed the traditional marketing industry far backwards. A lot of innovative ideas have come up in this industry. Earning money through telemarketing jobs, done from home is the latest trend to catch up. Many women and senior citizens have started taking up these offers as this provides them a way of making easy money from the comfort of their homes.

What Is Importance Of Sales Manager?

This piece is not going to be a great read for sales managers. I am not a fan of sales managers or sales management generally. I read an awful lot written by sales managers about sales managers and the claims they make to justify their existence. I hear all the time about their theories, their frustrations with their charges, their responsibilities, their concerns and their willingness to dish out discipline or tough love and the influence they have upon the success of their "team". But, the underlying thread most commonly evident during these comments or articles is the view that sales people are somehow lesser beings in need of cajoling, control and coaching by them - the gifted ones - the ones with the inside track on sales excellence who choose to live their life by telling others how to do things rather than doing it themselves.

I always think that surely, they would be better off doing the selling themselves and earning huge bonuses from employing their outstanding sales talents. Why hide their light under a bushel? Their companies would flourish and a whole level of management salaries would be eliminated at one fell swoop. Targets would be smashed and profits would soar. Wouldn't they? Well, they might except it is likely that the sales managers have no personal experience of selling for a living and only have theoretical knowledge or, they are sales people who have been promoted into the role without any recognisable management talent or they have been successful sales people who are now burned out and need a refuge from the day to day grind.

Sour grapes? Who knows. But rather than just have a go at sales managers I thought I'd extend the theme into an alternative view of sales. It seems to me that the real culprits are the companies that employ sales staff and sales managers.

If a product or service offered by a company meets or exceed the needs of the targeted customers it should "fly off the shelves" shouldn't it? Is there really any need for anyone to "sell" it? Surely, all you need is someone to take the order. "Selling" implies having to overcome a reluctance to commit by the buyer who needs to be persuaded or tipped over the edge into buying. But why, when what is available does what they want it to? They either need or want it or they don't.

The only differential is, I guess is how badly they need it. How important to the potential buyer are the benefits it bestows. This impacts directly upon pricing. Clearly, we all weigh up the benefits versus the costs. Food in a famine is able to attract a premium fee as is a life jacket when a ship sinks - it's a seller's market and the motivation of the buyers is very clear. The need for someone to "sell" will be redundant if the product or service on offer is viewed by the buyer as essential to them. They will buy it if they are allowed to. The clearer the benefits to the buyer the more likely the sale at whatever price.

However, even the simplicity of this scenario is more complicated than at first sight. Have the potential buyers the wherewithal - either money or goods or services to barter or some other asset to swap in exchange? - So, cost is a variable to be considered and perhaps, becomes even more of an issue when the imperative to buy is smaller, less important or of no consequence to the potential customer. So we have inverse proportionality.

The more important/useful the product the larger the potential customer base and the fewer the sales people needed. Order takers yes, sales people, no. The less popular or relevant the product or the greater the number of producers of a product, the greater the need for someone to push it. If we assume that uniqueness and relevance in the market can support a product with few if any sales people we see the only reason for sales people at all is if the product is unremarkable or of no hugely, vital use; is poor or has many competitors between which customers have to choose.

These are the environments most heavily populated by sales people. Where companies struggle to sell product or services they will employ sales managers to drive the sales people. There seems to be no correlation drawn by management between producing "stuff" over producing more relevant and attractive "stuff" which will sell better. Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) or Value Propositions (VPs) can help win the race and the sales person can be a big differentiators but basically the product is the key to winning business.

All else is smoke and mirrors. Innovation and originality of product or service is the best way to succeed. Companies need to take stock of their offerings and make some hard decisions about the realities of the industry in which they operate. If they are also-rains or just followers-on they should recognize it and make the changes necessary to overcome that situation. Expecting sales people to work miracles or using sales managers to beat up the sales force won't solve anything. Mediocre products are mediocre products.

Auto Sales Tips

What are you looking for in an auto sales career?

Something like financial security, retirement, putting the kids through school, a better life, or time to enjoy life.

My profession is auto sales. As I write this, we've just gone through a torrent of rain. You could literally say buckets and buckets. There were very few Ups or walk-in prospects.

For some car salespeople, when there are no Ups, life is stressful. In fact, a few days of no car sales could spell disaster.

Is that you?

Hey, it's okay. At one point I was there. When lot traffic was down it meant a very small voucher or commission check. And, if the dry spell continued for a few weeks, life at home was stressful!

That was before I met Dan.

What Changed

Here's what changed all of that.

I met a RV salesman who never seemed to miss a day without a prospect or two.

In fact, regardless of the weather, the economy, or even after being away on vacation, Dan had deals on the board, appointments scheduled, and people coming to see him.

I wondered why he always had something on the go in an industry with a lot fewer prospective buyers than there are in auto sales.

As I thought about it, I actually got a sinking feeling in my gut. It was the realization that while I was standing around, "Dan Dan The Trailer Man" was in his office doing;...

... Well what he was doing was what he did every day. Unless there was someone in the chair in front-of-him, or he was on the lot, he was

    working his sold list,

    following-up with prospects,

    going through the classifieds.

He was doing all the stuff that didn't fit the agenda of the guys and gals in the huddle.

By-the-way, if you are not familiar with the huddle, that's great. Stay away from it.

In auto sales, a huddle is two or more salespeople standing in a corner or on the lot bitching about the weather, the economy, not enough advertising, not enough vehicles, too many vehicles of the same model, too many vehicles of the same color, too many trucks, not enough SUVs, too many four doors, too few four doors, and on and on and on.

I know about the huddle. I was huddle chairman at one point - not something to be proud of.

Everyone Needs A Dan

You've probably heard the saying "Sick and tired of being sick and tired", well that was me. I was fed up. Nothing seemed to be working. And the huddle was draining me.

Like most guys it takes a bit, actually a lot, of humility to ask for help. Dan was someone who modeled

what an effective salesman would be like. I popped by for a chat and asked, "How do you do it?"

Here's what he told me. Ten words...

1. Have a system.

2. Work it every day.

3. Value your time.

The first two I figured I understood from the get-go. But the third one, "Value your time", it didn't quit sink in.

Value Your Time

When I met Dan I had been selling cars for awhile, so I believed I knew what it was all about, the system that is. And I knew you had to follow it. But I had never placed any emphasis on my time.

At first I did what I suspect a lot of salespeople would do. I decided to figure out just what my time was worth. Dan said "Value your time."

So I took what I made the previous year and divided it by the number of hours I was at the Dealership. That gave me a value per working hour.

But then I thought, what about when I am not selling cars, is my time not valuable then?

So I took my annual earnings and divided it by the total number of hours in a year.

Wow. My time is not worth very much, I thought.

Okay the great news is I can change that. I can sell more. That will increase the value of my time.

Wrong - So Very Wrong

That's the time trap I fell into.

I started working more hours. By working longer, I sold more cars, which increased the dollar value of my time.

But for what?

While I was so focused on getting more sales, things at home drifted to an all time low.

What's up with this, I thought. I'm coining it and now my home life is in the pits.

Once again the light went on. Okay, I am a slow learner.

Like a lot of people I had the formula wrong. I was looking at the word "Value" as something you could put a price tag on and "Time" as the commodity or product. The math worked... sell more vehicles, get more commissions, my value goes up.

How dumb I was.

You cannot put a dollar value on time. Time is not a commodity, a product like a toaster. You can't simply toss it and get another or upgrade it.

Nor can you increase the value of time by working longer hours. Your annual income may go up but your quality of life goes down.

Not A Auto Sales Formula - A Prescription

What Dan gave me was not a formula but a prescription. He saw I was sick. Being sick and tired of being sick and tired wears on you and it shows.

He wasn't just helping me to sell more, he was telling me how to get better - better at work, better at home, better all around.

Risk Management Uncertainty Project Environments

Unforeseen disruptions can affect everything from technical feasibility to market timing, cost, and financial performance. Project risk has a very dynamic nature, in the sense that risks which eventually cause performance problems often have cascading and compounding effects on projects. Here are a few project risk management strategies that can help you succeed in a competitive business environment, despite these negative potentialities:

Identify & deal with contingencies early

A contingency is a condition that occurs when uncertainties emerge with the potential to impact a project. Once you have identified a contingency, it is helpful to categorize the associated risk with defined impacts. This will give you a basis for communicating the degree of risk impact with your project team. Category-1 risks might mean no impact on project performance, category-2 risks might mean impact on task or project subsystems only, and category-3 risks might stand for impact on project performance. In either case, it is important to know that only risks on the project's critical path can be category-3 risks. Using project management software can help you make this assessment, in your own projects.

Assess feasibility early & frequently

Feasibility analysis tools such as concept tests, focus groups, and prototype trials can serve very well as means to detect risks and treat them early on in a project's life cycle. Adequate feasibility analyses will allow 

you to think through contingencies in your projects, as well as mold and shape your development strategies. By guiding the progress of your projects with frequent feasibility analyses, you will lower the risk of poor usability and design by continuously integrating your clients' feedback into the development cycles of your projects.

Combine quantitative & qualitative risk MGT

With the help of project risk management software, we have become effective at identifying and dealing with risks that can be described quantitatively. But while quantitative methods provide an important tool set for project risk management, it also takes the collective thinking and collaboration of all project team members and stakeholders to identify and address the complexity of risks in today's business environment. To strengthen the qualitative side of your project risk management, engage in review meetings, brainstorming, focus groups, and other activities with your project team/stakeholders.
 

To conclude, we've discussed several project risk management strategies, which included identifying contingencies early, conducting frequent feasibility analyses, and complementing quantitative approaches with people-oriented approaches. It has become clear that some organizations are more successful than others in dealing with project environment risks. By investing the necessary time and energy into your project team, and into learning and applying these methods.

Retail Store and Marketing

Sales Promotion and increase traffic to your retail store? Would you like to increase sales? Get yourself out into the community you serve, today!

Maybe you grabbed your local paper or saw a sign advertising an event going on within your town. Should you attend? Will it help your business?

First you need to evaluate your business and have a clear business plan. What are your motives? What do you hope to get out of the event?

* Increase Traffic
* Increase Sales
* Promote a new service or product
* Promoting a Grand Opening

Which local events can help you:

*Kids Fest,
*Local Car Shows,

*Craft Fairs,
*Parades,

*Food Kitchens,
*Diaper Drives,
*Food Drives,
*Pet Food Drives,
*Dog Shows,
*Boys & Girl Clubs,
*YMCA events,
*Senior Center Events,
*Local Fairs
*Farmers Markets

*Vendor Fairs

Try to select themes related to your business or services offered.

We've participated in Kids Festivals that were held the weekend before Mother's Day, so we usually incorporated what we were promoting plus an activity for the kids to give to their moms for Mother's Day. What has always gone over exceptionally well, was terra cotta pot decorating and transferring a flower into the pot, after it was decorated, for mom. The kids felt accomplished, both moms and kids had to hang around the table, and the kids were able to offer their mom a present. Definitely a win-win situation.

Which local events wont help you:

*Anything associated with religion
*Anything associated with politics

Unless your business focuses on these items, you don't want to alienate any potential customers or current customers

These events are available to attend in any town or city. You can always drop by an event before becoming involved to see if it feels right for your business. Then sign up for a later event. Most event promoters are very happy to have a diverse offering of local businesses.

Always offer potential customers something, so they remember to go back to your website or location to purchase items. While, the pens, stress relief balls, rulers, erasers, calculators, pen lights are nice; they really are boring.

Talk to your employees, get their feedback. Ask them what they think of when thinking of your business. This can be a little risky but honestly, I have received my best ideas from fellow employees. They offer a new perspective, a different generational thinking process, that can always be used to your benefit.

The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections

The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections, education and work experience are the pillars of a strong CV, but are you neglecting your 'interests' section? If so, you may be missing a trick. Use this section to give your CV that extra edge, and adhere to these definitive dos and don't!

DO...

Include an interests section! This is a rare opportunity to show your individuality. An intriguing or impressive interest will make your recruiter remember you after a long and laborious session of screening CVs. Employers also want to be assured that you have a work-life balance and won't crack under pressure.

Focus on interests that attest to your suitability. Cite activities that demonstrate qualities such as creativity,
interpersonal skills and teamwork where desirable.

Compensate for weak points elsewhere in your CV. If you lack work experience, have gaps in employment or frequently changed jobs in the past, there may be doubts about your commitment or reliability. Prove your reader wrong by telling them about captaining your local football team for three years, or how you've worked hard to master a new language.

Show a different side of you. While other sections of your CV should focus firmly on fitting a person specification typical of your role without distracting the reader, here you are free to paint a more diverse picture. So if you're a data analyst who is also multilingual and knows how to code, let the reader know here.

Research your audience. Be resourceful and identify what your interviewer or prospective employer likes to do (Google is your friend here). Common interests can be used to strike a chord. Does the organisation go on regular away days? Find out what they get up to and list any leisure activities that make you compatible. Particularly amongst creative start-ups, there is often a company culture that you will be expected to engage with - inside and outside of work - so be sure demonstrate your social side.

DON'T...

Bore your reader. This is not just another perfunctory list to bulk up your CV - rather, it is an opportunity to entice your audience. Simply naming interests without elaborating will only make you more anonymous. No extra points for feigning an interest in everything and anything.

Court controversy. If in doubt, play it safe. You may be proud of your family history of fox-hunting, but how will the vegan recruiter in HR react? This also works in the opposite direction - you might be passionate about a particular cause or movement and that is admirable, but beware of isolating those who don't share your view. Mention politics at your peril!

Disclose anything you're not comfortable with. You may prefer to keep your work and personal life separate, with good reason. It's your call. So if you have an alter ego in a rock band and mention this in your application, don't get upset when you're expected to sing a tune at the Christmas party. Explain truly condition.

Perfect Restaurant Business Plan

Perfect restaurant business plan for some time, maybe this article will help you to find the plan that will really work for you. There are virtually uncountable sites on this particular subject and dozens more are being added daily. So the choices are abound but do you know what a business plan can do for you in the future and what are the benefits of using a consultancy website who can devise you plans regarding your restaurant business? We will try to shed some light on these questions in this article.

The Restaurant Business Plan to Take Your Endeavor to New Dizzying Heights

Ever wondered why there is a need to use the services of consultants for a plan in the first place? Or specifically for a restaurant business plan? You may have asked this question before to yourself too, but this is a very serious time to reconsider this issue as this can make or break your new or established business. 

When you are trying to put up a small business, producing a business proposal is one of the primary tasks you want to do. Because without submitting the details of your proposed venture, no investor would be able to give a green light to your business. And that too have to be in a proper documented form with the relevant details about financial, sales and marketing plans for your restaurant, to name a few.

The restaurant business plan can be fundamental to your success in establishing a new business or expanding a current one. In both cases, if you are starting without a detailed plan you are seriously risking all your investment and the efforts to put up a restaurant. So it is high time that you think about getting a plan for your restaurant business from a reputed and credible source.

How to go about in Finding a Credible Restaurant Business Plan Consultancy Service

Actually writing the plan for the restaurant yourself can be quite a challenge and will slow your actual work of starting the business itself. You will ultimately lose the focus on any one of the aspects and end up wondering what went wrong. Having said that, a good sound strategy is very critical if you wish your future endeavor to be successful and profitable. There are lots of consultancy services available who offer their services for start businesses and established ones too, who are in dire need of a plan so that they can actually get going with their business.

Make sure that the consultancy service that you will chose can give you sample plans that they have previously composed for other businesses. You can judge their expertise in this field. Furthermore, talk to a consultant to be familiar with the company and its working.

Restaurant Business Plan Help is a leading service facilitating our clients from all over the world regarding a restaurant business plan.

Most Important Assets To A Company

The business compete with other firms you have to find a way to beat them in terms of cost and productivity. The easiest way to sustain your own business while beating others is to take a look at all the assets and money you are spending and see how you can lower them while increasing their performance.

Workers

These are the most expensive investments that you will make. When you are going to hire employees you want to find a way to make sure that they are productive and working how you want to them to be. Always keep tabs on what they are doing and you can include in the contract to have regular checkups to make sure they are being productive and not slacking around.

In the situation that you have many employees then you would have to have a system to manage their performance. You can give your employees bonus money if they perform well. Another thing that occurs a lot is a specific mark that they have to meet each week or month. This usually happens in markets where they are trying to sell a product or service. Therefore this might not be the best method to implement for everyone.

If you have a large computer system you can also add in monitoring systems on the computer and see what your workers are doing at all times. Different software are also good at increasing performance by integrating systems and machines together to help them

Investments in Technology

These kinds of investments tend to have a high first time investment and then smaller investments for upgrades and such things later on. If you are in an office the investments will be with computers, software, printers, faxing machines and others. Once you get these you can usually use them for long periods of time. Support and maintenance usually will cost a small fraction of the original purchasing price.

Furniture Investment

Every company needs chairs, tables, closets and even cubicles. The majority of people need these to have a proper working environment. Furnishing your company is an expensive task, however once you do so, the furniture can last many years without having to replace them.

Out of the three that we have discussed in this article, workers take up the most value in terms of expenditures in assets.

How To Start And End a Speech William

Confidence and quality speeches is dependent the two most important parts of our speech are the start and the finish. But most of us spend a lot more time concentrating on how to kick-off our speech rather than how to end it. Too often speeches have good beginnings and fizzling endings.

That's a mistake because the end of our speech is our chance to give audience members something to walk away with. The start of our speech is important to establishing rhythm for us and credibility for our audience. The end of our speech is our explanation point.

One of the people who offered words of wisdom about how to properly end a speech is the great William Penn, a man who gave innumerable speeches during his lifetime. If you're like most Americans, William Penn is probably a name you remember from school but would be hard-pressed to explain the role he played in our nation's history. This is not usual for a nation rich in important historical characters.

For the record, Penn was a real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, early Quaker and founder of the province of Pennsylvania, which became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The democratic principles that he set forth served as an inspiration for the U.S. Constitution. He walked among us from 1644 to 1718.

Here's what William Penn had to say about ending a speech in a manner that accomplishes its intent: "Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly, for the end of a speech is not ostentation but to be understood.

In other words, don't try to be showy or flowery. Don't get abstract or overly metaphorical. Don't be given to romanticized soliloquies. Instead, focus on directness and clarity. People respond far better to directness and clarity at this stage. Get too flowery or metaphorical and our message is likely to be misinterpreted or watered down.

So we should carefully consider our parting message. What's appropriate? What will actually penetrate? We might want to:

* Reiterate our key message, the one we started with and reinforced along the way.

* Echo something we said at the start of the speech, so come full circle and give our audience a sense of   completeness.

*This gives our comments a holistic feel.

* Present a call to action, if we're asking or expecting audience members to act on what we have said. If we don't make the request or challenge, we don't get the desired action.

* Contribute money to a cause they can get behind, based on the information we have imparted.

* Change their behavior in ways that benefit them.

In any case, we give speeches for a reason, and that is to influence others in some manner, shape or form - whether to educate, entertain, motivate, manage or chastise. The end of the speech is our final opportunity to put our stake in the ground and drives audiences to action.

William Penn's advice is sound and practical. Simply put, it is to articulate our closing thoughts with directness and unmistakable clarity.

Public Relations As a Management Tools

Public relations (PR) and use the effective tools as a communications process is not advertising in the sense that a product is being promoted. Rather, PR is a process of promoting and managing an individuals or an organization's image and reputation as perceived by the public. The management of the image is a matter of persuasion by an admittedly bias technique, but the bias should not represent any aspect of the individual or organization that is not true.

The effort of PR is intended to persuade the public using the media to establish and reinforce reputation, raise the public awareness of the subject, enhance perception of integrity, and motivate action. The most important factors in public relations in the accomplishment of these efforts is to be relevant to the public mindset while trying to persuade particular point of view and to do so with verifiable substance of information.

To succeed in these efforts, PR uses a number of tools to communicate an individuals or an organization's image and reputation to the public, but there are two primary requirements for successful PR: it must be relevant and it must be timely if it is going to reach the public and persuade individuals to action.

Relevance goes to where people live. It must affect and persuade individuals in a very local and personal way to motivate them to action. If your message attempts to persuade a public perception that they must invest in precious metals, but the individuals reached are poverty-stricken, the suggestion will be ignored as irrelevant to their condition. First, they must be persuaded in the tools to lift themselves out of poverty to a condition of disposable income, then persuade how best to use it.

Timeliness is necessary to encourage immediate action. A promotion to attend a local rally of a political candidate in six months might be a good general story, but it is neither timely nor relevant to the immediate concerns of the public.

There are eight basic tools of public relations:

Press release: an announcement of immediate, timely and relevant information released to the media to inform and educate about issues relevant to that community.

Background: historic information to educate the public about the individual or organization origin and purpose.

Special events: shows, conferences and conventions to communicate current product, policy or purpose.

Point of view (POV) articles: organizational perspective on issues affecting public opinion.

Speeches: personification of issues; relevance and timeliness personified individual to individual.

Photos and videos: a visual record of special events and speeches to communicate to a wider audience than when originally presented.

Print content: brochures, manuals and newsletters to put hard content in the hands of the public for confirmation and background on what is verbally and visually presented.

Internet content: websites, blogs and social media in an effort to combine all the above tools to reach the widest possible audience.

By effective use of these tools using relevant and timely content.

Different Types Of Washroom Services

High level of hygiene in public washrooms, it is crucial to take on the assistance of a reputable company offering washroom services for your business organization. The professionals delivering the washroom equipment and services ensure a safe and hygienic environment for your employees and clients using the washroom. Here are some essential services to look out for while taking on a professional provider.

Hand Cleaning Facilities

A wall-mounted hand cleaning arrangement is a necessity in any washroom. This is essentially a detergent dispensing device. You can choose from automated systems that provide fluid, gel or froth type detergent. These hand-washing solutions provide a great comfort to your employees and clients.

The arrangement incorporates reloading facility as and when required.

Hand Driers

Automatic hand driers are a good option if you want to reduce tissue paper waste in your washroom.

Sanitary Disposal Units

Sanitary disposal bins are vital for a female washroom. They provide a cost-effective, discreet and hygienic solution for woman employees and clients at your organisation.

Automatic Air Fresheners

You may install an air freshener system to keep your washroom free from disagreeable odours at all times. The device is programmable and fully automated. You can choose from a variety of fragrances.

Cistern and Toilet Sanitizers

These units installed inside your cisterns dispense a quantity of a sanitizing fluid with every flush. The solution keeps the toilet bowls clean. In addition, regular flushing with the solution prevents the build up of deposits in the drainpipes.

The sanitizing fluid has a pleasant fragrance, which dispels unpleasant odours in the washroom.

Toilet Paper Rolls

Toilet paper rolls are perhaps the most important units in a washroom. You can choose from a wide assortment of toilet paper types.

Most toilet paper is available as one or two ply. A 2-ply sheet is about 20% less thick than two sheets of one ply toilet paper. There are luxury or quilted toilet paper rolls, which are considerably more expensive that the regular varieties.

A sheet type of toilet paper is an interleaved toilet paper. A second sheet is automatically available when you pull out a sheet.

There are recycled toilet paper rolls for the environmentally conscious business owner. Made from office grade recycled paper, these toilet rolls offer an essential service for your washroom.

Additional Facilities

Refuse sacks and bin liners are important for any washroom. You must have an abundant supply of these articles for effective waste management.

Cleaning Services for Washrooms

It is essential to keep your washroom clean and hygienic at all times and to maintain the devices installed. The company making available the washroom services take care of this aspect. They deploy professional cleaners for maintaining your washroom.

The skilled cleaners scour all the surfaces to remove any dirt or marks. This eliminates the possibility of microbe build up in the washroom. The professionals sanitize the equipment installed and check maintenance issues.

Plumbing professionals from the service check the pipes and cisterns for blockages.

Clean and hygienic washrooms are essential for creating a healthy work environment for your employees and making a positive impression on your business clients.