IT Managers Good Job With Your Management

IT managers would blindly follow what their management told them to do, but if there were, then those days are now long gone. We live in an age where everyone, including IT managers, question everything that they are told to do. Given this, how are you as an IT manager supposed to deal with your management?

What Kind Of Loyalty Is The Company Looking For From You?

The fact that your company promoted you into an IT manger position means that they trust you to implement the company decisions and policies. This is great news, but what does it really mean?

I guess there is one important point that we should discuss here: let us assume that your management is not completely evil. If they were, then just about anything that they would ask you to do would go against who you are and what you believe. Let us assume that you are working for some good people who are working at a good company. What this means is that you really do want to do a good job for them.

What this means is that you are going to have to show them some loyalty. This means that as a member of the company's management team you are going to have to implement the company's policies and your management's decisions. Note that this is not blind loyalty, but rather a "thinking man's loyalty".

Providing Good Input

Being an effective IT manager is all about having the right information with which to do your job. Your management is now going to be asking you to provide input on issues related to your areas of responsibility.

There is something that is very important that you do when your input is requested. You need to make sure that your input is as broadly based as possible Don't allow yourself to provide narrow ideas that will only benefit you or your team. If you do this, then very quickly everyone will come to view you as being self-serving and will stop asking you for your inputs.

If you can provide inputs that relate to ways that the entire company can become better, then your input will start to be sought out. The value of your inputs will be realized. People will understand that your inputs go beyond your team and can help the complete company.

What All Of This Means For You

Becoming an IT manager means that you are now a part of the company's

management team. This means that you need to start to implement your company's polices and your management's decisions.

What this means is that when you are asked to provide your input to your management you need to make sure that your inputs are bigger than just your team. Provide your thoughts on how the company can be made better. By doing this, you will soon be seen as a source of valuable information that the company can use instead of just being an IT manager who is only looking out for themselves and their team.

IT managers can spend a lot of time working on how to set up effective communication channels with the members of their teams. However, it turns out that they have another task that is just as important: effectively communicating with their management. Provide your management with good input and you will be seen as a valuable member of the company's management team!

About International Road and Rail Transport

You are planning to launch or already are a part of a company that needs to periodically deliver different goods and products to other countries or even if it's a just one time thing, you are probably facing an important question: "Which kind of transport should I choose?".

When it comes to international transport, there are a lot of options to choose from, such as air freight, ocean freight road or rail transport. This is why it is so important to determine which is the most efficient method of transportation to suit the needs of your business. In this particular article, we are going to talk about international road and rail transport and we are going to make a short comparison between these two and between each of them and other means of international transportation.

When considering speed and reliability, rail and road transportation are surpassed by air freight, but shipping your packages using train or truck transportation can be the right choice if you don't rely on extremely fast deliveries and you can work with a longer transit line, especially since this option can be a lot cheaper.

International road transport is widely used today, due to the fact that it is quite flexible, being able to reach virtually anywhere and can provide "door-to-door service". Another advantage is the fact that it can be cheaper than other means of transportation, but only for shorter distances, meaning that doesn't apply for you.
 

The final advantage we are going to talk about is the fact that a truck cargo is extremely easy to load and unload, which makes the process faster than in the case of a train. The main two disadvantages of truck transportation are the fact that is can be affected by weather condition and the negative effect they have on the environment. Studies show that trucks generate five times more greenhouse gas emissions than other means of transportation. From this point of view, rail transportation can be more efficient, since trains take in one gallon of fuel to transport one ton of freight for about 484 miles and aren't as damaging to the environment.

International road transport. However, it also can be cheaper when talking about small-sized shipments, no matter the distance, so if you have to send small packages, choosing to send them by truck could be the right decision for you.

Another advantage of rail transport and reason for which it is expected for the rail transport to flourish in the following years is the fact that it's inexpensive and can be used to transport almost anything. Another important factor is the fact that trains ensure a more secure transit, with less accidents and higher reliability than trucks.

Now that we have reached the end of our short comparison between road and rail transport, it is up to you to choose the means of transportation that will better fit the needs of your company and bring you the results you desire. If you are still having difficulties with package shipping, we recommend tapping the services of a logistics company.

Three Signs of Toxic Leadership

I've had bosses that have hit on me. Others that have told me all about their sex lives - in excruciating detail - while I desperately try not to: (a) laugh, (b) shudder, (c) check my Facebook page in embarrassment.

Or there was the Emotionally Needy Boss, who was mostly upset that we weren't best friends or drinking buddies. I had to constantly validate that he was doing a good fantastic job (yes, that meeting was amazing! It was the cream of the crop of all meetings of all time!). Talk about draining.

But the worst has been the Robot. To call in sick more than a couple of times was to be threatened with termination. She relished the chance to publicly berate employees for minor faults. She was the poster-child for toxic leadership.

Why? People lived in constant fear of making a mistake (she didn't tolerate lateness, distractions, talking, or complaints). Ideas were shut-down almost immediately. The workplace stifled creativity, or originality.

I once got a text message saying, quite simply, that so-and-so had been fired. The subtext: we better watch-out! 

 

Needless to say: turnover was frequent and job satisfaction was very low.

Three Signs of Toxic Leadership

1. It's all about the power: bullying, and public humiliation seem to be the primary way of interacting with and "leading" subordinates.

The Robot boss was quick to anger, and was showed no restraint in criticising employees in front others.

2. Selfishness: they're often very self-focused, inconsiderate of others, and striving for more for themselves. In fact, they could be good-old-fashioned narcissists.

The Robot boss did not understand that people could be sick, or could have cars break-down, or children fall ill. Instead of responding with empathy, she would list the inconveniences to herself and threaten to fire - she made people feel beneath her, and replaceable.

3. They're destructive: according to research, they can foster a negative image of the organization, especially among employees, and are possibly contributing to higher turnover, negative culture, and job dissatisfaction.

Under the Robot boss, staff turnover was frequent, and staff were both uncooperative and became equally as petty in their behavior as their toxic boss. They would count work done in minutes, and consider any minor activity done outside of work hours as billable.They would act selfishly: wasting clients time, and focus on the advantage that they could gain in coworker relationships. 

Finance Your Franchise Business Plan And Your Peers Loan

Business establish and funding your franchise business is no easy task regardless if you are just starting out or looking to grow an existing business.

Banks and other traditional lenders - while they do like franchise businesses for several reasons like proven track records, experience and huge brand recognition - are still not jumping up and down to fund these organizations. And, it might not be due to the franchise industry itself but more to do with the financial markets in general and lenders just not wanting to take any risks at all.

Even the SBA - a huge backer of franchise businesses - are at the mercy of banks and other preferred lenders when it comes to funding (or not funding) franchisees.

So, where does a current or potential franchise business owner turn to start or grow their business?

Look To Your Peers

Peer-to-peer lending - organically started in the United Kingdom (UK) - is more about helping individuals get low cost, non-bank loans from people just like you. Peer-to-peer lending works like this. Savers (those with additional money that they want to invest in ways that provide them some type of return on those funds - more than banks are currently giving) will sign up on a platform to look for other individuals that are seeking loans for personal needs - like consolidating debt, taking a vacation, fixing a vehicle or covering emergency needs.

The person wanting a loan also signs on to the platform, gets to tell his or her story and, after being scored by the platform, gets many different savers (individual lenders) to fund their request.

It is faster, cheaper and with a lot less hassle then a bank or other traditional lenders - if those sources would even approve your loan request that is. And, these platforms look beyond credit scores when making decisions.

So, what does this do for businesses or franchises as these peer-to-peer loans are for personal needs?

Peer Loans For Franchises 

Again, started in the UK but now in North America, a company decided that they wanted to take the peer-to-peer lending industry to the business world. Thus, this company, Funding Circle, created a business loan peer-to-peer platform for both conventional businesses and franchises.

The platform offers franchise loans from $25,000 up to $500,000 - to be used to start or grow your business. These loans offer rates from 9.99% to 20.99% and can come with terms of three to five years.

Not bad for a business loan - try to get that from your bank!

From the platform;

"Full application takes less than 10 minutes and applicants receive pre-approval confirmation within 48 hours and the money in their account within 5-14 days of submitting the application."

And, according to their website, the company has put out over $525 million in small business loans worldwide.

Lastly, Funding Circle is not alone. Lending Club, a U.S. based peer-to-peer lender is also offering true business loans up to $100,000 for one to five years at rates starting as low as 5.9%.

    "We cut the cost and complexities of traditional bank loans and pass the savings on to borrowers with easy online applications, low fixed rates, fixed monthly payments, flexible terms, no prepayment penalties, no hidden fees and friendly service."

 

And, again, since these business loans do not come from banks or other traditional lenders, they come with less hassle for approval and much less red tape.

Why Do These Loans Matter To Franchise Businesses?

Normally, we do not promote specific businesses. However, these companies are pioneering new ways in which to fund businesses and franchises - trying to do what they can to fill the funding gaps left open by banks and similar business lenders.

They are by-passing traditional underwriting methods and standards (whom many say no longer work in this new economy) and finding ways to say 'yes'. And, through these peer-to-peer platforms, they are essentially taking the middle-man out (the problem to some) and letting those with money provide those funds directly to franchise owners who need it.

Image the shoe on the other foot. A well known franchise - one that you might frequent often - is asking for a loan and is willing to provide a fixed rate of interest in return. You have some additional money and help fund that loan knowing full well how good that business or franchise chain is. Not only do you help support a company you know well but you earn a fair return on your money (more then you would from keeping your money in a bank). This is a win/win situation.

Now, back to your franchise. Yes, you can apply and hope that a credit committee of a traditional lender approves your request (more likely they will drag it out for months and hope that you just go away) or you can use one of these new, peer based lending system, that puts your request in front of hundreds if not thousands of individuals who not only like and know your brand but have the money collectively to get you the loan your business needs.

Four Techniques To Diffuse An Angry Customer

If you are involving in the customer service industry, or are in any client-facing role for that matter, chances are sooner or later you will have to deal with an irate client. I know I have dealt with my fair share in days gone by. I worked for a large derivatives broker at the height of the global financial crisis. My typical day was spent dealing with people who had lost large sums of money as a result of their trading. It was both a sad time, and a time for reflection on how I dealt with these clients on a daily basis.

As hard as it may be to fathom, I even faced multiple death-threats. Not due to any antagonizing on my behalf, but quite simply that the person on the end of the phone had lost money, and they were determined to let whoever answered the phone know about it. One of my colleagues at the time even had a Doctor of all people ring in solely to wish her cancer for Christmas. He was a charming gentleman.

Amongst the abuse I faced often, I was able to pinpoint key techniques that I will share that may assist you or your staff in handling frustrated people in your business.

1) Listen to them

I'm sure that is the last thing you wish to do when faced with someone abusing you, but listening to their outrage shows that you care enough to listen. If they sense that you are trying to offer a solution, then they may simmer down a little. Perhaps they may even realize how daft their rantings are, and take a different, more amicable approach.

2) Remain calm

If it is in your nature to argue with people, whether that is a spouse, associate, or a customer, chances are this will go against your nature. It is vitally important that you remain as calm as possible, and not emulate their volume or tone of voice. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, it is very unprofessional to yell in a work environment. Secondly, reflecting the aggressors volume, or tone will continue to antagonise the situation. They will remain angry, and the matter could escalate. Always remain calm, and speak in a soft tone where possible.

3) Empathize with their predicament

This can be a tough one when you are trying to meet the needs of the company, and also diffuse the client. Sometimes, simply relating the key points back to them shows that at the very least you were listening to them.

 4) Offer a solution

There will of course be times when there is no solution, and you will have to deliver that news to the client. Other times, there may be a middle-ground to work towards. If there is a solution, let them know that you are working towards one with them. If you are unsure of whether something can be done or not, it is appropriate at this point to simply say; "Let me get back to you on that." Alternatively if it is phone based; "Do you mind if I put you on hold while I find out the answer to that?"

Finding an amicable outcome for both the client and the company can be a balancing act. Using these techniques will help resolve issues should they arise. On a final note, don't take it too personally.  

Important Is The Render Aesthetic Sense

The clients confidence and approval through his eyes. Well, if I am to be asked eyes make the best of the decisions. Once an object or project, considering the blog context, comes in the contact of your eye you end up forming an opinion about it, right? Well a fully rendered architectural building project makes its own place in the customers' brain via his eyes. Nothing remains unknown about the yet to be constructed structure. This wholeheartedly acceptance of an imaginary building becomes possible only due to the creativity involved in the rendering process.

There are no defined parameters of creativity. It all depends upon the thought process and imagination of the rendered that successfully penetrates the idea of a beautiful structure in the minds of the clients. It's all his or her caliber that creates exceptionally beautiful rendered images and models meant to appeal natural or real to the clients or to anyone who looks at them.

Architectural rendering can be created for both the interior and exterior parts of the building. That means renders' knowledge of how a building should look in real life is not restricted to any specific parts of the structure but the entire building. In other words he should be firm and conversant with the modern interior or exterior decorating techniques. The lack of the understanding of the decorating skills of the rendered can have adverse affect on the sales of the project.

There are huge chances of its being a disaster or failure if it falls short of expressiveness. That means if the rendered model doesn't look original or photo realistic and lacks creativity, the purpose is not fulfilled.

While doing the interior rendering of a building a rendered should be fully aware or wise enough to choose what to add in the room and what to leave. He shouldn't be giving any chance to the clients to raise doubts on his taste. In interior architectural rendering the images of interiors should look like the original photos taken form an existing building.

That is achieved by creating original looking elements in the room such as the room colors should be defined or added according to the rest of the objects present in the room or time of the day. That means the lighting effects are also very crucial. Other things those should be given prominence are shadow effects, object creation such as paintings hanging on the walls, photo frame kept on the side table and a single stool kept on one of the corners of the room etc.

Exterior rendering should also imitate photo realistic visuals or images. The major concentration in exterior rendering is given on the natural elements such as creating flower pots in the lawn, creating a turf in the exteriors, along with right lighting effects and an expressive sky etc.

So when a client is presented with such an image or video they get mesmerized by it. This only happens with the hard work and creativity of the rendered.

You Are Stuck In A Career Rut

Career with the hope of finding job stability and over time, make that job or series of jobs into a career. Sometimes people know the details of their career as it progresses, while others try to figure it out as they go along. Whether or not a specific plan has been developed, it is possible for a lull to occur where it seems progress is no longer being made. The challenge for a lull period is how a person handles it or addresses the emotions that likely will accompany it. A brief period of feeling stagnant that you overcome by establishing new goals may only feel like a bump in the road. But if a feeling of frustration about your job or career has developed, and it has been sustained long enough that you are consciously aware of it, this may be a time when you have become stuck in a career rut.

What Do You Want from Your Career?

One of the most effective starting points to work from to deconstruct what you are presently feeling about your job or situation is to decide what you want to do with your career. This doesn't mean you need to know the specifics but it is a time to determine what your expectations are or should be. For example, do you want to eventually lead your organization or build your own business? The point is to help you better understand the lull period. It could either mean you know where you want to be and you are not making progress, or you don't have any specified plans and that by itself can lead to an awareness that you aren't making significant steps forward in your career. It is possible to work through either scenario and it all starts by examining your current job.

Self-Assess Your Job

Begin by trying to remember why you accepted this current job. There was something that prompted you to accept this position, even if you took it just for the income. This will serve as a starting point for your self-assessment. As you continue to reflect upon why you began you can then ascertain if there were any expectations you held about the future of that job. Then consider how your time in this position has evolved. Did it live up to your expectations? You will likely recall both positive and negative events, if applicable, but the idea is to determine what you have gained from this job and pinpoint the time when you felt frustrated or that you were no longer making progress. This is an important step because you will either realize that there was a triggering event or you will find that nothing has changed and what is at the heart of what you are feeling. This allows you to begin changing your focus or your purpose for that job.

Are You On Track Now?

If you have followed the process outlined, by this point you should have a better understanding of your present job and how it has progressed over time. You also have an idea about the purpose of your career. However, if you don't yet have career goals, that needs to be your first priority. Don't be concerned about looking too far ahead and if you are in a job just because you need that income - that still serves as a purpose for going to work. But now the next step is to see where your job fits into your career. Take into account the career goals you have established and where this job places you within that timeline. This can help you see the value in the work you are doing now and it will help you discover that every job has a
purpose. This current job may not be the best match for your career but it is helping you to redefine and/or use some of your skill sets.

Warning Signs to Watch For

1. More of the Same: If you have been in the same job performing the same tasks and not progressing, then it is very likely you may be stuck. The question is whether or not it is done by choice. Are you seeking out other tasks or opportunities, or are there none available? Have you talked to your supervisor or manager about doing more? It does not always have to involve taking on more job tasks. For example, perhaps you could lead a project or meeting. The point is to be proactive and get out of this rut.
 

2. Living in Fear: Are you living in fear of making a change? Fear can be a powerful De-motivator and create negative feelings that lessens your self-confidence. It can stop you from taking advantage of opportunities primarily because you eventually stopped looking. It may take some practice but you can learn to work with it - if you take an objective rather than emotional position. Don't try to figure it out either as you may never know what first sparked your fear, and your search you may actually cause you to become even more frustrated.

3. You've Stopped Learning: Are you no longer interested in professional development? That is another reason why you can become stuck, you've stopped doing something that can provide value for your career. The purpose of ongoing professional development is not to please anyone else, rather it is meant as a means of bolstering your resume as you acquire and/or further develop your knowledge base and skill sets. It can also provide you with networking opportunities as you connect with others.
 

4. You Experience Stress: Are you experiencing prolonged stress, anxiety, or apprehension? If so, any of the signs can be an indicator you are not moving forward in your career. It is possible that many jobs are of a stressful nature; however, if you are highly motivated and enjoying your job you would have a better ability to manage the potential for stress. The point is to recognize stress as an indicator and develop plan to address it.
 

5. Work Is No Longer Enjoyable: Do you no longer enjoy going to work or performing any aspect of your job? There are many reasons why you might feel this way and one is an indicator of your dislike and/or dis-engagement from the job. This does not mean you have to feel elation every workday but if the job was actively causing you to feel fulfilled - you would be more likely to enjoy it. When work is no longer enjoyable it is time to set new goals.

Take Control of Your Career

One of the most difficult lessons to learn about a job is that regardless of circumstances, you always have some measure of control and you can decide how you feel, how you will respond to conditions, and the performance you put into your job. You also have control of your career. While you may not find an abundance of new opportunities, you can be proactive and develop your career profile - and that includes the affiliations you belong to, the networking channels you create, the ongoing professional development you complete, and the skills you develop.

 

As you learn to be proactive you create a sense of self-empowerment so that when you do reach a lull in your job you understand the temporary nature of it, and you use it to prompt a time of self-analysis. You can be focused on the moment of feeling stuck or you can stay on track with your career goals and make strategic changes at the right moment. And if you feel stress or fear, or any other negative response, then you must address it and not hope that it will just go away on its own. Over time you are likely to find that the more you observe and address the warning signs.

Your Workplace With Home Office Furniture

You are setting aside space within your home, such as a garage or the basement or even an attic, you need to ensure that the environment and the overall vibe of the place if different from your home so that you can mentally prepare yourself to work and feel like you are in a productive environment as opposed to the safety of your home. Home office furniture can certainly help you achieve that quite easily.

Here are some interesting ideas that can help you use your home office furniture in a way that makes your workplace look creative and aesthetically pleasing:

Use a Large Bookcase to Break Some Space Up

Nothing brings together a room the way a bookcase does. When you are decorating your home office, you can use a large bookcase to split some space or create a separate area within the entire place without having to add something that is aesthetically displeasing. This works especially well if you want to create a cubicle for yourself without having to spend on construction to add separate glass walls to make a room.

Use Key Pieces to Create Different Zones Within the Working Area 

You don't always have to go down the traditional route of setting up low walled office cubicles in your workplace for employees to work at. If you ever plan to rent out a different space for your office once your company expands, you should be able to use the space in your home for something else, which is why permanent fixtures are a no-no.

One of the best ways to demarcate space is to use floating shelves on the walls along with desks and chairs in order to create space for employees. This way, each employee gets a desk and chair along with a set of shelves that not only marks their space, but also gives them an area in which to store their files or personal belongings easily. 

Use Your Corners Effectively and You'll Never Need to Construct Separate Executive Spaces

By using not only a chair and desk, but also strategically placed cabinet or modular shelves, you can create a separate space for the executives that will effectively act as a private office or cubicle for them. This way, you can give them as much privacy as they need without having to add permanent fixtures to your home that can't come off later without your having to incur additional expenses for no reason.

You Can Also Use Colors to Differentiate Between Zones Allocated to Different Teams 

Colors are a great visual tool when it comes to creating zones for different teams. They are also a great way to add some aesthetic appeal to your office, provided you don't go overboard with the kinds of colors or textures you end up using. This can be done subtly, for instance, with different colored chairs. Your art team can have a certain color while your copy writing team can have another one.

Use Your Walls Because They Can Give You All the Extra Space You Need

There's not need to cramp up your workspace with a plethora of filing cabinets and chests of drawers. If you have empty walls, you should use floating shelves by building them upwards and then store all your files and necessary documents on them. Not only do they give your employees a good place to store whatever they need, they also add so much to the overall aesthetics and give your employees enough space to move around with the workplace without things getting cramped.

Using MICR Toner For Printing Checks

Businesses have discovered that it's far more convenient and less expensive to print their own business checks. In order to be processed by a bank or financial institution, however, the checks' routing numbers and the company's bank account must be printed using MICR toner. This toner is magnetically enhanced and must be used to print authentic checks. Only a certain area of the printed check must be printed with MICR ink. Checks must also feature the font designated by the Federal Reserve for routing and account information to be valid.

Buying and Using MICR Toner

MICR toner can be purchased from online stores or other venues that specialize in selling printers and this type of toner. Many businesses that print their own checks designate a single printer loaded with MICR ink for check printing. Otherwise, a business wastes this specialized toner if they print items other than checks. Of course, the cartridge can simply be switched when checks need to be printed. It's essential to use MICR ink as checks will not be valid without it and is "a way to help prevent fraudulent alteration of documents" (Source: TROY Group). Banks will not process checks without MICR ink and they may even charge a fee for having to reject invalid checks.

The Benefits of Printing Your Own Checks

Many businesses find it convenient to print their own checks. They can print the amounts of checks they need as soon as they need them. They can also save money on printing costs by printing their own check stock. In addition, businesses like to print their own checks so they can customize them with their logo. So long as the check conforms to legal requirements (i.e. MICR toner), it can be processed by banks.

More Information about MICR Toner

MICR toner can be applied to plain white check stock or colored checks. It will also work on check paper enhanced with security features like watermarks. MICR ink works with a wide array of laser printers including popular models from brands like HP, Lexmark, Ricoh, and Canon (1). Because this toner is easy to procure and easy to use, many businesses make it a rule of thumb to keep it on hand for check printing. For businesses that use a lot of checks, this is an economical route to go. Even if you don't need to print checks in bulk, "you can swap the regular toner cartridge in a printer that produces regular office output with the specialized cartridge that contains magnetic toner to imprint small batches of checks when you need them" (2).

Some businesses have opted to choose MICR ink with secure features. For instance, if someone tries to alter the routing number or account chemically, the printed check toner changes to red. Check fraud continues to be a significant problem faced by financial institutions and businesses. Security features like this help to decrease the potential for fraud. 

Obtaining and using MICR ink is easy and convenient. Many businesses find that printing their own checks is the only way to go. They can avoid waiting weeks for needed checks to be printed and can securely print and design their own checks for use. If you have additional questions about using MICR toner, your toner vendor will be able to discuss your questions and concerns in depth.

Acting On Stimuli For Trauma

Harmless enough phone calls - even a pleasant transactional 20-second interaction - can evoke a fear response if we are sensitive to our own complexities for previous trauma. Receiving a business call from a friend and mentor came to remind me of the power of a relatively recent punitive experience, where some few years ago now I was more than casually affected by a passive aggressive manager (in the secular work environment).

The particular manager was always hard to read and difficult to get to know. He was distant and always seemed to communicate the harder truths by email. He isolated me and gave me work that was unimportant. 

He never expressed empathy that I was able to see. I grew depressed by the situation, though it took me eighteen months to finally realize why I was regularly sad, fearful and irritable. Amazingly, it was the very same day that I finally acknowledged this manager's effect on me - and my unhealthy responses to his management style - my wife was thinking the same thing ("My husband needs help."). I sought help and the rest is history.

One of the side effects of being bullied is we get ingrained in a pattern of trauma - our brains begin to detect we are in danger and the flight, fight and freeze responses are regularly enabled ready for action or inaction.

These patterns of learned behavior tend to stick, and then we cannot help but revisit them - even unconsciously.

During this above mentioned phone call it was suggested that a change to the plan for a business meeting take place - that another party be added. The change to the plan, I believed, at least initially, was a positive change that worked in my and our favor. But within seconds I could detect resistance - "what if it's a trick?" - within me. The logical part of me, thankfully, was one-hundred-and-ten percent trusting and, seconds later, I was able to acknowledge the fear response for what it was.

The fear response is a learned response.

The fear response, however, is not always identified. Sadly, we can find ourselves reacting in fear, when the better response would be to check the thought with a logical plumb line.

But that assumes the thought is brought to conscious awareness.

We can only do something with negative and fearful thoughts if they come to our awareness. Most of the time, however, we can be brought to the cusp of a panic attack when our awareness is heightened around an instance of trauma.

Improve Your Web Design and Local Business Marketing

If you do not have a well coded website, get one. Then, use these local search engine optimization tips along with other research because this article alone will not cut it. This article is just a summary to follow, and you should seek out more information on how to increase your Google Page Rank and lower your Alexa Rank.

Tip 1: Create Quality Content With Plenty of Keywords.

Search engines and customers use keywords and phrases to find your website. Make sure you use plenty of the words you would like to be found for in the text of your website. Website designers and owners should create plenty of pages that display all of the content necessary to tell a search engine to show you as an expert for your keywords.

Take the time to look at your competitors' websites and try and have at least as many pages as they do, if not more. One last important tip for local search is to take every opportunity to put your location in your text. This helps for Google Local rankings, and the value of your Alexa ranking means you can charge advertisers higher fees for placing banners on your blog.

Tip 2: Update Content Often With Local Information.

Take every opportunity to add new pages to your site which discuss local topics and events. Search engines will see that you are discussing local events with local keywords and move up your ranking as a local expert. Participate in local events and get your company name on charity and community websites with links back to your websites. These types of links are invaluable and can only be acquired through hard work and giving back to your community.

Tip 3: Use Available Resources - Some Recommendations and Examples Provided

One of the best tools we have found to help promote websites locally is the Google Business Tools suite. This amazing resource center allows website designers and managers analyze, manage, advertise, and invest in a websites online presence.Google has put most of their main business tools together in one location for easy use and understanding.

Check the relevant website design resources out, read about them, and sign up for the ones that apply to you: Google Website Optimizer, Google AdWords, Google Apps, Google Webmaster Tools, Google Base, Google Local Business Center and Amazon's Alexa Internet Business Suite.

Tip 4: Pay Per Click - Monitor Closely and Spend Wisely

If you can set up and optimize your pay per click campaign it can be very successful and sometimes the results are amazing. That being said, we have witnessed many different cases where Pay Per Click advertising has burned through an entire budget in a couple of days. This can happen if you don't take the time to read through the entire process before making your section. Use Local words in your PPC campaign to save money by competing locally instead of globally.Remember, spending money to make money is necessary, but spend wisely.

Tip 5: Local Search Engines: Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, Bing Local

This is an obvious and easy way to increase your local exposure. We have all use Alexa search tool that has given results with a map and indicator dots on related business locations. If you would like to come up for these types of local searches,carefully submit for these specialized location based results. The search engines will often request some sort of verification through call back or traditional mail and pin verification.

Tip 6: Yelp!

Take the time to list yourself on Yelp and register your business. Make sure that you spend the time on these postings that you would for any piece of marketing material for your business. Yelp!, or websites like it, is sometimes the only chance to give an impression you will have with a customer.Be careful. These types of listings are double edged swords. If you don't maintain a high standard of service and quality, this will also be the location that customers will go to vent about their frustrations. These listings will also count as a quality inbound link for search and is useful to increase your search ranking.

Tip 7: Chambers of Commerce

You should become members with at least one local chamber of commerce. This is a great way to establish credibility and become a member of your local business community. Once you have this membership, make sure that your listing on the chamber website is a direct link to your website. Chambers of commerce are considered to be local experts, and their link to you is a valuable one.

Tip 8: City Search

City Search is very similar to Yelp in that it is a popular local search engine. Make sure that you spend some quality time explaining yourself and your business. You should also make sure to check back and monitor your reviews often.

Tip 9: Press Release Services, Face book, and Twitter

Social Media and local publicity can be very important for local results. Make sure to use locations and city information in your profile descriptions. Search engines will look at social media websites, and if you do a good job of mentioning local search words with your search engine keywords, you will begin to see additional results in the social media results sections of search engines. Press releases can be the most important local marketing item a business can employ.

Implemented wisely, a well optimized press release or social media blast can bring you first-page visibility for your keywords very quickly. Sometimes, you can take over more than one spot on the first page of Google. These same items used in their traditional roles of simple media notifications will get you nothing in terms of search results, make sure your marketing and PR companies know what they are doing. It could be hurting you. Your Alexa rank will tumble down and enhance your profile, even as your page rank climbs.

Your Own Online Business The Goals

Thinking about starting your own online business?

Are you on the fence due to all of the mixed information? Let's set the record straight - if you want to start your own online business there's very little downside.

Of course it'll be work. Don't listen to those who tell you that you can build a business without doing any work at all.

And YES you may have to spend some money getting started. Again ignore those people who say that you can start you business without spending any money at all, realistically it isn't going to happen.

But it can be done with very little outlay.

And in most cases the benefits far outreach the potential risk and downside.

So what are the benefits of starting your own online business?

#1 Productivity.

Believe it or not when you work for yourself you're likely going to work much harder than you would for someone else. You also have the ability to set your own hours. This means you can work when you're feeling most motivated and productive.

People generally fall into two categories "Larks" and "Owls".

If you're a Lark, then you're a morning person and you can get up early in the morning and work productively for several hours. Then in the afternoon when your energy lags you can focus on other tasks.

Alternatively, if you're an Owl, then early mornings aren't your thing, but you can work in the afternoons and evenings, and possibly into the small hours of the morning.

The point is, with your own online business, the choice of when and where you work is entirely yours.

#2 Goals.

When you own your own online business the goals you aspire to achieve are your own. You decide what heights you want to reach for. You decide how you're going to achieve your goals and why. You're the boss from the beginning to the end.

Imagine how much more inspiring it is to strive for your own goals rather than someone Else's!

#3 Your own terms.

When you own your own online business you establish the policies and procedures. You choose the business model and the niche. You decide how you're going to market your business and who you're going to market to. In short, you create the business based on your needs, desires and goals.

Of course there are other notable benefits to starting your own online business too. They include but are certainly not limited to:

• Working when and where you want

• Freedom to tend to your family or other outside interests without having to ask for permission from your  boss

• Extra income/no limit to how much you can make

• No glass ceiling

• Spend your days doing something that you love

Sounds great, right?

It is.

Owning your own online business can be extremely rewarding.

Both financially and in terms of personal satisfaction.

The problem is that there is a plethora of conflicting information out there, so it's difficult to decide who to believe and who to trust.

 Then there's the issue of what type of business can I set up?

What knowledge and experience do I have to bring to the table?

Well with the help and guidance of someone who has been there and done it, it's possible for most people to identify a niche that suits them and where there is a market waiting for someone just like you to come along.

Your Sales People With Learning Process Outsourcing

Your sales staff is not delivering its best. And the only reason in sight for this under performance seems to be their lack of communication and selling skills.

In the past, you have tried hard to enhance their communication and selling skills, to make them more customer-oriented, but the results have been far from satisfying.

Have you ever tried learning process outsourcing?
Learning process outsourcing has been around for quite a long time, but still many organizations are yet to take advantage of this.

Put simply, learning process outsourcing involves outsourcing the learning requirements to the third party, which will be responsible for developing and delivering custom made trainings to the employees of its client and thus helping them to be more effective and efficient in whatever roles they have been assigned in the organization.

In outsourcing, it is the supplier (training company) who invests in infrastructure, technology, and provides top-quality service. And thus you do not have to worry about taking out time and resources for conducting all these programs.

Now let's talk about your sales staff. You know they lack some where, and the in-house trainings (which you conducted in the past) were not much of help; in such a scenario, you may like to consider speaking to a training specialist, which has been around for long, and has worked with several organizations in improving their sales performances.

Once the trainers gauge the training needs of your sales staff, they will conduct a series of training programmed to better their sales and communication skills, and thus help them close more deals. The trainers will ensure that the staff at all customer - touch points is able to answer customers' queries and make long lasting relationships with them.

Now think about it: your staff will be motivated, and will perform better; they will also get to know their shortcomings and the best ways to overcome them. They will better understand their jobs and their responsibilities to the organization. Isn't all this fabulous? You just need to partner with a training company that has extensive experience in learning process outsourcing; this is all you need to do. However, you should make sure that you talk to them in detail and let them know in advance as to why you are seeking their services. This will help the training company in offering you customized, smart training solutions.

Learning process outsourcing is a sure-shot way to improve the performance of your sales staff.

How To Selling Product And Idea

You're working on straight commission, or you're a work at home mom... you're in sales. (Yes, seriously)

A lot of people think that being in sales means that you have to knock on doors or make cold calls. And that couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth.

In life, you're either selling or you're buying.

You could be trying to convince your best friend to go to the movies at 7:30 instead of 9:30. And whoever gets the other person to agree is the one who sold it and the other one bought it.

Or you could be at a job interview trying to get a job as a data entry clerk. While you're in that interview, you're selling the hiring manager on why they should pick you over all the other candidates. And even once you're hired, you have to perform well enough on a daily basis and sell your services on a daily basis so they don't fire you.

So, being in sales doesn't always mean that you're trying to get someone to agree to buying a product or service from you.

That being said, I'd like to actually talk about the process of selling any idea, product or service. And this process is done in 5 different steps.

1. Find qualified prospects

You can't sell car insurance to someone who doesn't have a driver's license. You can't sell a family phone plan to someone who isn't married and has no children.

These people simply are not qualified to buy from you.

So the most important thing you could do for yourself to make your selling life easier is actually go after people who are qualified to say "yes". They have to not only be financially capable, but emotionally and intellectually competent to understand what they're buying and keeping.

2. Find out what their specific hot button is

People buy the same things for different reasons, and your job is to find out what that specific reason is.

One person could be buying the service to avoid pain, and the other could be buying to gain pleasure. The service essentially does the same thing, but that thing means different things to different people.

So, your job is to ask great questions to find out the specific reasons why that person wants your product or service instead of trying to push a reason on them.

3. Educate them about their options

The natural progression from finding out why they want your product or service is to explain to them what different options are available to them that could fill that need for them.

For example: If a family has explained to you that they need life insurance, there are different types of life insurance policies that can cover their family. There is Term Life that can cover the family for a certain period of time, and there is Permanent Life that will cover the family indefinitely.

Each product has different features and different costs and so the client needs to be aware of these things so that they can make an educated decision.

4. Find out which 2 options they find more attractive

Following the previous example, let's say your client has expressed to you that they're interested in Term Life insurance.

Well, there are many companies that offer that product and there are many different "terms of time" that they can choose from. So, through a series of probing questions, you have to find out which two are the MOST attractive to them.

This is because most people get overwhelmed and confused from the vast variety of options that are available. And because they are overwhelmed, they usually don't even go through with the purchase because it's "just too much".

5. Ask for a commitment

And finally, once you've explained everything that is available and found out which two options are the most attractive, your job is to confidently ask for a commitment. 

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith... we've gone over your needs and you've told me that you're interested in A, B, and C. And based on the research that I've done for you, we've come to agree that these 2 companies are the best for those features. And you've mentioned to me that you like company 1 over company 2. So, is there any reason that you can think of that we wouldn't go through with this decision today?"

It all comes down to this...

If you actually have a product or service that truly adds value to people's lives... your job is to do everything that you possibly can to make sure that they own that product or service.

Your Resume Is Professionally Produced And Formatted

Do you keep losing out to people that probably aren't as qualified as you? These days it's not so much about who is best suited to the role, it's more about who is best prepared for the interview process. This also includes being ready and able to communicate their value and worth during the interview. This is one of the most critical and yet highly overlooked pieces of job seeking skills.

If you don't have this skill, and one of your competitors does, you could easily lose out, even you are better suited to the job. This is even more likely if their resume is professionally produced and formatted. It is not uncommon for the job hunter to mistakenly assume that the potential employer is easily able to sort the highly
qualified from the less qualified job applicants. When you consider that you will be competing with hundreds, possibly thousands of other job seekers, you will appreciate that your chances of being successful are significantly reduced. Then when you take into account that your potential employer is likely to have a 'screening' process in which the goal is to reject as many applicants as possible before actually looking to see who might be suitable, you are sure to realize that you really do need to do something that makes you stand out.

Less than 5% of job seekers take the time to invest in a professional, high quality resume. Do you think, of all those potentially qualified applicants, if you are the one with the resume that stands out, that your chances of being selected might increase exponentially? 

Once you have been selected to take part in the interview process, then it is up to you to communicate, to the potential employer, that you are not only the best qualified applicant but you are also ready, willing, and able to do the job at the highest level.

Every potential employer will want to see a resume from you and it is the quality of that resume that will determine who gets a job interview. Your resume is tantamount to a sales brochure about you. After having read your resume the potential employer should have a better understanding of who you are and your possible suitability for the advertised role. It serves to get the employer better acquainted with you so that, hopefully, they can decide if they want to get to know you better.

The resume is the first step. It is your introduction to an employer and it is where the employer will get their first impression of you. First impressions really do count! If you make a poor first impression, you'll never get to take part in the job interview process. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make the most of the chance you get.

The best part about developing a high quality professional resume is that all of the hard work has been done for you. Almost every high quality resume will follow the same general formatting, so you don't need to change that part of it. After all, there is absolutely no point in reinventing the wheel. You want a resume that is bold, exciting, and enticing but also a little be conservative. In other words, it needs to stand out but avoid being flashy at the same time. You must show that you are confident of your own abilities, but not sound like you are blowing your own trumpet. It is good to appear eager to do the job, but not so much that you sound desperate. 

There is an extremely fine line that you must walk in order to produce the best possible resume. You want to use intelligent language, however, you don't want to go overboard with hyperbole, or uncommon words or phrases. It is important to use everyday language whenever possible. Obviously, if you are applying for a highly technical position, it will be necessary to use some of the technical terms and specialized lingo that is used in that particular profession. As a general rule of thumb you should keep everything simple and straight to the point.

The word resume comes from the French language and is defined as "use of past participle of resume mar to resume, sum up". Therefore it is the purpose of a resume to summarize your experience, knowledge, skills and accomplishments. In the spirit of summarizing, it is therefore, important that your resume is from 1 to 3 pages long. Don't be tempted to make your resume any longer than this, even if you have a lot to tell, after all you certainly don't want to bore the reader...

Of equal importance is the overall appearance of your resume. The first thing any potential employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it's appearance. There are a number of things you can do to improve on the overall appearance of your resume. Using a higher quality of paper to print your resume on is easily the simplest thing you can do if you are sending a potential employer a printed copy of your resume. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper. The next thing to consider is the quality of the content in the resume. It's very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good so be sure to use a clear and easy to read font.

Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white space" so that important points can appear to pop out. Never, ever, submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using "bullet points." If possible, use larger font, and bold, for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume. It is important that you don't try to be too fancy by using different colors and cute graphics. 

A simple, structured, factual resume is all you need. Last but not least when assessing your resumes appearance is its accuracy. Make sure that you use spell checker and get someone else to proof read your work before you start applying with it. Mistakes will not paint you in a good light. Make sure that the grammar and punctuation is correct. Be sure that all of your columns and margins line up, use the 'Tab' button to do this. Ensure that all of your facts are correct and accurate. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume.