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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Success Planining To Your Business Networking

While you can network wherever there is an opportunity to speak to someone else, for business opportunities in particular, the best advice is to go to where the people you really want to meet will e and go to where the people who know the people you want to meet will be. Remember that time is precious and make each contact with another person you meet cunt. Respect and value your time and theirs.

It's easy to attend Networking Events as networking has become such an important aspect of business that there are a great any to choose from. Whether you want to an informal, formal, social, educational, motivational, trade or profession related event, the opportunities to meet new people are boundless.

Long-term gain comes from cultivating long-term relationships, so joining a formal business group is an essential element of your Referral Business Strategy. Find the group that is right for you and work with your colleagues in the group you join, to achieve mutual benefit and success. Have patience and be happy and prepared to give help first and you will gain help later.

Remember, the general understanding is that 2 out of 3 people you help will in turn help you in the future, not to mention the other people who notice you helping them.

The key is remembering that your time (and theirs) is valuable and therefore needs to be used wisely by focusing on the right opportunities for your and your business. Commercial success comes from good and profitable Business not just Business.

Know with certainty what your objectives are and go to where your target customers and target contacts will be. You can and should also go to where people who can introduce you to your target customers will be.

Remember one connection that you make, follow up and nurture is worth more than a thousand business cards that you gather and never do anything with.

One example of this is that I attended a Breakfast Meeting and met just one new contact on my table who I'll call Rusan. Our business relationship has developed over time and Rusan and I both now understand how we can genuinely help each other. I've helped by introducing people in my network who could be of benefit to Rusan and by keeping her in mind when my other contacts and new people I meet need the service Rusan organization provides.

Less than 12 months after our first meeting, Rusan opened the door for me to meet with and gain approval to supply members of a major buying consortium representing 500 UK business. I knew nothing about the organization prior to the introduction and I certainly would have found it challenging to gain the opportunity to meet with them had Rusan not introduced me to them with her strong personal recommendation. Incidentally, that consortium has now grown to have nearly 700 member and this number is still rising, daily.

The brilliant thing is that Rusan didn't just give me name and telephone number. she personally spoke to the key decision maker in the consortium and opened the door for me to have an appointment.

I had my appointment about a week after Rusan's personal introduction and my company was immediately approved as a new supplier. About 4 days later our details were added to the consortium online network and emailed to all its members and 20 minutes after we were live on the system, we received our first enquiry.

Rusan's personal recommendation and introduction has had and continues to have tremendous positive benefits to my company, particularly as the consortium is growing rapidly week on week. No expensive marketing was involved  in gaining this opportunity, so the return on our mutual investment in time is immense.

Another excellent opportunity to meet people is to attend and sponsor charity and social functions and award dinners as they are great way to make connections in a relaxes, social and friendly environment where easy conversation is the norm.

Key decision makers are often in attendance at these events, so you can make excellent contacts, remembering of course that hey are here to have and enjoyable time and not to be sold to. Selling is off the menu!

Planning and structure

While you can network everywhere you meet people and all networking opportunities can be beneficial, one of the most effective ways to increase the potential benefits of the opportunities your uncover is to plan ahead. This is particularly relevant hen you attend organized seminars, conferences and networking events.

Just turning up at an organized business networking event can sometimes result in a missed opportunity, especially when with just a little effort and preparation, you can achieve some really excellent results.

Where possible, take the time to check out the event before you go along to it. Find out who will be there what is it about, why is it relevant to your target audience and of course, why is it relevant to you. Also think how you can check out the delegate and exhibitor list and even the speakers, beforehand.

To be successful, always remember that you get what you focus on. When you know you want to meet and how many people you want to meet, you remove chance and create opportunity.

For instance, before the event, you might email, call or write to a particular person you want to meet and let them know that you have seen them on the delegate list and would really value an opportunity to say hello. This way you show that you are interested in them, you are professional and you also set up the opportunity to meet when you get there.

Alternatively, if you don't actually know the person or know what they look like, you can ask the event organizers to help by making the introduction.

Either way you create the opportunity to meet them rather than taking a chance o possibly meeting by just turning up

Where to network

You can literally network everywhere and all the time, although there are three main types of networking opportunity when meeting people in person.

Often the value and power of networking with colleagues within your own company or organisation is overlooked, however, this is critical opportunity for building strong relationships and strengthening department and cross department/cross operational bonds.

All the same rules apply when it comes to building these relationship as if you are networking with new contacts beyond your existing company. Help first and be helped later. Understand how you can add value and add it.

Social/informal- school, college, university,, work parties, clubs, charity dinners i.e every where people gather socially and away from work or business.

Semi-formal-  seminars, conferences, trade shows, Chamber of Commerce and trade association networking meetings.

Formal-  formal business networking groups and events set up specifically to connect people.

Add to these the ever growing online capabilities to link with people you don't yet know and you can see how massive the opportunities to connect really are.

Goals and Objectives    

Know what you want to achieve from an event. It's not enough to say I'd like to make new contacts - be specific and decide that you want to make 5 new contacts and know which 5 contacts you would specifically like to meet if you are attending a formal networking event and why?

As you understand what is most important to these new contacts and how you can help them you can truly add value for them. This of course requires research, however, as this is where the big wins are you must make the time and take the to do it.

Clarity and focus on your specific goals is like having a Satellite Navigation System that takes you to where you want to be via the shortest route possible and with the added benefits that it tells you when you are going off course as well as how to quickly get back on the route plan you need to follow to get to your destination in the lest time. 



Monday, April 18, 2011

Four Sneaky Tricks Expert Negotiators

Winning a negotiation requires knowledge of some of the tricks expert negotiators use to their advantage during negotiations. These tricks are not at all complex and in fact, are rather easy to grasp. However, when used correctly, they might just tip the scales in your favor. Here are some sneaky tricks that expert negotiators during negotiations.

1.  Express A Visible Reaction To Their Offer 

This technique works best if your are up against an opponent who clearly has not done their research and thus, is unaware of their own bargaining position. Once your opponent makes and offer, express your shock and surprise that they have dared to make such and offer. You could say something like: "What was your offer again!?" If they haven't done their research well, it is likely that they will start to feel uncomfortable compromise to your demands.

2.  Set The Tone Right For Each Negotiation 

Setting the right kind of atmosphere for a negotiation is half the battle won. You want your opponent to be in as pleasant a mood as possible for them to agree to most, if not all of your requests. One way to do this would be to have negotiations right after a meal with your opponent.

Having a delicious meal generates positive feelings that might just carry onto the negotiation itself, giving both parties a higher chance of reaching a favorable agreement. In fact, many business deals have been negotiated over food. Such is the effect of food on persuasion that it has even been mentioned by professor Robert Cialdini in his book about the science of influence.

3.  Walk Away With Power    
If things just aren't going your ways, it would be better to leave rather than take the existing offer. Sometimes, walking away for now may lead to a better deal n the future. All you need the discipline to thank your opponent for their time and leave. Do not force yourself into accepting an offer that makes no sense.

4.  Look At Their Body Language  

Normally, people do not five away their negotiation positions during a negotiation. Doing so would immediately compromise their bargaining power. If you can read body language, you increases your chances of spotting any slip ups thy may make that can reveal their negotiation position to you. 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Marketing by Send SMS Messages

Getting permission to send SMS marketing messages is necessary and this consent must be given before your can send that first message. In other words, you cannot send out a text message asking the receiver for permission to send him a commercial message, it must be obtained in some other way. There are two different ways for consumers to provide consent. One is called express consent and the other type is inferred consent. Both of these are discussed below.

Express and Inferred Consent for SMS Marketing   



Express consent is given when the consumer opts to place a check in the check box on  a web subscribe form giving you permission to contact him. To ensure the person is aware of the fact he is giving his permission to be contacted by your company, he must check the box himself, it cannot already be checked by default.

Using surveys and entry forms for competition are two more ways you can obtain consent. However, the person filling out these forms must check the box indication that he gives your permission to contact him. It must also be clear that he fully understands this permission includes using emails and SMS marketing commercial messages. When collect business cards at any promotional even, the consumer must be aware of the fact that he will be contacted by SMS if he decides to leave a card.

Inferred consent is acquired through an existing business relationship or through conspicuous publication unless, it's stated the person does not want to receive electronic messages at the address provided. it's up to you,  the sender, to prove you had consent to send out commercial messages so always keep a record of consent for future references.

How to Build an SMS Marketing Message List

When done correctly, text message marketing can be very beneficial. Plus, it's fast, easy and efficient way to reach more potential customers and to stay in contact with the ones you already have. Still, it needs to be done correctly and this involves building a mobile marketing list the right way.

To help build up your text message mailing list, create incentives that will make the reader want to join. Some ways to do this is by sending out surveys, offering discounts on future products and create competitions where the person can win a prize. Whatever method you choose, make sure you always provide useful info the consumer can use that is relevant to your business.

Since text messages are more personal than some of the other form of marketing, the message you send should be more personal. First, identify yourself then include the person's name and explain why the message is being sent to him. Engage your reader by providing him with a way to interact with you by adding a response keyword or URL's where he can find more information.

A successful marketing campaign is targeted towards potential consumers that have a genuine interest in the products or services that you have to offer. But you must always provide a way to "opt-out" of receiving your SMS marketing messages; it's the law.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Web-base Engagemet and Commitment

I have  been talking to companies how have decided to take their customer engagement strategies to the next level. Whether it is the hospitality industry, the retail or any other sector for that matter, everyone is looking to engage customers to shore up their web reputation.

When discussing the decision to engage in social media I like to dig a little deeper. The question I ask will come as no surprise as they are quite straight forward.

- Where are your going to engage your customers?

- What are you going to learn?

- How are your going demonstrate value?

Commonly, the answers to the question above can be distilled down to:

- Well, Facebook and Twitter, isn't that where everyone is?

- I will have better analytics.

- And then the most probing of all questions is pose. Do you have a strategy?

Like any business too, launching into the world of social networking should not be done without  adequate planning and strategy. Why? For the simple reason that social media is a commitment; one who's history is written in permanent ink.

The world wide web is quite literally littered with remnants of the best of intentions. There are reams and reams of:

- Websites that are still advertising expired promotion;

- Status updates that haven't been thouche in days, weeks or wors years;

- Blogs that come to an abrupt stop, and;

-The worst offence of all, companies who daily share information that is dated all the while, trying to give the impression of currency and being at the top of their game.

Any social media expert/guru will tell you that social media engagement takes time (months, if not years). Please do not underestimate the weight of that statement. Ever wonder what happened to all those kids who peaked in high school?
Their shining moments of glory translated into nothing more than a "flash in ht pan" of your history. Is that the legacy you are looking  for where your company's web reputation is concerned?

From a business perspective, Facebook fans and Twitter followers are important, only if their existence can be translated into sales. Without a plan to engage and more importantly show the worth and value of your company, the return on your investment will quickly diminish.

While social media on the surface seems like a cost effective solution to the overbearing costs of traditional marketing keep in mind that once you get on the social media bandwagon, falling off has a significant cost.

Unless your company is prepared to commit the necessary resources to navigate the social media minefield and has a plan in place to shore up our web reputation then you may discover that Sir John Havey-Jones was right He once said that "Planning is an unnatural process; it is much more fun to do something . The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise.
That is true for any kind of business.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Leadership Training Development

Lots of individuals around the world have been blessed with gifts. These gifts should be shared with others, making sure that they will not only benefit themselves but also others. One of these gifts is becoming a leader. Leadership training is believed to be one of the ideal ways in bringing out the best among leaders. It helps leaders across the world to grow to be more capable in doing their job. As what it does, leadership training trains leaders, chiefly on how to be an expert and triumphant leader among your followers. With this, confidence will be earned by them knowing that they have the talent in becoming an excellent leader.

Ti develop fully - that's what leadership training aims for their participants. An excellent leader must have the personality and the characteristics of what a leader should be. In leadership training, leaders are taught how to lead appropriately and correctly. At this point, knowing entirely what leadership definitely means is better than just applying it. It requires you to have innate human qualities ans just authority, Currently , expert leaders are by now working with a very enabling force through which they aid people, develop organizations and prove to themselves that they are worthy leaders. With this, we can entail that an able leader definitely has to realize what the people need and what the organization aims for.

When it comes to leadership training, there is a deep conviction and belief that being a leader is not based on your status, what position you are in or how noble your work is. A leader could be inside of, let's just say, a construction worker. Imagine him, he may not have good looks or the looks of a much respected man, but you can just imagine that  a leader sis inside him when the demonstrates who he can make others and himself do their chore properly and  orderly. In this setting, it is likely to express that a leader isn't just found on what your are or how good your are. It is about serving and doing all your best for the common good.

The development of a leader shows how helpful training for leadership is. This training's aim is simply not bases on how a leader should demand cronies, but rather on how a leader can be a good  example to his followers. Meaning, a leader is one who knows how to lead by not commanding his followers to follow. A fine leader starts with a good follower. One can't be a good leader if he doesn't even know how to obey.

Leadership training clearly is a large help to those who need it. There are programs within it which makes leaders discover things which they believed are not applicable in being a true leader. There are things to be learned like the leadership basics which is a type of session course for small groups. They are also taught skills in which they will need to do their work fully as a successful leader. There is also program for lessons in leadership which teach leaders how to reach their potential abilities. There is also a program which involves experience and cultural tour. All these programs help in molding and developing potential leaders.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Temporary Jobs and Students

Not all students get a full scholarship or go by the name 'Hilton', therefore mos student have to combine work with  their studies. But - Not many students can hold a full time job and pass their exams with flying colors. So, the  best solution is to find a part time job or a full time job during the summer in order to save up some extra money.

Being a student isn't easy. Student have a busy schedule with their classes, paperwork and exams. So usually they'll choose a temp job or a part time job that will allow them ti earn money, but still leave them some time to study. But one of the problems students have to deal with is combining work with studies: even if they have some free time every week, sometimes they can't work because they need to use that time to study for an unexpected quiz or just to relax from all the hard work and hang out with their friends. Therefore it's important for them also to find a flexible job.

So, if you're a student and you wish to combine work with your studies, you need to find a part time job that is also flexible. Meaning: a kind of jog that allows you to cancel your shift if you're too busy with your studies.

The second issue is the types of jobs student can do.

There are two kinds of jobs for students:

Jobs that have some connection to the student's future career, for example: Students, who plan to come teachers, may choose to work as teacher' assistants or camp counselors. And students who study acting will probably prefer to work as movies' extras or ushers at the theatre.

The second type of jobs is any king of job that the student can find and fit to his or her schedule, fir example: valet Parker, dog, gift wrapper and so forth.

Both types of student's temp job are important; temp jobs give young men and women an opportunity to get some work experience, fill up their resume and meet people that may help them with their career.

Also - any temp job can easily become a regular job or even a career. when a student starts a temp job, even short term temp job, and he or she are happy with their job and their employer is satisfied with their work, they might decide to stay and make it their permanent working place.

Students can be great temp workers. They can work as delivery guys, receptionists, spa workers, pool cleaners etc.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Lot Of Reasons You Get The Job And Good Preparation For Interview

In a good interview, there are a lot  of reasons you get the job because you what you said and did . You can also get the job because of what you do not say and do! Follow these tips for a successful interview and make sure you don't make the same mistakes that have hundred so many for a chance to earn a livelihood.

1.  Don't ask about time off and salary of front! wait to find out about salary when the bring it up and wait to hear about parks once the present the compensation package to you. Asking about medical benefits is acceptable though.

2.  Don't ask about what the company dose! You should be researched that info so don't waste their time  (and yours)! I once worked with a hiring manager that grilled candidates about the company and the current state of company and industry. He wanted to make sure he only had passionate peoples working on his team.

3.  Don't get too casual. I once had a job interview with a highly respected insurance company that I felt real cozy in because I knew the human resources professional. Well, one slip up and it cost me big time. I accidentally used an explicit word because we got a little personal between each other. Letter the hiring manager told me I did not get the job due to that fact. Casual only gets you to a place where you loss focus on what you're doing there in a first place. Unfortunately, that's when things may come out of your mouth that shouldn't unless you're with your buddies at happy hour.

4.  Don't bash your previous or current employer! It can show that you aren't very loyal and that you don't respect those that aren't on your current radar screen. Hiring managers don't want you to do that to them in case you leave and they certainly don't want anyone who uses and abuses to get ahead. Just because you aren't happy with your previous employee does not mean you have the right to express your true feelings about it to a stranger.

5.  Always dress one level up! Just because might be a tradesman and your job dictates you wear jeans and a shirt to work does not mean you should be wearing that to your interview! wear one outfit above job you are interviewing for so in this case, the tradesman would wear a collared shirt and slacks. A salesperson would wear a suit tie. 

Sty positive and show that you really want the job throughout the interview. Asking about salary and perks shows that you don't care about anything else. Research  the company before you go. Don't speak negatively about anything, especially your previous jobs. Dress to impress. Practice these simple acts and watch the offers start rolling in.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Export Business and Success

 If you own a business, it is so important to you that you are emotionally invested in it's success. Furthermore, you pump in good money into the business to get it on its feet and on its way to success. Should it fail, your investment both financially and emotionally would have been waste.

Making money in your business is good start but it does not man that you have achieved success as an entrepreneur. Success in business in constant struggle as a business person strives to get to the next level. 

Most businesses work locally, offering their services to people in the neighborhood or in surrounding regions. In some cases, these businesses offer. products that are universal and can be sold to more than just one demographic. It would be waste if you are not able to take full advantage and sell to as many people as you can.This is where exporting can help.

Exporting is the process selling goods or services to people outside of your immediate geographical influence. companies and sent to the customer in a neat package.
Exporting can be your ace in the hole once your business is ready to move on to the next step.

Exporting is a very helpful business activity because more than anything else it gets you more customers that you would not normally get working within one region only.
Every business can appreciate the addition of new customers because it means additional profits. When it comes down to it, a business is about making money and the more customers you have, the more money you make.

A business does not make it to the next level on money alone. It also has to get recognition and prestige that only the best businesses have. Exportation automatically brings you to the next level because only the best of the best can get to the level of multinational company . selling goods overseas is the first legitimate step toward that.

The next thing that is an important aspect to achieving an elite status for your business is by gaining continuity, no matter what circumstance or problems may arise. Even during an economic collapse or an natural calamity, you can still ensure that there will be customers to buy your products.

To take it even a step further, you can even setup operations overseas to avoid importation duties but that would entail a massive investment in your part. While you work entail a massive investment i your part. While you work your way towards getting the capital for venture like that, you can work with freight forwarders for the movement of your product.

However, you need to climb the ladder and get to the next level step by step.

The way to move you business forward may be different for every business and for every business. Exportation is only one of the many paths to this destination. Try your hand in exportation and see if it woks for you and if it would, indeed, bring your business to the next level.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Online Purchases With In - Store Shopping

 Interactive digital signage offers brick-and-mortar retailers the chance to rekindle their relationship with the growing number of online shoppers.

I must it. I am typical guy. I don't really like to go shopping, and i look for every chance i get to consolidate shopping expeditions and eliminate trips to the sore.

So a few years ago, when i really took the opportunity presented by Amazon.com and other sites to shop online - particularly at Christmas time - I was overcome with cheer, that is holiday cheer, because doing so let me minimize the drudgery of the season and focus more on faith, family and friends.

Still, even though the convenience and ease of online shopping has made my annual holiday shopping far less time-consuming an exhausting, I'm left with a nagging feeling that I am missing something - something important that I can only experience if  I actually make the time to shop at brick-and-mortar stores.

Upon reflection, that something is really four very important "somethings" that make us who we are as humans, namely the satisfaction of touching, tasting, hearing and smelling. Sure shopping online can deliver all sorts of image-from cheerful holiday online catalog type shots to a full, 3-D fly-around of merchandise I'm evaluating-to satisfy my visual sense, but what about the simple experience of holding an item in my hand and evaluating it in a quite personal way with  all the other senses an online image can't satisfy?

What if I could have the best of both words? What if  I could have the convenience an seas of locating merchandise online and also have the in-person shopping experience that lets me squeeze the produce, taste the cookie, smell the evergreen and listen to the din of shoppers hurry about on their own expeditions?

Apparently, I'm not the one asking those questions. A couple of new reports from Aberdeen Group, sponsored by Hp, suggest in-store technology, like digital signage, point-of-sale systems and kiosks, can bring the convenience of online shopping into the retail space, to complement the in-store shopping experience.

However, 76 percent of 100 senior retail executives from apparel, grocery and department stores surveyed by Aberdeen Group report not possessing  the the technology or business processes to make use of Web, catalog or special orders from their stores.

According to the report-"The Customer Connected Store: 2011 Operations Automation  Best Practices" and "Retail Network Optimization: A Strategic 21st Century Enabler"-fully  one-third  of the retailers surveyed said the are likely to invest in kiosks that help give shoppers the experience of online shopping and the ability to check inventory while in the store.

The reports also identify why retailers should be willing to recreate an element of the online shopping experience for customers. The researchers found that retailers who give customers the ability to do things like place Web or catalog orders in the store are "104 times more likely to see higher than 80 percent customer satisfaction in sores " than retailers that don't do so, a pres release announcing the surveys said.

The bottom line: interactive digital signage technology offers retailers a wide variety of advantages, not the least of which is touch-screen access to the Web to support things like in-depth product information, inventory checks and catalog purchases.

If retailers follow through and actually invest in interactive digital signage  and kioks, I know I'd likely to return to brick-and -mortar retailers for more of my every day and holiday shopping, and I bet millions of others like me would, too.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Textile Industry and Machines


Today's fabrics are a result  of detailed mechanisms and and state-of-the-art machinery. People had to weave raw materials into multiple patterns out of long strands and fivers in the past, with only the use of manual labor and not the detailed procedures that we make use of today. As the world-wide textile business caters to increasing fabric requests for varying function, however, the need for innovative mechanisms will always allow faster production in relatively shorter time periods. As more manufactures share the market space, basic and customized textile varieties become ever more attainable for wholesale fabric suppliers to deliver to companies relying on textile trade, clothing retail, furniture upholstery and so much more.

Back in the olden days, ordinary tools and the help of improvised gadgets sufficed for textile production.

An equally promising chance for the textile market to grow arrived with the dawn of fabric, equipment machines like water frames, power looms, flying shuttle and spinning jenny all came into being during this area.
In line with multiple advancements that took effect in the time after the post-industrial age are improved paraphernalia for sewing, knitting, spinning and waving. By the assistance of inventions that set in play the progressive trend in the industry, dying, printing, and twisting were in turn made easier.

Heavily used in factories currently, textile machines either belong to the 'textile processing' or 'Textile woring' industries. Those belonging to the former group are deices used to manage textile winding, lace making, crocheting, quilting and all the other processes that take part in the removal of protruding,  fabric, finishing and fabric printing. Those that don't otherwise fall into the classification of textile working machinery are the ones whose processes are focused to maintain and conserve textile fiver products whether they be man-made, natural, organic or inorganic in origin.Incorporated in this faction are folding, embroidery, attaching, monogramming and attaching machines.

With continuous high cotton costs and flourishing yarn and fabric production businesses, the textile industry, though badly affected by the troubling times of general economic depression is now set to face another era of victory, recovering sales figures that disappeared in haste at the dawn of economic downfall. Those who make a living out of the nuts and bolts of machine engineering and fabrication, as well as those in the field of fabric making and selling fabric by the yard are in demand by providing lucrative endeavors coming out of the recession.   
   

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Overtime And Attendance System


When you run a business that has round the clock staffing you can easily end up with shift hours discrepancies and labour costs that are sky high as a result. Costs of this nature easily mount up and therefore produce unnecessary overtime figures and if you don't watch it, it can soon get out of control.

That's why Time and Attendance systems is an employer's best friend. As they help monitor labour costs automatically and in perfect real-time with up-to-the-minute employee data which is available to multiple people  at any time during the day, therefore what was once difficult to track and stay on top of is no longer. Also systems of this nature have the inbuilt edit function which helps prevent costly errors and unnecessary overtime costs.

 As today's time and attendance systems are more flexible, efficient and affordable than before, so providing a much more viable and cost effective way to mange your staff and ultimately their overtime. Its function can ultimately help your oragnisation and an organisation of any size control their overtime spend and other more premium pay costs that seriously affect your bottom line and profit margins. Another amazing thing about systems like this they help maintain your total conformity with wage and labour laws, offering you substantial protection against expensive court cases and unnecessary fines.

Although systems lime this, that use computers to display and record employee data and their woriking hours have been around for awhile now. The new systems on the market, however, provide up-to -the-minute facilities that can instantaneously make your business more effective and cost efficient, whilst at the same time affording you as the employer greater protection against fines and curt for non-compliance to certain regulations and laws.

Another huge plus to using systems of this nature and their technology, are that they provide all employee data in real-time, therefore giving you an up-to-the -minute view of your workforce 24/7. Whereas older time and attendance systems relied upon the payment system known as batch processing , which meant that the necessary HR or payroll staff had no clue if member of staff had worked over their scheduled hours and therefore were now working in overtime, until it was too late. However, the new time and attendance systems use high tech technology in order record and monitor every member of staffs arrival and departure times as soon as they occur, therefore displaying an up-to-the-minute view of the hours worked both individually and collectively across the workforce straightaway. Some systems even give you email or SMS text alerts to highlight you or the relevant manager who withing your workforce is approaching overtime, so you can either select to cap their hours or pay them overtime, if necessary.

Another thing with the modern systems available on the market now, is their reporting features ans its incorporation within the system and ultimately your business is more technologically advanced than before. With many having full incorporated scheduling features, enabling the system to automatically record and present you the user with up-to-the-minute hours actually worked and any pre-planned hours that will be worked over the next few days, weeks, months and years. Therefore enabling you to be proactive in your workforce management and time management of each employee, being able to foresee ahead of time any overtime issues and deal with them then and there, not months down the line when you cannot physically do anything about it, but pay it.

Furthermore, another big positive for systems like this are access, they enable  you to view the employee data a anytime during the day from an internet enabled computer or phone, therefore gone are the day when only the HR team had access to such information. Thus lightening their load, enabling them to do more beneficial tasks and ultimately helping your company produce better results in the short and long term. Similarly, you can restrict access to only the relevant mangers, making them take responsibility for their team of site rather that just solely the HR department or you the employer. And certain systems allow the members of staff to have access and be able to see their hours worked and scheduled and ultimately their holiday allowance and overtime hours accrued as well.

Additionally, another great feature to time and attendance is its flexibility, in that it allows you the employer to tailor the system to meet your health and safety and other regulatory and legal needs, so as to prevent errors and ultimately any unnecessary court cases and fines. The system does all this automatically,  so you need never concern yourself about ever having to try and work out holiday accruals and other HR complexities. similarly, you can also allow when you feel it is necessary overtime pay rates and premium pay to certain members of staff, as a reward for all their hard work and attendance. With also the facility to make notes on certain clients or staff, for example if they have certain allergies or illnesses which mean they cannot work  in certain conditions and also giving  you the ability to approve pay rises and new pay rates for certain staff, when required.


 

Friday, April 8, 2011

Furnshing : The Essence of Office Furniture


When you spend a lot of money and time to put up a new business, you should never never overlook the details for the office's decoration. If you want to project a certain impact for your business, that same impact should also be seen with how you decorate your office furniture.

Decorating the office space for your business is not just merely for beautification, but the way you put up your office furniture cam also be a way of marketing your business. Clients and employees alike would appreciate an office space that is clean and vibrant, something that is nice to work and transact business in. With the changes of the office furnishings impression, it is easy to provide employees a great and comfortable place to work in; and a perfect and relaxed place for visitors and clients to talk about business.

Mostly likely, you would have to expend more than half our your time in your office. This should be enough reason for you to take time to consider how you would embellish your office space with the right office furniture. Using the right office furniture for your business office would indeed play a vital role o the entire office ambiance. Bizarre office fixtures and decorations would not be something that people would love to spend their time in.

Nowadays, business preferences for office furniture rely mostly on modern furnishing. Aside from conventional office fixtures being out of style, it is now very easy to find cheap but nice modern furniture. The reason for the modern furniture being famous in business today is because keeping it at its best shape is not that hard an it is very easy to find long-lasting office equipments that can easily suit your budget. Not to mention the bits and pieces that it's made of and the accessibility of vast designs of modern office equipments.

With all these being said it is of utmost importance to think and consider how your would design the office space for your business and not just a decoration. It is important to choose the proper office furniture, it does not mater if it's cheap or expensive as ling as it is in the right place and it is the right furniture for your office.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The key to Building a Successful Team : Fundraising

Tried of selling overpriced items that no one want or needs? Tried of putting forth maximum effort and in return getting very little for your organization? We were tired of it too, At First class Incentives, we are coaches, parents and folks who believe that no child should be left behind from anything due to lack of money. Let's face it, times are tough and a child who has the potential to do great could be left out.


We did our research and we found that travel is the number 1 incentive that caused people int action. We found that through customized tickets sales, we are able to provide your team with the opportunity to earn up to $20,000. Now each team or organization is unique, each with different needs.

For one little boys basketball team, in 1 weeks time, they earned enough to buy new uniforms for Regional, each player got a brand new leather basketball, each team member got their very own personalized hooded pull-over sweatshirt, each team member received lunch both Saturday and Sunday, each family received a weekend pass to get into the games, 2 $ 50 gift certificates were awarded to the people who sold the most customized tickets and 1 parent got $50 in her gas tank for running team errands before they played.

This is just one example of how this fundraiser works, We have helped sports teams, churches, youth groups, children and clinics.

what I do is very important to me. When I was growing up I always heard "No" I could not join any rec leagues. I did manage to join athletics in Junior High.  I started with basketball but my mom could not afford the shies, I was lucky to have some one's mom buy them for me.When I started track it was the same thing. Had it not been for a lady name xyz, I wouldn't have had shoes at all. I couldn't run summer track because we did not have the money, I couldn't go to camp because money. When I got in band I had to earn all my money for tips through the fundraisers, none as successful as First Class Incentives. When it came to private lessons, again, no money. I often wondered had I been able to improve on any of these skills, how different my life might be, I did something different when  it came to to my 6 children.

We support everything they want to do. we have dine football, soccer cheer leading, bull riding, track, basketball, baseball and are in talks about junior fire fighters and boxing .This all costs money and our fundraiser is an excellent way to make sure no child is left behind.
   

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Ethical Organization


You will to make clear to everyone in your organization that moral priorities are as important as financial priorities. Everyone in the organization will understand that finances are critical to survival, and so no one is likely to make the case that ethics should trump every other consideration. But an ethical culture starts with holding moral values at least as high as financial concerns.

This will mean that you will need to establish a history of making ethical choices. Think about the people you admire; what most probably come to mind are the important decisions that person has made over time. Ethical organizations have staff who are committed to, and who admire, their organization because of the visible commitment, over time, that is captured in the history of moral choices that the leaders of the organization make.
Building that history will take time, but it is the most powerful way to establish an ethical organizational culture.

Of course, you will also need to set out the ground rules for how you want people to operate and how you want them to make the decision assigned to them. You will need to have ethics rules and standards of ethical behavior. You will need policy document that makes clear the values of the organization and that can grow as you discover more about the ethical issues that your organization faces.

Many organizations today are offering, or requiring, ethics training. The research results are inconclusive at this time as to whether this works and, if so to what end. But it does highlight the leadership's commitment to making moral choices, and makes it less likely that employees who violate standards can say, "Oh, I didn't realize that that was unacceptable. "But don't assume that your organization is ethical because all of your employees have passed an ethics test.

For decades, health care organizations have made good use of "ethical consults." They will usually have ethics "officers" who are available to answer question and to help decision makers think through complex situations.Often, they will have an ethics council to review certain kind of decisions before they are made, or other kinds of decisions after they are made. Having some kind of in-house consultations or, in the case of a smaller organization, on-going access to such help, will emphasize leadership's commitment, and will, if done properly, create coherence within the organization's ethical culture.

As kids, we all were told by our friends that we shouldn't "tell on each other."But an ethical organization, by necessity, has to be a mature organization, which faces its tough choices, rather than avoids them. Consequently, you will probably want to institute some kind of reporting system so that your staff will have someplace to go in order to report, with varying degrees of confidentiality, mistakes or missteps that they observe. Understanding the various problem  that such a process identifies and the action you take in response will contribute to the growth in the ethical culture that  we have emphasized above.

At the highest  level of commitment to moral decision making is a "Values Identification Audit" (VIDA), a coordinates and thorough planning process wherein the organization identifies it s values and seeks to anticipate the difficult decisions that it will confront. This could be done when you review your "aspirational statements, "lie your Mission and your Vision. (If you don't have those statements, or if you haven't revisited them recently, then that would be the logical first place from which to start this process.)

SPH Statement of Values     

We are a community of scholars, students and staff dedicated to creating a healthy society. In achieving this goal, we are committed to:
  1. COMMUNITY   The basic unit analysis of public health, enabling communities to address their own problems, share skills, lower barriers to action, and act as a catalyst for progress.
  2. KNOWLEDGE   The pursuit, development and dissemination of which will improve the health of public.
  3. PROFESSIONALISM  Acting with integrity and collegiality in learning, teaching, research and public service.
  4. STEWARDSHIP   Stewardship of natural, human and financial resources.
  5. IDEALISM   Whether secularly or spiritually motivate.
  6. CARING   Promoting compassion for and action on behalf of others.
  7. JUSTICE   Whereby everyone is given access to the resources necessary to live a humane life and necessary to fulfill his or her full potential.
  8. DIVERSITY Celebrating unique contributions to the fabric of our community.
  9. RESPECT  For the members of this community and for those whom our efforts are intended to serve.
  10. Humility  As we set our goals, as we work together to achieve them, and as we address the inevitable conflicts produced by those joint efforts.
The American Medical Association has a much smaller list:
        
           Core Values
         
                1.  Leadership
                2.  Excellence
                3.  Integrity and Ethical Behavior

The Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce has more elaborate statement:

What are the ideals that guide how we accomplish our mission?

Relationship Management
  • Aadaptability 
  • Collaboration
  • Diversity
  • Honesty
  • Inclusion
  • Integrity
  • Openness
  • Respect worth of individuals
  • Team Results
  • Tolerance
Results Oriented

  • Advocate for continuous improvement
  • Attack goals with vigorous pursuit
  • Efficiency
  • Innovation
  • Member driven
  • Productivity
  • Well-defined goals
High Ethical Standards

  • Accountability 
  • Do things right / Do the right things
  • Positive leadership
  • Responsibility


Doing a Values Identification Audit  is not a "once and for all" project, but an on-going commitment. Therefore, the best say to evaluate its success is through soliciting periodic input from the people involved. Think of this as an ethical report card issued to the organization by the its mangers, its staff, its external partners, and its stakeholders.

A VIDA will take a lot of work, but it can provide quite a few benefits.As we discussed in earlier articles in our ethics series, one ought not to establish an ethical organization in order to reap benefits, but there are benefits  to be had.

    Tuesday, April 5, 2011

    Home Business : Baby Boomers and the At - Home Business

    Baby boomers have a lot of life an business experience to bring to whatever we do these days. We've already had jobs and careers, we've raised families-and let's not forget all of the hard work we did changing people's expectation about what's possible for women and minorities!

    Now, many boomers are entering a period of our live where we're questioning what we might want to do next. We know that job security went the way of the dodo many years ago, and that corporations are no more loyal to us than we should be to them. The financial services industry has failed us, and many of us think that our government is failing us, too.

    At any rate, Boomers are well aware that we aren't going to have the luxury of guaranteed pensions to draw fromas we enter the next years of our lives.

    And all of this is where starting a home business comes in. Depending on the kind of home business Boomers choose, we can have the freedom we've been dying to trade our corporate jobs to have. At he same time, we become the ones responsible for our own success. We don't have to worry whether or not our jobs will be history tomorrow, because we've become the boos!

    That said you've found this article because you're probably a member of the Baby Boom generation and you're at least interested in checking out home businesses. With that in mind, here's a rundown on the kinds of home businesses you can own:

    Franchises. There are home franchises out there that cost far less money to start than opening a brick-and-mortar franchise, and some of them will still give you the freedom to set your own schedule instead of being on your customers' schedules. But e careful-one kind of home franchise, commercial cleaning franchises, are well-known for having a lot of questionable business practices.

    You can also do service work from home-everything from sewing to opening a childcare center. If you're a Boomer woman who has chosen homemaking and being a mother as your career, you may want to think about this opportunity. You're going to have some up-front costs in terms of getting licensing if you work with children or with food, but the fun and profit you can earn may well be worth it!

    Do you do arts and crafts? Have your friends sworn they've purchased items that were half as good as what you're doing in your spare time? Boomers are lucky-we have the internet, and you can use the internet to open up your own Etsy store to turn your hobby into a business.

    In fact, you can own a lot of different kinds of internet businesses without having to leave the comfort of your home! Boomers have expertise, and we can sell that expertise online in the form of everything from instructional videos to e-books. But that's not the only kind of internet business that Boomers can do. You may choose to market a company's product through an affiliate relationship or direct marketing, for example. And the best part is an internet business is among the least expensive business your can start!

    Finally, if you love people and are passionate about a certain product line, you can go into old-style network marketing -demonstration parties and selling products person-to -person. And these days you can even do network marketing online and reach out to huge markets!

    The point here is that we Baby Boomers have a wealth of experience to bring to our own businesses. At the same time, creating at least a second income steam has never been more important than it is today.

    If you're one of my fellow Baby Boomers,  don't let today's economy get your down After all, we've seen recessions before, haven't we? But if you're creative and willing to put some consistent effort into it, a home business will at least give you a second stream of income-and at best, it will free you from an uncertain corporate job and give you the freedom you've been carving.

    Monday, April 4, 2011

    Cutomer Criticism in Business

     Ever business owner, at some point in her carer, will face sharp and emphatic criticism by a customer, supplier, or even a competitor.

    Whether the criticism comes about as the result of an honest mistake, an ignored customer, a filling product, a wicked competitor or from some other  source - it will eventually happen.

    No one appreciates benign the grunt of verbal tirades and name - calling. Justified or not it's going to happen in your business. Make up your mind ahead of time how you will respond.

    We all take offense to blame that belongs elsewhere and rude customers that get their jollies by preying upon the "hold your tongue" business owner that wants to avoid confrontation at all costs.

    Criticism that is personal, emotional and charged with vengeance, while not fun to endure, at least grows milder with time and can be thrown out with the rest of the business trash next week.

    There is another kind of criticism, though that no business owner should blow off. It is the other side of the sword, the opposite or second edge that is especially sharp and cutting.

    Criticism that your business isn't delivering what it says it will ought to be listened to seriously; and further, it  ought to be scrutinized in detail to identify the underlying reasons and causes for the customer discontent.

    This is the kind of  criticism, again, valid or not, that can ruin your business if ignored or swept under the rug.

    There are many, many reasons why a customer can be deflated when he sees, tries, or uses your product or service. Some you may never be able to anticipate if your thought about it all year.

    Your job is to acknowledge, understand, from his point of view, why his purchase doesn't meet his expectations and then to respond to rectify the experience.

    He trusted you with his money. He expected to receive some level of value and satisfaction in return. But for whatever reason, your business didn't produce as it was supposed to (at least in hid eyes).

    You have broken the customer's trust and created a monster that will often spread the word within the nice that you don't deliver, that you are out to rip off everyone that buys from you.

    So how do you set the record straight? what can you  do to calm the injured and make restitution sufficient to to be forgiven?

    The very first thing to do is to silence your critic. You don't want any more ears listening in on this conversation than necessary. Get your dirty laundry out of the public eye immediately so the issue is no longer that you ripped him off..

    Now the still may not like you or your product, but at least he has no basis for claiming that he was a hit-and-run victim of scam artist.

    Next , I would do everything in my power to try to understand the customer's real reason for being upset. Often the truth is hidden and covered with lots of excuse, invalid reasoning and lame fake explanations.

    If you are going to get to the bottom of your search for your business ' failing, you have to peel back the outer layers and find the core of this smelly onion (concern).

    If you manage to get to that heart of the real reason, the criticism you initially received will become almost a favor, a blessing in disguise. You see, you have been able to DE- fuse the bomb, hopefully save a paying customer, and save face and credibility  for your business.

    It will be a loud signal that alerts you to something in your business system or product that needs attention right now.

    I am reminded of the old adage, "a stitch in time saves nine."

    When initial criticism leads to the identification and repair of a potential catastrophe, making for stronger and more customer-centric business, you should thank your lucky stars that your customer had the guts to speak up about his displeasure.

    It is not always the business owner that discovers business execution or product details that have gone awry.

    You need help to create and run a successful online business. Steve Browne is educated, trained, and experienced in offline and online business creation and management and he is sharing his insights and guidance freely in his new money making blog. Join his blog subscriber list today and you'll receive a free copy of " Art of Money Getting " to help you get started.