Inspection In A Small Company

A small company consisting of about 8 peoples. They are busy with interim services (finding and placing candidates within companies, a sort of  Temp agency). All this in the country Belgium. Most of them work from home. There is not really one office, and most communication is done by phone, e-mail and Skype. Seems pretty efficient no? That's what  I thought too, until I got this story from one of the people working there.



It turns out that there was a problem with receiving email for this particular person (can't reveal the name). Not much of a problem and technically easily fixed. The technical part is and was not the problem. What turned out to be the case is that the Managing Directors were receiving emails in blind copy(BCc) of everything that everybody either received or sent. So much (for right?) for privacy.

Ok, from a cultural point of view. What's the cultural make-up of Belgium according to professor Geert 

Hotsted? I'll list the first four dimension:

1. Power Distance: 62
2. Individualism: 75
3. Masculinity: 54
4. Uncertainty Avoidance: 89

Which dimensions make the most sense in explaining this behavior by the 2 bosses (the reading of all emails sent and received by their employees)?

My best pick would be Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance.


Why Power Distance?


Belgium scores culturally relatively high on dimension 1 and 2. The consequence is that most Belgians will do what their boss tell them to do. In other words they will accept (not necessarily respect) their boss. In addition, Belgians are quite Individualistic. Meaning in this case that they also have an "agenda" of their own. The combination of the two (dimensions 1 & 2make that when a Belgian subordinate accepts the assignment of their boss, and their own "agenda" doesn't "support" this, they might follow their won agenda in the case the boss in not paying attention (or:"inspecting" what they do). So, as a boss you're better off knowing what your people are doing all the time. Hence the screening of all the emails by the two bosses in the company (and they did screen ALL emails!)




Why Uncertainty Avoidance?

Simply put, in order to (in this case almost literally) avoid the uncertainty of not knowing what "others" are doing it is best to always know everything. In countries that score high on this dimension, people will pick up their mobile phone and answer any and all calls even when they're in meetings. In the above mentioned company reading all sent and received emails was an easy way to "know" what others were doing

(Macy's) New "Omni-channel" Customer Strategy

E-Commerce stores worked hard to recreate the brick-and-mortar shopping experience on the web.

In an effort to stay relevant in an increasingly-digital world, retail giants have recently been taking cures from the online shopping experience.

Macy's, hoping to stand above the competition, is drawing from both philosophies in its new "omni-channel" customer strategy.

As part of a pilot program at its Macy's and Bloomingdale's locations, the retail juggernaut is currently rolling out a host of interactive, self-service technologies at its retail location, to expedite the purchasing process and "mirror the shopping experience" At the same time, Macy's is working to enhance its web sore with quintessentially-brick-and-mortar components, such as the ability to select jeans that actually fit.

The Macy's initiatives underscore its belief that today's customers value a consistent, seamless experience across the variety of shopping channels.

"We are using technology in our stores to mirror the online shopping experience, and adding functionality and content online to provide customers with additional assistance in product selection," explains Terry Lundgren, chairman. "The ultimate goal of our omni channel strategy is to build deeper relationships with customers and to ensure Macy's and Bloomingdale's are accessible no matter how or when our customer prefer to explore or shop"

Among the specific initiatives, which are being tested in certain locations:
"Search & Send" - Macy's inventory network will be built into the retail registers, enabling customers to locate and order goods  that are out of stock or unavailable at that specific location.

"Beauty Spot" - A self-service kiosk, installed at the brick-and-mortar locations, that allows customers to search the cosmetics inventory and product insights and research before making a selection. A "dedicated Beauty Spot concierge associate will be available to assist customers and process credit card transactions." 

Tablets - The retail locations are being stocked with computer  tablets, which will provide functionality similar to that of the Beauty Spot kiosks. Tablets will also be used to assist in the delivery service, allowing associates to use GPS and digital signature suites to more efficiently and accurately mange the process.

"True Fit" -Macy's.com will be equipped with a tool that helps women select jeans that are best-suited for their " unique body and style preferences."

Customer response units - The store pay pads are being overhauled with response  units that welcome tap technology like Google Wallet.

Combined with offerings like in-store WiFi and digital receipts, the overarching theme of Macy's omni-channel initiative is clear-making the shopping experience 'simplistically comprehensive ' On the one hand, the changes provide a more rapid, efficient and hassle-free purchasing experience for customers. Yet many of the new tools focus on customers' desire to be exhaustive in the shopping experience, on their tendency to consider online research and in -store impressions prior to buying.

The dual-focus-providing access to all the necessary product information without sacrificing convenience-is simply another way of saying, "Shopping, regardless of channel, should draw from the best features of the brick-and-mortar and online experiences"

It is doubtful many customer management professionals will dispute Macy's conclusions that a quality customer experience needs to exist across multiple channels. Where some disagreement might emerge, however, is the extent to which customers want the various channels to mirror each other.

Many customer management professionals stress the belief that each channel should have a unique customer experience.

That philosophy, alone, would not render many of Macy's changes worthless. In principle, there is nothing objectionable about using technology to expedite the in-person shopping experience. There is nothing undesirable about trying to make the online shopping experience more palpable.

The lasting impact of these enhancements could, however, prove alarming for those who value the unique experiences provided by the distinct channels (particularly on the brick-and-mortar side).


In the short-term, the self-service beauty kiosks, for example, should prove a welcome addition for customers who want an "at-a-glance" look at their various purchasing options. But what if this signals a long-term movement away from staffed cosmetics counters? What if the "dedicated Beauty Spot concierge associate" grows to simply represent a tech worker rather than someone trained to give valuable advice on makeup pairings and fragrance selections?


 Similarly, how will "Search & Send" (as well as the " True Fit" online service) impact customers' ability to physically experience the products they wish to purchase? If the service take off, Macy's might feel less pressure to carry an exhaustive in-store inventory, restricting customers' ability to actually try on the clothes.

Granted, If Macy's already places great internal value on the exclusive benefits of the brick-and-mortar experience, it is possible, those scenarios will never emerge. More importantly, if the preservation of such features id not dictated by the market. (ie, Macy's annual sales will decrease if there is no cosmetics attendant), one could argue that those "valued" retail offerings do not need to exist anyway.

It is, nonetheless, interesting to see the implications of multi-channel customer strategies. Those who advocate a consistent approach across channels often point to the branding and CRM benefits, to the idea that customers will want to feel they are the same "Macy's " regardless of channel. They mainly see a " consistent experience" for its primary benefits-incorporating the best customer service components into every channel.

What they risk overlooking, however, is the loss of features that only have value (and perhaps can only exist) in specific channels. A channel might not simply be the forum within which a customer engages with a business-it might also carry its own inherent worth.

How Can Be Success Business And More Connect The Customer

With the economy weak and the level of competition high, how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? Believe it or not, customer generation is not as hard as you may think. You don't have to have a million dollars to acquire new business. The issue with so many people having difficulty finding new customers is that most entrepreneurs simply don't know the correct way.

OUTWARD FOCUS

How to make business better - First and foremost, you have to be and outward focused company and individual. If you take a look around you will quickly realize that most entrepreneurs are "Me, Me, Me." 'Come check out My Facebook.' 'Come cheek out My profile.' 'Click My link.' You get the picture.


Instead, you should be proactively going to other people and focusing all your energy on them. I've said this many times in past blogs - people don't care about you, they care about themselves. You have to go to their turf, their house, their place of business, etc. Once you are there, you must find commonalities and figure out how to connect with them. You have to get to know your customer inside and out.

CONNECTING WITH YOUR CUSTOMER

How to make new business - Once you have gone to visit them in their space, you will then, and only then, begin to understand exactly what you clientele's interests, concerns, and dislikes are. The process is never-ending because like any living organism, change is inevitable.

The best way to connect with your customer is to ask question. The more question you ask, the more you can learn from someone. In fact, the more questions you ask, the more your customer will feel appreciated, important, and listened to. Don't blabber on about all the cool features of you doodad. No one cares about the technical jargon.

When I was in the technology field, I use to confuse people all the time. Although I didn't sell computers, I'm sure most of you can relate with the following example:

This product has a two gigahertz quad-core processor, with 256 MB of  RAM, two HDMI outputs, six USB ports, a 16x DVDR/CDR Burner, etc, etc, 

Most people don't have any Idea what most of that means. They just want to know how it BENEFITS them. Here's an example most people would understand.

This product is really fast which will allow you to multi-task much better than before so that you can get more done in less time. You will be able to make CDs to back up all your important files and keep them in a safe place, you can also make home movies of your family and loved ones to share with later generations, and, you will also able to watch your favorite movies in high-definition any time you want.

Talking to people this way, you will quickly begin to see the 'Ah ha' moments in their eyes. More people will take to what you have to say because the are connecting emotionally and envisioning how your product will benefits and even change their lives. This will be very challenging in the beginning, but the more you do it, the more you will see results. I guarantee it!

Control For Nightclub Crowd With Rubber Stamps

The Dancing of lot of peoples Clubs and events. The purpose of these stamps in to identify who has entered and exited a club and act as  proof for re-entry all for a good cause as it means we are not charged an entry fee again! Did you know that self inking hand stamps can be modified to show a specific logo or name to give a truly professional touch? The hand stamps are a sound way of advertising where the best hotpots in town are.

Hand stamps are even available in various Ultra Violet colours ranging from neon pink to electric blue so once you are caught under the disco lights you will be shimmering and glimmering. The stamps also come in an array of sizes so you can really show off and make your custom design stand out. The self linking variety tends to use a safe water based ink so no harm will be done to the skin. The darker colours will last much longer on the skin than the lighter choices. The stamps that require a separate link pad allow you to alter colours whenever you lime. The separate link pads will allow for hundreds of uses - perfect for a busy night in a busy club and will guarantee not to let you down. 

Nightclub hand stamps are available from many websites, once you have selected the stamp you require you will be able to customize once it has been added to your basket. Most of the websites present a txt box where you can enter the name that you would like to appear on your design. You can then choose a front size and colour to really personalize your stamp. A preview option is available so you can look at the end design and then edit if you require to do so. Actual artwork images can be uploaded, most good websites will have clear step by step instructions to ensure that you will achieve the best possible result. The rubber stamp is an effortiess, marvelous device to ensure that organization is maintained within busy pubs and clubs in your local town.

Our Careers in the Construction Development Industry and Buildings

Important that one is skilled, knowledgeable and well trained to be able fit in with the type of industry they wish to be part of in the building and construction industry, there are so many careers that a skilled person can get into. They just need to prove what they really can do so that they may be hired at the job position that they wish to be in.

One can become an architect in this industry. This is maybe the highest rated job position in the building and construction industry. This career will need one who has a degree in architecture. It is also important that they have trained well and is knowledgeable with the updated trends in architecture. This handles the designs of the construction. They make the entire plan of building with its detailed designs and entirety to the building.

One may also become a civil engineer in this industry. This person will be working hand-in-hand with the architects. They are responsible. in applying the plan of the construction. He or she will be executing the plan of the architect. There will also be the building service engineers who will be responsible in the amenities of the construction, All of the installations will be handled by this engineer. The different details of amenities will be planned by this person like the electrical wiring, safety measure, sanitation and a lot more.

One can also get into the manufacturing side of the construction. This is a very lucrative career to get into. This will be responsible with all of the materials needed in the construction of the building. However, one will need a good investment of money to be able to come up with this career.

One may also be a contractor. Many professionals in this industry are dealing with contractors for the materials, labor and construction procedures until the go down to a fixed price. This will take care of the laborers, manufacturers or suppliers and the number of days until the construction finishes.

There are still lots of careers that one may get into with this kind of industry in fact, this is one of the largest industries that peoples may get careers from. It is also very lucrative as there will always be construction everywhere and you will not be left with any projects as all. As long as you know how to find those projects, you will definitely get a career to work on. There are also companies that take care of the building and construction of different establishments. You may apply for for a job in these businesses as long as you know that you can handle the work.

What Makes A Good Estate Agent

Whilst it's possible to do it yourself and  save money, using and estate agent will streamline the process and sell your property at a price you want. If you are a landlord, going through a letting agents will safeguard your investment and ensure you get tenants who will fulfill the terms and conditions of the contract they sign. What makes a good estate agent? There are thousands of estate agents in the UK and some will inevitably be better than others.Here is a useful guide to sort the good from the bad.

Why you need an Estate Agent.

Selling Property

When it come to selling property, estate agents are one of the most indispensable professionals you need. This is because:

* They know the property  market inside out.
* They know the properties in your area , who will buy them, and how much they sell for.
* They know the state of the local market, which might be better or worse than the national property market.
* They have a list of actively seeking buyers.
* They can read buying signals better than anyone else.

Lighting Property

Letting agent can be incredibly useful when it comes to finding tenants. You should choose one because.

* They will advertise your property to tenants looking to rent in the area.
* They know the local area, what properties are available, and who rents them.
* They will arrange viewings.

* Letting agents will negotiate with tenants over the rental price.

What makes a good estate agent?

A good estate needs to possess some of the following attributes:

* Great communication skills, both verbal and written.
* Needs to be diplomatic, especially if they need to deliver bad news.
* Needs to be extremely organized.
* Great chasing -up skills, particularly when co-coordinating different stages of the selling /letting process.
* Need to be tenacious, since may come into contact with difficult professionals.
* Need to be a peacemaker, calming sellers and /or buyers when things go wrong .
* Need to keep everything running smoothly.

Choosing the perfect agent

Walk around any city or town center and you will see numerous state agents interested in your business. How do you know who is right for you?

Here are some useful tips:
 
* Choose an estate agent which has been selling for a long time.
* Find an agent suitable for your market.
* Do your research first. Investigate the area and any agencies that have caught your attention.
* Look for agents with long opening hours. If you're working, you might an agency that works in the evenings for example.
* Check their Internet presence. Are they listed of major property websites? This is particularly important if you're selling or letting, because you need exposure to lots of potential buyers and tenants.
* Is the office busy? This is good sign that they are active agents.
* Call the agent beforehand and pretend to be a prospective buyer. Jot down how you professional they are, their level of enthusiasm and who you were treated. This should give a good indication of how potential buyers/tenants will be treated when introduced to your property .

Required to Become a Successful Internet Marketer

Millions of people every day it has opened up opportunities that the world has never seen before and in the hands of a skilled marketer it's extremely powerful. But not everybody who's taking advantage of this powerful tool is successful, far from it actually it's filled with people abusing the otherwise so useful social medias, called stammers, as well as network and Internet marketer wannabees.

Truth to be told not many accomplish their goals to make enough money to live the lifestyle they're seeking for or maybe even to quit their current career. I 'm not in any way trying to scare you off but to tell you the truth about making money online. In fact this shouldn't scare you off or perhaps you're not the material to succeed anyway. If anything, this should only encourage you to give it you all.

I know that all over the Internet there are people calming huge numbers income and there's really no reason to doubt it. The question is not whether or not the numbers are correct as much as how much have they invested to reach that level.

You can rally break this down into three separate things that are almost equally important to build your business. They are money, time and mindset.

First let's talk money with all scams and get rich quick programs it's easy to become lazy looking for big money with no efforts. That won't happen. To get in to the Internet marketing business doesn't need to cost you a lot of money , however buying the marketing tools needed to get high rank on search engines and to make good ads. It will cost money to make good read worthy to spend there's no reason to give up. You can still build a very successful business it's just what you lack in money you'll have to make up for with time.

This brings to the next topic which is just that, time... To become a successful marketer requires you to spend time working on it. You'll have to spend more time than you think to write articles, blog posts ads etc that actually is interesting enough for people to want more it's more or less a full day job like any other. For those who has nothing else and have the ability to work all day with their business of course will grow at a much faster rate. Perhaps you're one of those going to a work you hate very day, living paycheck to paycheck. It may be that you'll have to work twice as hard, coming home from you daily work just to sit down making your marketing efforts.

As we ended the discussion of time we begin with mindset. This is the main issue to why most marketers fail and quit. Even if you got all the time in the world and you got some money to spend it won't automatically make you a pro marketer. You still have to be determined and realize that no one else will do it for you. The only way to become successful is to make the decision and then stick with it no matter what. Stop making excuses because you're not fooling anyone but yourself. It's long term industry but the results are very individual, some manage to make money quick while others need more time.

Nice Look to Your Marketing Campaign

Creating marketing campaign and participating in the exhibitions is one of the excellent ways of promoting your product and services in the market. You can take part in trade shows and different  marketing campaigns to come in to direct contact with the potential customers. Using various pop up displays in the exhibition would leave a positive impact on the mind of the visitors. This would be beneficial for the business as well. Mere taking part in of the promotional show would not have much impact on the business. The display pop up stands or the graphical posters are one of the main things to get noticed by the visitors.
Eye-catching graphics and displays would leave the blueprint of the company in the mind of the viewers.

There are numerous display materials available in the market; you need to choose the best out of them suiting your needs and requirement. Selecting the best exhibition displays is very important to reap maximum benefits our of the promotional campaign. Here are few tips. You can use for your displays for participating in the exhibitions.

1) To get the most out of the exhibitions, you should use customized themes, to convey a unique brand image in the market. The marketing theme can be decided according to the products and the services you are offering to the target audience. Customized pop up stands can help you give the best reputation to the company's products. There are various advertising and printing companies available to help you create exhibitions pop up displays. These companies have expertise in creating professional and great look for the display booth.

2) Apart from the old and traditional marketing materials, there are various display stands an panels available in the market. These pop up displays use different graphical panes to showcase the products and services to the target audience. With the digital printed graphics, the pop up stands have become one of the most effective and workable display stands for the exhibitions. These stands are light in weight and can be transported for one exhibition to the other with ease. The pop up display stands can be reused for the other campaigns, the graphic panels are easily available and occupy very less space at the booth. Assembling and dismantling of these pop up display is very easy, one person can easily handle it.

3) The marketing and promotional companies offer great ideas to implement in the promotional campaigns to get the most out of the exhibitions. They use striking graphics, creative stands and attention grabbing text on the pop up stands to get attention in the exhibition. Give a new look to your marketing campaign by using such displays and stands at the trade shows.

4) Multimedia screens are use in the pop up display s you can make different slides for presenting numerous products. These innovative marketing materials give a good impression in the mind of the visitors.

Your Commercial Cleaning Service Business

Undoubtedly your business's floors and bathrooms need to be clean. They are high traffic areas in all businesses, no matter what your industry might be. A commercial cleaning company might be just what you need to operate safely and efficiently. Everyday janitorial tasks simply must be performed. That is what leads business owner to decide on how to handle routine tasks such as cleaning bathrooms to the less frequent tasks such as exterior painting. Time after time, business owners have found that it is cost efficient and time is saved due to outsourcing these tasks to companies that provide these service. While there are many reasons your business might want to hire a commercial cleaning company, there are 3 main reasons that we will discuss today.

The first is productivity you've hired your employees to do a job, and that seldom involves waxing the floors and performing routine cleaning activities. So, it makes little sense to have somebody that handles a task such as inventory control to take time out of their day and do sweeping and mopping. You most likely would be overpaying for the service if you put a calculator to it. This does not even take into account that they consider below them and would like do less than a proper job. We've all seen plenty of businesses where you can tell that employees are required to pitch in to do the cleaning. In most cases, it;s not hard to tell that professionals are not involved.

The second is health and safety. It's not a secret that cleanliness promotes good health. Go to any hospital in the country and you will notice that they have hand sanitizer on practically every wall in the building. They have procedures to properly handle soiled sheets and other materials. They also have the equipments to handle just about any cleaning needed throughout the hospital. Even if your business is not a hospital. It is that they take every precaution to prevent the spread of disease. The flu is most likely a better example for your business. A clean workplace can help prevent the flu spread around your office. A nasty bug gets around and you'll find yourself scrambling to fill the shoes of your employees needed to run daily operations.

The last one is cost efficiency. Surviving in the business world means offering the best product or service at the best price available to the consumer. This general law applies to keeping your business clean and presentable to customers all the same. Purchasing all the tools and supplies to properly clean and maintain your building or business is never cheap. And, as we touched on before, using your well paid employee to do general janitorial work is not cost efficient either. You put these together and you have a substantial cost to keep everything the way it needs  to be. On the other hand, commercial cleaning companies specialize in the service and can offer a better job at a cheaper rate. Saving time and money is the key here.