General Business Tips
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B101
Word Count: 163
Getting Ahead In Your Organization
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f you are looking for ways to promote your own ideas within your company, the best strategy is to help the boss achieve their goals. It helps to know what your ...
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B102
Word Count: 182
Roadblocks to Success
Here are some career mind barriers found especially among new entrants to the workforce, from News From Kaplan, a fact sheet published by Simon & Schuster.
• Waiting to be discovered. Instead….
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B103
Word Count: 95
THREE STEPS TO AGREEMENT
To reach agreement with other people about anything, try this 3-step "triangle" process:
YOU. First….
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B104
Word Count: 71
Respect
Studies over the past 60 years have regularly shown that employees covet respect almost as much as money—and sometimes they even rate…
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B105
Word Count: 370
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Story – One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered….
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B106
Word Count: 131
PERFORMANCE
If your company is using economic excuses and cutbacks as an excuse for not rewarding your employees who remain, your problem is a lack of imagination, not a lack of dollars. Here are some possibilities for recognition and rewards:
1) A picture of a winning department on a local billboard.
2) A personalized director's chair with a...
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B107
Word Count: 56
SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESSES
About 80% of the successful small retailers had written business plans compared to 35% of the unsuccessful ones. Successful owners were also more likely to get information for themselves from professional journals and newsletters. Unsuccessful owners...
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B108
Word Count: 114
This might be the world’s shortest top ten, but sometimes simple is better. When I saw these keywords taken from Sam Walton, I felt like sharing them with everyone as they will make a difference if you follow them—he did!
1. Commit to your business.
2. Share your profits....
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B109
Word Count: 393
Going for Excellence
by Dave Thomas
When you have your own act together and get along well with others, you’re ready to reach for excellence.
From our earliest days, we are taught that excellence is snazzy, glossy, and bigger than life. It’s that three seconds of glory, not the constant training workouts. But that’s just false. Most people think excellence in business is sitting at a big desk and making power decisions, but true excellence is really the years beforehand making little and big right decisions and learning from mistakes when things go wrong.
No one can excel in everything. In fact, excellence in any one...
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B110
Word Count: 307
Top 7 Ways That Business Is Just Like Racquetball:
1. You need a few kill shots to keep the business alive if you intend to succeed. Kill shots are your best and biggest deals, that slam dunk your profit and sales goals for the month or quarter.
2. If you can't play three games in a row without heart failure or exhaustion, it's time to increase daily...
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B111
Word Count: 160
Deciding where to sit
You enter a room to attend a meeting. Two seats are empty. One would put you on the same side of the table as your opponents and your boss. The other would put you across from them. Which do you head for? Suggestions:
• Think opposite. The power positions are opposite your competition or chief decision maker. Don’t sit...
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B112
Word Count: 151
What to wear
You’re about to dress for that important presentation. However, you don’t know much about the culture of the audience or the organization. You don’t want to overdress or underdress. To avoid a needless and possibly embarrassing blunder:
• Check the organization’s culture before...
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B113
Word Count: 326
Recognizing Workers Needs
Successful managers create work environments
where employees can contribute according to their individual
talents. However, to get the most from those talents, you’d
better check employees’ hot buttons first.
Learning what employees need from you will help you bring
out their best for the organization. So, be sure to address
these four categories of employee needs and use their
complementary management styles:
• Employees with security needs are likely to seek
assurances, play it safe, prefer clear instruction, and stay
within ...
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B114
Word Count: 147
Why is taking the consequences for something "facing the music"?
This expression almost sounds like the name of a quiz show, but what it describes is hardly entertaining. When you face the music, either you've done something wrong and now have to "pay" for it, or you've made a tough decision that will result in some negative consequences for you. Either way, you're not headed ...
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B115
Word Count: 179
Can you start a memo right?
Rate your ability to seize and hold the attention of those who receive your memos by picking the best opening statement:
1. "Kevin Donaldson and I recommend that we cancel the Carstairs account."
2. "Kevin Donaldson and I met yesterday to discuss ...
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B116
Word Count: 94
Gaining management support
You want the best way to present your ideas to your management group — including the boss. Others failed because they seemed unprepared or didn’t know what to expect. To avoid that quagmire:
• Seek support from all decision-makers before the meeting. Nevertheless, at the meeting, pitch your ideas to the top decision-maker...
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B117
Word Count: 353
author removed
B118
Word Count: 373
NETWORKING TIPS
How to Prepare for the Mixer:
1. Adopt a positive attitude; don’t go if you’re not in the mood to meet new contacts.
2. Focus on the benefits; do not be blinded by your goals to meet everyone; be open to possibilities.
3. Plan your 8 second introduction; name, company, feature and benefit; keep it sharp/fresh
4. Check your business cards
· Carry ample supply (pocket, briefcase, purse, car, wallet)
· Your name and address are readable
· Carry your business cards in your...
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B119
Word Count: 99
Don't Buy It
Jacquelyn Lynn, Entrepreneur
Small businesses lose millions of dollars annually to bogus office-supply firms. Remember that you don't have to pay for supplies or services that you didn't order, even if you use them. Train your staff to recognize...
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B120
Word Count: 220
It’s a mistake to expect everyone to react to change in the same way. Instead, say consultants Kathy Kolbe and Jim Woodford, it makes more sense to benefit from what Kolbe calls the instinct-based actions of these four personalities:
1. Fact-finders need to investigate and process
information.
2. Follow-throughs want a sense of...
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B121
Word Count: 669
Be Unrealistic!
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et's take a closer look at this word, "unrealistic." Was it realistic, in the early 1960s, for John F. Kennedy to proclaim that we would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade? Ten years ago, was it realistic to believe that millions of people worldwide would be exchanging e-mail messages every day? Was it ever realistic to believe that a sheep could be cloned?
As you'll probably admit, all of these things were unrealistic. And yet, all of them were accomplished! Why? Because certain people dared...
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B122
Word Count: 215
BUSINESS TIPS
PICTURE BUSINESS CARDS
For years, business cards with full-color pictures have been available. And a few people have been putting their own pictures in the corner of their cards. It's long been known that pictures attract attention. If it fits your business image, consider adding a picture to your business card.
GOOD BUSINESS MANNERS
When dealing with customers in person or on the...
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B123
Word Count: 238
Here are three easy ways you can alleviate stress—right now!
The first step in tackling stress is to understand that you are in control of it. Stress is not the outside world attacking you—stress is the way you react to the outside world. Two people may undergo the same experience, but one may feel “stressed” while the other may not. The person who feels easily stressed probably has a weaker coping mechanism.
Here are some shifts you can make to reduce stress:
· Get physical. Make exercise a part of...
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B124
Word Count: 92
THREE STEPS TO AGREEMENT
To reach agreement with other people about anything, try this 3-step "triangle" process:
1) YOU. First address the other person's interests
2) US. Then relate their interests to what you have...
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B125
Word Count: 228
ID THEFT - HOTEL/MOTEL ROOM CARDS
Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new threats to personal security issues, recently discovered what type of information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used through-out the industry.
Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from...
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B126
Word Count: 336
Having fun at work doesn't happen by accident
Having fun at work boosts morale, productivity and creativity, while reducing burnout and turnover. But it doesn't happen by accident. Here's how three companies promote fun at work:
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Lands' End
recruits about 2,600 employees a year for its catalog
business in Dodgeville, Wis.-a small town in a state with
low unemployment. What's the draw? To start,
department heads listen to employees' ideas for activities.
Managers sometimes serve their staff members cookies and
other treats. And the Lands' End Choir provides a musical
outlet for about 70 employees. One result: Fortune magazine
ranked Lands' End among the 100 best places to work in 1997
and 1998.
Fun events: On "Inside-Out Day," warehouse workers
wear clothes-what else?-inside out. At a "Harvest Ball,"
customer service reps wear...
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B127
Word Count: 110
Managing Change
Facing change, a group divides into three factions — those for it, those against it and the fence sitters. Which group should you encourage?
Answer: Spend your time with those who already favor it, says Ron Koroscil and Jack D’Urso of Pitney Bowes.
Reason: In their manufacturing group, the pair encouraged and supported those who...
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B128
Word Count: 576
Technology Planning - It's not just hardware!
As part of the ever ongoing need to plan for your business, you need to look forward and assess your need to integrate technology into your daily business transactions. Like the people in your business, effective technology deployment is key to the success you are having today and will have into the future.
When we hear the words technology we immediately think of the PC, your computer network, maybe even your PDA or cell phone. Technology today is more encompassing...
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B129
Word Count: 54
When to meet
The best time to start a meeting is mid-to late morning, when most staffers are at their best. Morning people are still energetic, and others are beginning to function effectively.
Also, the meeting...
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B130
Word Count: 780
The Top 10 Steps to a Clean, Clear Desk
Is your desk a disaster area? Desk clutter creates stress, confusion, and cuts down on your productivity. It is estimated that people waste and average of 30 minutes per day searching for papers - that translates into 10 hours per month or a whole 3 weeks per year of unproductive time!
1. Take everything off your desk and out of your drawers. This is very satisfying as you have a quick win by being able to see your desk in two minutes!
2. Give your desk a good clean. Make sure you remove all the dirt that has been lurking in those darkened corners.
3. Get a large, strong bin bag and start dumping! Put all your papers in one big pile, and start to "divide and conquer." Remove large items such as catalogues and manuals. Are they out of date? Do you really need them? If the answer is YES, they should go in a filing cabinet. Over 80% of your paper pile can probably be thrown out. The only papers you should keep on your desk are the ones that you are actively working on, so make a file for each topic and keep all the papers together. Anything else should be thrown out or filed for future reference / audit purposes.
4. ...
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B131
Word Count: 319
When employees go bad:
Tips for stopping the cyberstalker
You’ve fired an employee. Next thing you know, you’re getting obscene e-mails and phone calls from people you don’t know who say they met you in a chat room. Sounds made up, but it’s not. It’s called cyberstalking, and it’s a new technique used by disgruntled employees to “get even” with their former employers or colleagues. In some cases, cyberstalking can be just an annoyance. In other cases, it can result in bigger headaches like “denial-of-use” attacks. If your company or a particular employee has been the victim of a cyberstalker, here are three tips for stopping the harassment:
1. Make a log. Keep track of every occurrence by writing down the date, time, and a brief description of what happened (for example: June 21, 2000; 3:35 p.m.; obscene e-mail).
2. Gather evidence. Try to trace the attack back to the harasser. In the case of e-mails, this can be done by following the sender information back to the...
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B132
Word Count: 546
It’s Not The Difficult People, It’s The Difficult Behavior
It’s a human tendency to identify people as being difficult or easy to get along with, and that affects how we interact with them. The question is - is it that some people are difficult or is it their behavior that bothers us?
How Labeling People As Difficult Causes Problems
Most if not all of us, talk about difficult people. We think: “Oh, that’s John again, why is he always a pain in the posterior,” or “Why is Mary so darned stubborn and difficult all the time.” We tend to characterize (or label) people and put them into boxes or categories.
If you do that, it’s not a character flaw on your part, but a way of trying to simplify the world. In fact our brains are wired to do this automatically. Brains are wonderful information reduction and labeling machines. They classify, label and...
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B133
Word Count: 200
7 Successful Business Tips
1. Establish your long-term vision.
Take a good look at your company and its core competencies and create a written picture of your future.
2. Communicate your vision.
Let everybody know what your vision is and ask them what it means to them. This will help you to get buy in and help others know where you are going in the long term so they can see where they fit in.
3. Establish some core...
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B134
Word Count: 156
Tap The Benefits Of An Open Office
You probably agree that creating a workspace where people who should work together can see each other is a good idea. But perhaps you want some hard evidence about benefits. Consider:
No one has a private office at the headquarters for Michael Bloomberg’s multimedia empire—and that includes Bloomberg himself. Even the conference rooms have glass walls.
Why does Bloomberg prefer an open-plan layout that puts everyone constantly in front of their peers? He says it offers these benefits:
• People "absorb information peripherally" while focusing on their own work.
• The openness prevents...
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B135
Word Count: 100
Tips On Diversity
Diversity is defined as having differences. These differences may range from personal preferences such as being a vegetarian to physical limitations such as limited vision or hearing. Yet, a recent national survey suggest that most define diversity as either having racial or cultural differences. To embrace a more global definition of diversity, try incorporating these ideas in your corporate culture:
· Keep an open mind to all individuals and their ideas
· Respect all individual differences
· Become...
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B136
Word Count: 116
BITE YOUR TONGUE
Anyone can enter your name into an Internet search engine and find information about you, including postings you have made long ago in discussion groups! The author suggests how you can avoid damaging your business image with such information:
* Avoid using bad language in all of your e-mails or in postings in discussion forums.
* If there is already something damaging out there, move it further to the back of search results by...
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B137
Word Count: 173
Simple Ways To Spot A Business Trend
Successful managers should be able to anticipate and adapt to changes in their industry. The following are some quick tips to help you spot trends that may affect your job:
• Scan your junk mail before you discard it. What trends in advertising, marketing, new products and emerging technologies can you see?
You may want to let the mail collect for a week or two before reviewing it. It’s easier to spot a trend when you have plenty of data to analyze.
• Reflect on the...
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B138
Word Count: 357
Five Ingredients for Loyalty
Do you think your employees are happy? Consider these findings from a recent survey of 700 workers at 70 firms:
• 54% said management decisions aren’t explained well.
• 61% reported they aren’t well-informed about organizational plans.
• 64% admit they just don’t believe the information that management dishes out.
So if you see signs that your staff’s ...
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B139
Word Count: 456
Business Boost
20 questions
"The secret of success in life is for a man to be
ready for his opportunity when it comes."
Benjamin Disraeli
Are you, and your business, ready for each opportunity as it arises? Do you know where you are going and how you will get there?
Here is a list of questions to help you prepare for future opportunities and today's success.
Answer these questions to the best of your abilities and keep this as a working document for your business...and life.
What will your company look like in 3, 5, 10, and 20 years from today?
Who is your competition?
Are they better in any areas than your business? (If so, what areas and how?)
Who will be your...
B140
Word Count: 284
Managing Stress
The business world is filled with many challenges and opportunities. In order for a business to take advantage of opportunities and overcome the challenges, a business owner must be able to continuously perform at top levels of achievement. When stress is not managed this consumes much of a persons energy therefore not allowing great portions of that persons capabilities to be effectively used in the work or personal environment.
A Simple Stress Test
Take the Business Owners Stress Test
1. I am impatient with others at least several times a week.
2. I worry about the sustainability of my company’s revenue streams.
3. I have business debt that is more than 20% of my annual revenues.
4. My spouse (or employees) just...
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B141
Word Count: 139
How Many Small Bussiness's Are There?
In 2003, there were approximately 23.7 million businesses in the United States, according to Office of Advocacy estimates.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates there were 27.0 million business tax returns in 2003; however, this number may overestimate the number of firms, as one business can operate more than one taxable entity.
IRS estimates the number of sole proprietorships (roughly equivalent to nonemployers) increased by 2.4 percent in 2002 and by 1.9 percent in 2003.
Census data show there were 5.7 million firms with employees and 17.0 million without employees in 2001.
Applying the sole proprietorship growth rates to the nonemployer figures and similar Department of Labor growth rates to the employer figures produces the 23.7 million figure.
Small firms with less than 500 employees represent 99.7 percent of the 23.7 million businesses.
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B142
Word Count: 204
How important are small businesses to the U.S. economy?
Small firms
Represent 99.7 percent of all employers.
Employ half of all private sector employees.
Pay 44.3 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
Generate 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
Create more than 50 percent of non-farm private gross domestic product (GDP).
Supplied over 23 percent of the total value of federal prime contracts in FY 2003.
Produce 13 to 14 times more...
B143
Word Count: 375
Quarterly Indicators: The Economy and Small Business
First Quarter 2004
• Real economic output has been rising, especially since third quarter 2003. Production increased in manufacturing, an industry
hard hit during and after the recession. Real gross private investment is also improving, a sign that capital spending is recovering.
• The economy is experiencing positive employment signs, including the creation of nearly 600,000 new nonfarm jobs in the first
three months of 2004. Nearly all sectors saw positive gains from November 2003 to March 2004. Unemployment remains an
issue, however as nonfarm payrolls have not recovered to their pre-recession levels, and 3.3 million people remain unemployed.
The employment picture is cited for...
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B144
Word Count: 799
How to Run an Effective Business Meeting
By Jennifer C. Selland, CPBA, CPVA, CAIA, TriMetrix
How productive are your business meetings? Would you describe the culture that governs your meetings to more resemble World War III or crazy chaos? During a meeting, do you focus on the agenda at hand or do you concentrate more on breaking a foam cup into bits? Would you qualify eating all of the donuts in a meeting as a major accomplishment in your agenda? If these meeting scenarios sound familiar to you, you are not alone! Many studies have shown that more time is wasted in meetings than in any other business activity. It is estimated that people spend 20-40% (upper management is much more) of their time in meetings and that meetings are only 44-50% efficient (source: Steve Kaye). By improving the efficiency of your next meeting, you may increase your bottom line.
The first step in improving the efficiency of your business meetings is to recognize that meetings are a collaborative effort. The very definition of a meeting is...
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B145
Word Count: 243
Productivity Boost!
Goal Setting - "The savvy 16"
"If everybody was satisfied with himself, there would be no heroes." Mark Twain
What are your top five business goals?
What are your top five personal goals?
Do these goals coincide with each other?
What rewards do each of these goals give to you?
What are the consequences of not achieving each of these goals?
What is standing in your way from accomplishing these goals?
What are...
B146
Word Count: 171
The End Of Human Resources As We Know It
Conventional wisdom says that human resources finally has achieved its sought-after seat at the table. But the ability of human resources to add value at a strategic level "is currently more promise than reality." That’s the sobering finding of Creating a Strategic Human Resources Organization (Stanford Business Books, 2003), a long-term study of human resources by Edward E. Lawler III and Susan Albers Mohrman.
The authors found that today’s people managers still are most comfortable with...
B147
Word Count: 94
Interesting LEGAL FACTS
Don’t Try Docking Pay For Smoking Breaks
An employer who allowed his workers to take a series of short smoking breaks had to compensate them for the time. Reason:
Such approved short breaks (20 minutes or less) are considered hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). That opinion comes from an opinion letter by the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. (W&H Letter No. 2007) The FLSA doesn’t require you to give workers rest periods, but if you do decide to allow short breaks, the time is compensable.
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B148
Word Count: 169
You May be liable if employees do business by car phone
You want your managers to stay productive, so you suggest they get wireless phones. You may even buy phones or reimburse for them. This is fine, as long as the employees don’t drive carelessly.
In a Pennsylvania case, a Smith Barney broker who allegedly was talking on his cellular phone dropped it, bent down to get it, ran a red light and killed a motorcyclist. Smith Barney agreed to pay $500,000 to the motorcyclist’s family, which sued the firm for contributing to the accident.
Despite the company’s big...
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B149
Word Count: 232
How To Help Employees Manage Workplace Stress
In their paper, “Reducing Occupational Stress: An Introductory Guide for Managers, Supervisors, and Union Member,” co-authors Janet Cahill, Paul Landsbergis, and Peter Schnall offer some useful information that may help you improve the health and productivity of employees.
Here are a few of their recommendations:
· Increase the level of social support from co-workers and supervisors. Approaches can include proactive supervisory training, conflict resolution training, and staff retreats.
· Improve physical working conditions. Approaches include improving indoor air quality, reducing hazards such as noise, toxins, and chemicals, and...
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B150
Word Count: 235
Get more done between flights
Look for more Wi-Fi Internet access at airports. Nineteen of the top 50 U.S. airports either have it or are installing it, and another six are now accepting bids to get it.
Airline carriers such as American, Delta, United and US Airways are also offering it free in airport lounges.
For Chuck Blaisdell, a regional minister for the Christian Church of Northern California and Nevada, the proliferation of wireless access points means he can log on between...
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B151
Word Count: 134
How To Support An Employee Going Through Depression
If you have an employee who is suffering from a mild depressive disorder, there are a few things you can do as a manager to be supportive. Here are a few tips:
Help your employee set reasonable goals. In light of the depression, the employee may have an unrealistic view of what he or she needs to accomplish.
Assist the employee in breaking a large task into several small ones. This will help take the pressure off of the project. Encourage them to set priorities and accomplish what he or she can.
Provide information about any employee assistance program your company might have.
Try to get the employee...
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B152
Word Count: 98
Create A Drug-Free Workplace Program From Scratch
A useful online tool from the U.S. Department of Labor takes employers step-by-step through setting up and administering drug-free workplace programs.
To map out a customized plan for your organization, visit the Drug-Free Workplace Program Builder at www.dol.gov/workingpartners and click on the Program Builder link.
The tool provides best-practice case studies, links to...
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B153
Word Count: 253
“How to protect yourself from credit card fraud”
When another person succeeds in using your credit information to commit credit fraud, it can cause a lot of hassle in your life. So how do you protect yourself?
Here are a few tips on how to avoid becoming the victim of this type of crime:
s Periodically review your credit reports. There are three main credit bureaus. Order your credit report from each of them at least once a year. Request copies of your credit report from TransUnion (800.680.7289), Experian (888.397.3742) and Equifax (800.525.6285).
s Properly discard documents. Cut up, shred or otherwise destroy credit card statements, bank statements, pre-approved credit offers or any other documents that contain your personal information. Destroy credit card receipts, too.
s Limit identification...
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B154
Word Count: 409
Do You Know and Plan For The 3-R’s for Your Business?
Everyone is familiar with the 3-R’s from school – reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. This was our first introduction to an effective performance model. As proficiency increased in each R, performance was further enhanced. Effective performance models by their very design are a continuum that automatically raises performance to the next level.
Today’s businesses have their own 3-R Performance Model. This model hasn’t really changed since the early of origins of business enterprises. No matter what the latest business guru advocates, good business practices and most importantly the “bottom-line” always appear to return to these basic 3-R’s. For without Relationships, Referrals or Revenue, today’s businesses will not achieve current goals nor grow.
R1 – Relationships - With the Internet providing immediate access to unlimited vendors, products and services, today’s business owners must develop sustainable and loyal relationships. Current customer service research suggests that...
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B155
Word Count: 215
IRS Announces 2006
Standard Mileage Rates
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2006 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
· 44.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;
· 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
· 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations, other than activities related to Hurricane Katrina relief.
The new rate for business miles compares to a rate of...
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B156
Word Count: 912
What Is Sexual Harassment?
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when one or more of the following is true:
1. A person feels that submission to the conduct is necessary in order to get or keep a job.
2. A person feels that employment decisions such as raises, promotions, and demotions depend on whether he or she submits to or rejects the conduct.
3. The conduct interferes with a person's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
Some important facts to remember about sexual harassment are:
· Both men and women can be victims of sexual harassment.
· Either a man or a woman can be a harasser.
· The person complaining of sexual harassment does ...
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B157
Word Count: 391
10 Ways to Have Your Best Year Ever!
We often think of New Year’s as the time to start fresh and make those famous resolutions. But anytime is the right time to take control of our lives, to choose how we will live. Real success in life is about balance, about choosing priorities, and then following a plan to focus on the things that are most important to us. The following suggestions can help.
1. Take time to decide what you really want this year. What would make it a great year, a fantastic year for you? Dream and scheme, and then dream bigger! And write it down, just for the fun of it.
2. Mark one day each month, just for you. Use ink, not pencil, and schedule an appointment with...
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B158
Word Count: 250
Guidelines for Roth IRA Contributions
Taxpayers confused about whether they can contribute to a Roth IRA should consider guidelines based on the following categories:
· Income Limits - To contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have compensation (e.g., wages, salary, tips, professional fees, bonuses). These limits vary depending on your filing and marital statuses.
· Age There is no age limitation for Roth IRA contributions.
· Contribution Limits - In general, if your only IRA is a Roth IRA, the maximum 2005 contribution limit is the lesser of your taxable compensation or $4,000 ($4,500 if 50 or older). The maximum contribution limit phases out depending on your modified adjusted gross income.
· Spousal Roth IRA - You ...
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B159
Word Count: 452
Build A Workforce That Will Work Wonders
At then end of the interview, you should know all there is to know about a potential employee. Why then does it often seem as if an interviewee walks out of the office as an enigma? After all, you’re holding all of the cards. There’s no reason to feel blindsided, but you do.
An interview is your chance to get to know a potential hire and to understand those things about him or her that would best suit your business. But not everyone knows how to get the most out of an interview.
To maximize the helpful information you get from a potential worker, you must do each of three things. First, you must develop interview questions which will elicit answers that identify skills specific to the position for which you are hiring. Secondly, know exactly which answers you are looking for with each question asked. Finally, you need to have the courage to challenge the answers candidates give you, to make absolutely sure that you have the information from them that you want.
Being unprepared for an...
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B160-negotiating to win
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Negotiating To Win
Often when we think of “negotiating to win” we visualize someone raising their hands triumphantly and the other party going away defeated. In sales negotiations, the objective is to have both sides win. Let’s face it; if there is a win for the selling organization and a loss for the customer, the selling organization will eventually lose. If there is a loss for the selling organization and win for the customer, the customer eventually loses. Therefore, the Champion Sales Person seeks to have a win/win scenario where both the selling organization and the customer win.
There are four negotiation alternatives that the Champion Sales Person can use to arrive at a win/win:
B161
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We’re All Entrepreneurs
The New Work World is project management and team collaboration with a variety of clients/customers.
As William Bridges states: “more and more of the work that must be done today is being done by people who do not hold ‘jobs’ at the company that needs the work done.”
Daniel Pink takes our thinking yet another step. He says, “Ours has been the age of the “knowledge worker,” the well-educated manipulator of information and deployer of expertise.” But that is changing. Thanks to...
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B162
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Helpful Tips For Effective Computer Use
In today’s environment using a computer has become an essential part of most professions.
To avoid undue stress of fatigue, loss of work, or eye strain, follow these suggestions:
s Keep your monitor screen clean by using one of the many cleaning pads available. This will cut down on your eye strain.
s If you are working on your computer and start to experience visual fatigue, blink more often. As you blink your eyes you lubricate them. It may also be helpful to get up and walk around the office for a couple of minutes.
s One of the most frustrating things ...
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B163
Word Count: 207
How To Run An Excuse-Free Office
Is excuse-making a problem in your office? Excuses are really just defense mechanisms because employees fear blame, embarrassment, reprimands, and firings. As a manager, it is your job to turn mistake-making into a learning experience for your employees. Here are some suggestions to help you reduce the amount of excuse-making that goes on under your command:
· Make sure your employees know your expectations. Clarify tasks and assignments that will be each employee’s responsibility. Explain how what the employee is doing fits into the bigger picture. This is often an oversight in many businesses and detaches the worker from feeling like he is performing meaningful work.
· Help the employee anticipate possible problems and how she will handle them.
· Make sure the employee knows where to go for help.
· After the task has been completed, ...
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B164
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2007 Mileage Increase
The Internal Revenue Service is increasing the mileage rates for calculating the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes, for 2007.
The 2007 mileage rates will be:
The increases in mileage rates for business, moving and medical purposes were attributed to increased fuel and vehicle costs. The rates are based on an annual study, conducted by Runzheimer International, of the costs of operating a vehicle.
The rate for charitable mileage is set by statute. / For more: www.irs.gov.
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B165
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Employee Loyalty
To get loyal employees employers must:
• Select employees carefully so they match the job and the company environment.
• Pay fair market value wages and salaries
• Provide training in safety and job skills
Often when speaking to organizations or talking with clients, the subject of employee loyalty comes up. The questions asked are usually the same: “How come employees aren’t loyal any more?” or “How can I find employees that will be loyal to me?” The questions are the same and so is my response. Employees today are as loyal as they were years ago. Today’s employees, like many employers have lost the ability to define and recognize loyalty in the employee-employer relationship.
Employers are looking for employees that ...
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ure, you’re a talented businessperson, and you’re good at what you do. But you’ll never be as good as you could be with just talent alone.
Yes, you work extremely hard. You do the little things that make a difference. But you’ll never be as good as you could be through hard work and determination only.
We agree; you’ve accumulated a wealth of experience over the years. You know the ins and outs of your profession. But you’ll never be as good as you could be through experience alone.
The above attributes are certainly integral to being successful. But there’s one thing that brings them together and acts as their “glue,” so to speak. It maximizes the effectiveness of all three individually and also collectively, as a group. And that one thing is networking.
The need for networking is often ...
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Is Offshoring Waning?
For years, the United States and some other developed countries have been sending jobs to less-developed countries. In most cases, the motivation has been cost-savings…almost always in labor costs. It was assumed that workers in the receiving countries would be able to perform the work at least as effectively as the workers who had held the jobs for years---sometimes for decades. Manufacturing jobs shifted overseas, along with administrative, back-office, coding and design, and information technology positions.
Recently, because of the difficulty of finding qualified workers in the home country, jobs have moved to other countries. Employers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, for a few examples, have found the task of hiring skilled workers increasingly difficult. When competent workers are not available in the home country, employers will seek workers with those abilities in other countries.
Thousands of jobs are moving overseas while there are still people in their home countries eager to take those positions. Unfortunately, it has become ...
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Increase Results By Building Endorsement
“Why is it that so many companies invest millions in buildings and equipment, and yet invest so little in the development of their most important asset-people? It would seem we should take care of the people first and then they will take care of the company.” Judy Suiter
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he most effective way to gain the commitment and cooperation of others is to “get into their world” and “blend” with their behavior style. By meeting a person’s behavioral needs you are able to earn endorsement. Through this endorsement you are able to diffuse many problems before they happen. Also, endorsement allows a person to gain the most benefit from their time with you. Every interaction you have with a person either increases or decreases your endorsement. Human performance is directly proportionate to endorsement.
There are 6 ways in which you can build endorsement of which 1 is earned (position) and all the others can be learned.
1. Position – A person’s position gives them a certain amount of endorsement. However, this endorsement increases or decreases based on “how” they act and “what” they believe.
2. Appearance – Whether you like it or not, your appearance will dictate whether you are liked or not. People notice the way you dress, your stationery, briefcase, eye contact, handshake, walk, etc. Anything a person sees can positively affect your endorsement.
3. Beliefs – People who do what they say and say what they do will develop greater endorsement than people who are “wishy-washy” in their actions. A straight shooter will develop a greater level of endorsement because of his/her reliability and trustworthiness.
4. Competence (technical, systems, and people relations) – A specialist in a field is seen as the one to listen to in order to solve problems. Also, if you develop good people skills you have a competence that can build your endorsement.
5. Oral Presentation Skills – A person who stands up and is unable to effectively present his/her ideas will have trouble gaining endorsement.
6. Feedback – The ability to give, receive, and act upon various forms of information from others greatly impacts endorsement. Most people want to do a good job. The manager’s task is to give effective feedback allowing the employee to make appropriate changes.
The following 5 steps will assist you in ...
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Rewards and Recognition
Satisfied, dependable and productive employees make business happen. Often a consumer will choose to purchase your product or service based on the employee who represents that product or service
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t seems that one of the secrets to a productive workforce—and therefore a successful business—is an elusive thing called good morale. Just what is good morale? It usually refers to how your employees feel about their jobs, you and your business. And that can directly affect your bottom line.
So the next question would be: "What contributes to good morale in the work environment?"
It’s a m