5 Tips to Maximize your Short-Term Savings

Being a small business owner rarely means having to budget millions of dollars and having to make decisions that please a bunch of stockholders. Yet, what unites a fair number of small business owners is that they are dealing with another kind of very stressful responsibility: building up their own retirement savings. Although this is a long-term goal, it has to be kept in mind throughout the process of building and running a small business. Achieving it inevitably calls for an incremental approach which seeks the maximization of short-term savings. Here are five tips just to do that.

1. Pay off debt faster

Small business owners, no matter their field of activity, generally have to get loans in order to start off (and sometimes to improve) their business. These loans can be small or big, depending on many factors. Since paying off debt can take a long time, the interests that a small business owner pays to the institution which financed the project can add up to a huge amount of money in the long run. For that reason, paying off debt faster than what was initially planned could result in substantial savings by the time a given small business owner retires.

2. Improve the areas that cost you too much

Small business owners have many items of expenditure: rents, employee pay checks, energy bills, furnishings, office supplies, etc. After one’s small business has been running for a while, it becomes easy to notice where some money could be saved on a monthly basis. If saving money entails spending some… a business owner should not hesitate to do it. For instance, if buying a new software could be improve the overall effectiveness of one’s company and help reduce the number of working hours that have to be paid each month, buying the software with short-term savings ought to be considered. Same thing if a new printer could reduce the cost of every copy: the upfront cost may be intimidating, but the long-term gains will easily offset it.

3. Pay a subcontractor

Sometimes, a small business owner can spend too much time working on some things just because he or she is not an expert in the field. This can be the case for accounting, for instance. If such obligations keep a small business owner from better investing his or her time more efficiently in another crucial area of the business, then he or she should consider hiring a subcontractor to carry out those overwhelming tasks that divert his or her attention from other things. Subcontractors are experts in their field; they work effectively and – generally speaking – at a reasonable cost. This could maximize the time the owner spends working and, in turn, minimize the costs of running the business.

4. Put some money aside

Short-term savings do not necessarily have to be spent! In effect, stocking them in order to benefit from an emergency fund when it is needed could be very useful. Planning for year-end tax payments also is essential and can be done through good management of short-term savings. Moreover, putting money aside as part of a long-term business strategy that seeks to eventually make a big, well-planned investment also is another logical way to deal with short-term gains. 

5. Think carefully before undertaking a new business venture

Sometimes, when money is coming in at a good pace, it is easy to get carried away and to become overly optimistic. In those moments, short-term savings can become a justification to constantly try to expand the scope of one’s business. Yet, good times eventually come to an end… Therefore, it is important to properly plan the expansion of one’s small business: short-term savings, if they are not meticulously invested, could turn out to be long-term losses.

About the author:

Alexandre Duval is a blogger for Standard Life, a company which offers many quality financial products and services.

 

Thank You LinkedIn – NOT part 3

Here is an explanation of the navigation changes that I found.  It might have been really nice of them to actually email us all (especially those of us that were viewed in the top 1%) and let us know before the change went into effect.  I guess that is just not their style.

Changes to the Top Navigation Links on the Homepage

How do I find places that I used to see on my top navigation bar?

Last Reviewed: 05/24/2013

Report Answer Inaccuracies

With the new version of LinkedIn navigation, certain features may have moved or changed. Below is a list of items and how you can find them.

• Inbox - Click the Inbox icon at the top right of your homepage to access your messages and invitations.
• The top navigation bar disappears as you scroll down the page – To see it again, move your cursor to the top of the page. You’ll also see it when you scroll in the upward direction, or scroll all the way to the top.
• Skills and Expertise - Go to http://www.linkedin.com/skills/, or move your cursor over any of the skills listed on a profile and click the title of the skill.
• Recruiter link - If you have a Recruiter account, you’ll find the Recruiter link by moving your cursor over your profile photo at the top right of your homepage and selecting Go to Recruiter. You can also log into Recruiter via http://www.linkedin.com/recruiter/.
• LinkedIn Today, Influencer Posts, and Channels - Move your cursor over Interests at the top of your homepage and select Influencers.
• Your Company Page - Move your cursor over Interests and select Companies. Then search for your Company and click its name in the dropdown list.
• Groups - Move your cursor over Interests and select Groups. You’ll see the list of groups you are a member of.
• Recommendations - Go to your profile page and scroll down to the Recommendations box.
• Polls - Go to polls http://polls.linkedin.com/ or share polls within a group.
• Students and Alumni – Go to LinkedIn Alumni at //www.linkedin.com/college/.
• Signal - Go to http://www.linkedin.com/signal or click the Search icon at the top of your homepage and then click Updates in the top left.
• Manage Team Accounts for Sales Navigator - If you’re a team admin, move your cursor over your profile photo at the top right of your homepage and select Manage Team Accounts.

 

 

Tips On How To Keep Your Business Out Of Financial Trouble

The whole world is going through a financial crisis. Businesses and individuals alike are finding it hard to stay in control of their finances. Small businesses, especially those who are still trying to establish themselves, are having the hardest time of all. Here are some tips on how to keep your business afloat in today’s tough economic climate.

Devise new strategies for old clients

If you have a solid repeat customer base, no matter how big or small, make use of it. Give regular customers more for their money, so that they spend more of it with you. You could offer an extra service or offer them loyalty points on purchases which can be redeemed in the form of a discount on future transactions. Many big retailers do this and it’s very popular with consumers.

If there are customers you have exceptional personal relationships with, you should leverage those relationships to gain referrals. You could develop any number of strategies to go about this, but the easiest way to do it, would be to simply ask. If your business has an online presence, ask loyal customers to write a review to be published on your website or social media pages. Most people will be more than happy to oblige.

Renegotiate old contracts

As mentioned earlier, everyone is feeling the crunch at the moment. Most people will thus understand if you approach them and ask that you relook contracts and agreements. Talk to your creditors; set up a meeting with your bank manager; even investigate the possibility of negotiating a new lease agreement if you’re renting the building your business is in.

No-one is going to give you the time of day, however, if you’re not prepared when you sit down with them. Do your homework and get all your paperwork in order before you make appointments. This brings us to our next point…

Stay on top of your finances

As a business owner, you have to keep track of the money coming in and going out every month. And if you’re trying to keep yourself in business, it’s obvious that the former of the two is exceptionally important. The easiest and best way to go about it would be to set up debit orders for all your clients (with their permission, of course). A debit order will ensure that the correct amount is paid into your bank account on a predetermined date, so that you don’t have to worry at the end of the month about getting paid on time – or at all. And spending less time on following up on payments means you have more time to work on other areas of your business.

Establish a cash reserve

This might seem impossible, but initiate and follow through on all of the action plans mentioned thus far and you will have more money available to you. Don’t be discouraged if it’s a small amount – you might have little to start off with, but invest it properly and that reserve will grow. If you want to add to it, explore ways in which you can cut your daily operational costs. Something as simple as limiting the printing of documents – so you’re spending less on paper – can make a big difference in the long run.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Terrence works as freelancer writer, so he thoroughly understands the struggles of today’s business owners. Personally, he found that making use of a debit order facility to collect money from clients made the biggest, most positive difference to his business. When Terrence isn’t writing, he likes to spend his free time on photography; his latest hobby.

 

 

The Key To Happy Customers

If you want your business to do better, you really only need to have one thing: happy customers. While customers in general will support your business, happy customers, the ones that are completely satisfied with your service, your products, and the experience you offer, will make sure your business succeeds beyond your wildest expectations. If you’re looking to put a few smiles on some customers, here are some tips you might find useful.

Don’t Bombard Them

Happy customers also mean satisfied customers. They’ve received the information they needed from you, nothing less and nothing more. While more content, more deals, and more emails might sound like a good thing from a business owner’s standpoint, you have to consider the perspective of the consumer. Most likely, you’re not the only business they’ve subscribed to. This means that in addition to your one or two emails per day, they’re also receiving emails, status updates, texts, and seeing advertisements from various other businesses. The last thing you want to do is be the business that goes overboard because they won’t hesitate to unsubscribe from your updates.

After you’ve gained a new follower, like, email subscriber, or blog reader, thank them for their support and then give them some space. You’ve captured their attention, which means they’ll be more aware of the amount of content you send their way. If that content is too few and far between, they can quickly forget about you. On the other hand, too much content can be overwhelming, annoying, and misinterpreted as lower quality. None of these bode well for your business development purposes.

Instead, find the right balance between the amount of content you send out and the time you send it out. Sending out smaller amounts of the right content at optimal times means that you have a higher chance at the success of that email, blog post, status update, or otherwise.

Ask For Feedback

If you’re sensing that your customers aren’t happy or you’d like to find ways to improve their experience with your business, the simplest way to find viable data is to simply ask them. That’s right; your customers partially hold the key to their own happiness. But it’s your responsibility as a business owner to unleash that insight and analyze it.

You can ask for customer feedback a number of ways. The most obvious is through online surveys. But this requires asking the right questions in the right format. The trick is to figure out what you’d like to know the most and then ask it in the simplest way. For instance, if you’d like to find out how your customer service team is doing ask how customers would rate their experience when deal with them. Asking for an answer on a number scale like 1 being the best experience and 10 being the worst experience would make the question even simpler. Also, try asking the question again but in a different way. This gives you more data to base your analysis off of. For a similar question to our previous example, you can ask how likely your customer is to recommend the customer service team. Again, use a numbered scale for easy answering.

You can also request feedback through social media, email newsletters, and posing questions at the end of blog posts on your website. Engage your customers and have them take interest in making the business they patronize better for their own benefit. You might want to offer deals, discounts, coupons, and other prizes for those who fill out the surveys. This will generate more interest, giving your surveys a variety of people to request feedback from.

Offer Occasional Deals

There are only a handful of companies that can get away with not offering any deals to their customers, but those companies have spent decades building up a reputation to do so. Apple, for instance, is know for it’s incredible customer service and top-of-the-line products, so customers are happy even though they almost never get a deal on a new mac computer. However, the rest of us have to find a way to compete and keep our customers coming back.

Offering deals, exclusive memberships, coupons, discounts, or another type of content is a way to reward your customers. Don’t think of offers as giving money away, think of it as an investment in the happy customers you’ll make along the way. You could either start with small offers to get your customers buzzing or go for a great big sale or deal to get them really excited. Afterwards, you will have established long-term relationships with many customers that might even do some word of mouth marketing for you. Offer rewards every now and then to keep customers looking forward to coming back into your store or onto your website.

Turning regular old customers into happy, satisfied customers means your business can do more and more. Instead of worrying over the perfect product, the perfect website, or the perfect Twitter account, worry yourself with how to make your customers smile every time they think about your business. Happy customers like that will keep your business alive for years to come.

Pete Wise is a copywriter working for Luminar Insights, a source of hispanic data. When I’m not writing articles, I’m posting to my LinkedIn page.

 

 

Is Your Leadership Hurting the Bottom Line?

4 ‘Bad Leader Behaviors’ That Affect Productivity, Profits

What can business leaders and managers learn from watching the earnings of publicly traded companies?

“Plenty,” says Kathleen Brush, a 25-year veteran of international business and author of “The Power of One: You’re the Boss,” (www.kathleenbrush.com), a guide to developing the skills necessary to become an effective, respected leader.

“When looking at the corporations reporting lower-than-expected earnings, you need to read between the lines. They are not going to admit that the reason is a failure of leadership, but 99 times out of 100 that’s what it is.”

She cites Oracle, the business hardware and software giant, which recently reported a quarterly revenue shortfall based on a decline in new software licenses and cloud subscriptions.

The company is “not at all pleased with our revenue growth this quarter,” Oracle co-president Safra Catz told analysts. “What we really saw was a lack of urgency that we sometimes see in the sales force …”

They are pointing the finger at the employees, but they are really admitting a failure of  leadership, Brush says.

“Do you know how simple it is for managers to motivate sales people? If indeed the lack of sales urgency is the problem. There are dozens of bad leader behaviors that can cause sales to decline,” she explains.

In her work for companies around the country, from restructuring operations to improving profitability, Brush says she sees an epidemic of bad leader behaviors.

“When I point them out, most leaders downplay, or refuse to acknowledge, the impact their behaviors are having on their bottom line. But, in companies where leaders change these behaviors, employees become engaged and motivated. It is really that simple to increase productivity, innovation, and the bottom line,” she says.

“If you’re a boss examining your own lower-than-expected performance, instead of wasting time searching for scapegoats, look in the mirror. Most bosses unwittingly exhibit bad leader behaviors daily that cause their businesses to suffer.”

Here are four increasingly prevalent and damaging behaviors:

• The unethical boss: This is a category that doesn’t just annoy employees, it appalls them. As such, it’s a powerful demotivater. When a boss breaks or fudges the rules, cheats, lies or indulges in behaviors that reveal a lack of moral principles, he or she loses employees’ respect. Without their respect, a boss cannot lead. In addition, when a leader indulges in unethical practices, he gives his employees permission to do the same. Padding mileage reports, splurging on business travel expenses, failing to take responsibility for mistakes – they all become endorsed activities by the boss – the role model.

• The unfair boss: Our current societal efforts to treat people equally – think gay marriage, health care reform, the children of undocumented immigrants – have led to confusion among some leaders about “equality” versus “fairness” in the workplace. “I talked to a manager who gave all his employees the same pay raise because ‘he wanted to be fair,’ ” Brush recalls. He then seemed mystified that the productivity of his best employees declined to that of an average worker. “Rewards can be powerful tools of motivation, but they must be administered fairly.”

• The buddy boss: Bosses can never be buddies with their employees. Ever. Friendships neutralize the boss’s authority and power. They can also cloud a leader’s objectivity and hinder her ability to correct behaviors, to delegate, and to hold employees accountable. When friendships compromise output, it’s the boss who will be accountable. “Be friendly to employees, but do not cross the line that muddies the relationship between boss and friend. It could cost you your job.” Brush says.

• The disorganized boss:  Workplaces are filled with employees who lack direction because disorganized leaders don’t deliver and manage plans and strategies to guide their teams. What’s the chance of an unguided team maximizing its productivity to create competitively superior innovative widgets? “What’s the chance of employees being inspired by a leader who leads like a doormat or by random thoughts?” says Brush.

“As a manager, you wield a tremendous amount of power,” she says. “You can be an incredibly negative power or a positive one who’s looked up to by both peers and employees.”

“For the latter, bosses have to purge the bad behaviors.”

About Kathleen Brush

Kathleen Brush has more than two decades of experience as a senior executive with global business responsibilities. She has a Ph.D. in management and international studies. Brush has been teaching, writing and consulting on international business and leadership for companies of all sizes, public and private, foreign and domestic.

Is Your Leadership Hurting the Bottom Line?
4 ‘Bad Leader Behaviors’ That Affect Productivity, Profits

What can business leaders and managers learn from watching the earnings of publicly traded companies?

“Plenty,” says Kathleen Brush, a 25-year veteran of international business and author of “The Power of One: You’re the Boss,” (www.kathleenbrush.com), a guide to developing the skills necessary to become an effective, respected leader.

“When looking at the corporations reporting lower-than-expected earnings, you need to read between the lines. They are not going to admit that the reason is a failure of leadership, but 99 times out of 100 that’s what it is.”

She cites Oracle, the business hardware and software giant, which recently reported a quarterly revenue shortfall based on a decline in new software licenses and cloud subscriptions.

The company is “not at all pleased with our revenue growth this quarter,” Oracle co-president Safra Catz told analysts. “What we really saw was a lack of urgency that we sometimes see in the sales force …”

They are pointing the finger at the employees, but they are really admitting a failure of  leadership, Brush says.

“Do you know how simple it is for managers to motivate sales people? If indeed the lack of sales urgency is the problem. There are dozens of bad leader behaviors that can cause sales to decline,” she explains.

In her work for companies around the country, from restructuring operations to improving profitability, Brush says she sees an epidemic of bad leader behaviors.

“When I point them out, most leaders downplay, or refuse to acknowledge, the impact their behaviors are having on their bottom line. But, in companies where leaders change these behaviors, employees become engaged and motivated. It is really that simple to increase productivity, innovation, and the bottom line,” she says.

“If you’re a boss examining your own lower-than-expected performance, instead of wasting time searching for scapegoats, look in the mirror. Most bosses unwittingly exhibit bad leader behaviors daily that cause their businesses to suffer.”

Here are four increasingly prevalent and damaging behaviors:

• The unethical boss: This is a category that doesn’t just annoy employees, it appalls them. As such, it’s a powerful demotivater. When a boss breaks or fudges the rules, cheats, lies or indulges in behaviors that reveal a lack of moral principles, he or she loses employees’ respect. Without their respect, a boss cannot lead. In addition, when a leader indulges in unethical practices, he gives his employees permission to do the same. Padding mileage reports, splurging on business travel expenses, failing to take responsibility for mistakes – they all become endorsed activities by the boss – the role model.

• The unfair boss: Our current societal efforts to treat people equally – think gay marriage, health care reform, the children of undocumented immigrants – have led to confusion among some leaders about “equality” versus “fairness” in the workplace. “I talked to a manager who gave all his employees the same pay raise because ‘he wanted to be fair,’ ” Brush recalls. He then seemed mystified that the productivity of his best employees declined to that of an average worker. “Rewards can be powerful tools of motivation, but they must be administered fairly.”

• The buddy boss: Bosses can never be buddies with their employees. Ever. Friendships neutralize the boss’s authority and power. They can also cloud a leader’s objectivity and hinder her ability to correct behaviors, to delegate, and to hold employees accountable. When friendships compromise output, it’s the boss who will be accountable. “Be friendly to employees, but do not cross the line that muddies the relationship between boss and friend. It could cost you your job.” Brush says.

• The disorganized boss:  Workplaces are filled with employees who lack direction because disorganized leaders don’t deliver and manage plans and strategies to guide their teams. What’s the chance of an unguided team maximizing its productivity to create competitively superior innovative widgets? “What’s the chance of employees being inspired by a leader who leads like a doormat or by random thoughts?” says Brush.

“As a manager, you wield a tremendous amount of power,” she says. “You can be an incredibly negative power or a positive one who’s looked up to by both peers and employees.”

“For the latter, bosses have to purge the bad behaviors.”

About Kathleen Brush

Kathleen Brush has more than two decades of experience as a senior executive with global business responsibilities. She has a Ph.D. in management and international studies. Brush has been teaching, writing and consulting on international business and leadership for companies of all sizes, public and private, foreign and domestic.

 

 

6 Things Everyone Should Look For In A Consultant

Before you know what to expect from any consultant, you first need to know what qualities to look for. There are at least 6 crucial qualities that should be found in the consultant you choose, without them, you may be setting yourself up for a hard time. These mostly occur when communication breaks down, but trust in your consultant, in the end is a big part of it.

This list of 6 points should always be kept in mind when shopping around for a consultant of any sort. You have to remember that they are the experts, and because of that expertise and understanding, they should without a doubt be able to explain to you, in layman’s terms, how things are supposed to be done. Don’t allow yourself to be bamboozled by technical or industry jargon. Ask questions to anything you are uncertain of, and be sure those questions are answered. If you feel the answer wasn’t specific enough, or truly answer your question, don’t let it slide. There is nothing they should not be able to explain to you in regards to their industry. It’s known that there are a lot of so called “consultants” out there who really do nothing but sell snake oil. So remain diligent, and stay wise. So without further ado, let’s get into the meat of what you should look for in a consultant.

Listens

It does not bode well if you notice that when you speak to a consultant, their eyes glaze over and it appears as though what you are saying is not being heard. One of the most important characteristics to look for is that when you speak, they are attentive and taking in all that you are saying. If they don’t, something important may go unheard, only allowing problems to develop in the future.  

Open Discussion

You should never feel as though your consultant is not telling you something. You hired them, and as such, any information that is relevant to you should be known. Every success as well as hiccup throughout the process should be known. You should also feel that you can contact them at any time without it seeming as though it’s a burden. An open discussion is paramount for developing trust, and feeling secure in your decision to use a consultant.

Includes You With The Design

Now it’s understood that you are using a consultant because you are not an expert yourself, however, that does not mean you lack any meaningful input. Again, and this cannot be stressed enough, there should be no part of the process where you feel you are left out. This includes even technical aspects of the process.

Includes You With The Purchasing Options  

If this point seems to be redundant than good, that means you’ve remembered what was said before. Because what is being purchased, and where it is being purchased from is, in the end, one of the reasons you hired a consultant. If you knew what to buy and where to get it, you probably wouldn’t need one to begin with.  

General Overall Cooperation

You should always be sure to ask in what way you are going to be included in the decision making process, and how communication is going to take place to make that easier. Even though you are not the expert, your insight into your specific business as well as what you expect to receive should be known. This will help tremendously in allowing your consultant to provide the absolute best service they can, and cooperation on their part should be expected.  

Unbiased Opinion For Systems Procurement

You wouldn’t trust a car salesmen who only sells the used cars of his close friends and family. The reason, obviously, is because they are more obliged to oversell and even sell things that are not needed. The same holds true for consultants of any sort. If you suspect your consultant to be in cahoots with a systems provider of any sort whom you may be purchasing from, proceed with caution. It may not be that they are selling snake oil per se, but that should definitely raise some concerns.

Hopefully this list will help to highlight exactly what every person should be looking for when shopping around for a consultant. Just remember, again, that you are shopping for a consultant who is an expert in their industry. As such, they should be able to explain any technical or difficult aspect of the process in a clear and concise manner. You should always be wary if after being given an answer, you’re left with nothing but more questions. If they can’t explain it, chances are they don’t know what they are talking about.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1065245

The author of this article is Damien S. Wilhelmi. If you enjoyed this piece you can follow me on Twitter @JakabokBotch. Hiring the right consultant can seem daunting, but if you are looking for the best Public Safety Consulting company available, be sure to check out Elert.com.

 

 

How To Protect Your Store After Business Hours

Most crimes occur after business hours. If you have a retail store and you don’t have a manned guard, you can do these steps to protect your store after business hours.

Lighting

Your entrance and exits should be well lit after hours. This will deter robbers from loitering around your doors as the passersby can see them.

Doors

Always check your doors if they are in good condition. Check if there are signs of tampering. Back doors should be made of heavy, solid material. Don’t put any windows on these doors. Put a peephole instead.  If you open the rear door during business hours, make sure you have a lockable security screen in place. Don’t forget to lock them up after business hours.

Windows

Secure all windows and make sure they cannot be tampered with from the outside. Check all windows are shut and locked before you go home. Aside from the front door, windows are usually the entry points of burglars.

Locks

Regularly check your locks for signs of tampering. Invest in a heavy duty lock to deter criminals. The harder it is to break your locks, the longer it is for the criminals to stay in your place and they don’t want that. They want to be in and out as soon as possible.

Roof

Do not provide access to the roof. Keep all ladders and trash bins away from this area. Keep the skylight closed and locked at all times.

Alarm System

Invest in a good alarm system and install them in all entry points. Put up signs that say your establishment is protected by an alarm system.

Keys

Limit key access to people you truly trust. Only selected people should have access to your computerized records, safe and alarm codes. Change locks and keys, alarm codes, etc. after terminating an employee.

Safe

Do not leave money in the safe after business hours. Deposit cash immediately to the bank. Put up a sign that says no money is left in the premises overnight. Secure your safes to the floor and hide them.

CCTV Camera Systems

It’s also a good idea to invest in a good video surveillance system. CCTV systems are the number one deterrent against crimes. Burglars don’t want to bother with an establishment protected by a CCTV system because they don’t want the police to have a record of their images. Place your cameras near the entrance and near all doors. These places should be well-lighted so that the camera can take clear videos. Your camera should also be vandal proof and choose a camera that gives clear images so you can identify the crooks.  These can be valuable evidence in court.

If crooks really want to break into your store, they will do it no matter what but having these security measures in place will make them think twice about actually doing it.

Hi, my name is Keith S. I’m an avid blogger and a businessman. I have a site that features the best CCTV for offices.

 

Public Speaking Have You Tongue Tied? How To Get Your Message Across

“What do you do?‘ is a common enough question, yet it always seems to  take some people by surprise. The question either puts people on the spot and they freeze, or it engenders a lengthy discussion on the process of what they do rather than the essence of their job or career. Either response will lose the attention and even respect of your audience. Classes, coaching, or just a couple of tips can help. 

Plan Ahead
You know the question, prepare the answer ahead of time. Think of ways to relay your message beyond the “I do this, then I do that.” There are various tools that can help expand and focus what you do and how you describe it. Maybe you need more descriptive words, maybe better diction so your are more easily understood, maybe you are painfully aware of the dreaded vocalized pause – that umm. A personal communication coach can get you started and give you the tools you need to improve your vocabulary, practice voice diction and take a moment to pause and regroup before you continue on with your thoughts. They can also teach you ways to convey what you are saying confidently and with purpose.
Come on, Smile
In order to come across professionally, you need to be in control to capture the attention of the person or group that you are speaking with.  Learn to engage your audience (from a small cocktail group to an auditorium size audience). Control includes taking charge of the tone of your voice, inflection, pitch, emotions and body language. Remember how your mother nagged you to stand up straight? Still applies. Stand up, loosen your arms and gesture rather than cross your arms or flail around too much. And yes, smile, it actually goes a long way in audience engagement.
Be Succinct
If you have something to say, come right out and say it. Getting too caught up with details of your work can be boring to others and cause them to tune you out. A coach from sites like Noomii life coach directories can help you pinpoint what is important and special about your work and convey your passion  clearly and objectively.
Eye Contact
Whether you’re talking to one person or a thousand, making eye contact with your audience is crucial. Often, engaging audience members with your eyes is just as important as the words you speak, so you want to practice addressing the individuals personally as you talk. If you can’t bear the thought of looking anyone in the eye as you talk to a larger group – simply focus on foreheads. It looks like you are making eye contact, but you are not, and that can help as you get used to delivering your message.
Slow Down
You may be excited and in such a rush to get your point across that you talk over the other party or parties in your group. Everyone gets to have their say and being a respectful conversationalist comes with being a good listener. it’s okay if you don’t make your point right away. Even if you miss the chance to say your briliiant respote, it’s better to be considered a good listener.  If you still have something to add to the conversation, you can do so once they’ve finished.
Be Compelling  
Look at what you do as a part of a bigger picture.  For instance a DMV employee may grouse that all she does is process papers.  Or she can look at the bigger picture of what she is involved in. Suddenly she is instrumental in getting new drivers on the road – an American rite of passage. A communication coach can also help you address a room full of executives and give you tips on how to relay a story in an interesting way. Emotion, certain inflections in your voice and solid material can engage and motivate your audience.
As you go about your busy life between work, home and social functions, really think about what you are doing; make mental or real notes, create your story. So when someone asks what do you do? You not only have the answer, you may even convince them that you have a really fabulous career.    

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

As a corporate trainer in speech and writing, Catharine Bramkamp tries very hard not to correct people during their overly long elevator speeches. To enhance your own abilities there are groups to join like Toastmasters, or you can find help through the Noomii life coach directory.

 

 

Company Branding: How To Create One For Your Business

We’ve all heard how big companies invest in branding initiatives and how these efforts come back thousandfold. But what really is company branding and how can this affect a company’s success? Is it really important even for small business marketing?

Why is it Important?

They say a company’s brand, as long as it’s highly effective, can be a tool that will bring a company to its success. It is the company’s representation and it is how the audience and market recognises the business.

There are several reasons why company branding is important.

• Identity. Without a brand, a company is considered nobody in the highly competitive world of business. With an effective brand, you’re able to create your own identity and you can position yourself as the only company who can provide a solution to the consumers’ problem. Especially if you’re a small business, you need to develop an identity to be heard amidst the noise made by huge corporations. Only in having an effective brand will you be able to compete.
• Differentiation. A brand is essential for the identification of a company’s services and products and to separate and differentiate it from other businesses.
• Loyalty. Brands foster loyalty among consumers as opposed to products which people usually don’t have an affiliation with.
• Endurance. During tough times companies with effective brands can withstand companies who don’t.

How Can You Create an Effective Brand?

You can incorporate your company branding through the name, logo, design, content, tagline and even through your personality and level of service.

But before you get busy creating a logo, picking the right colour, and creating a design that will best represent your company, there are a few things you must prioritise. First, you must study your market and know what their needs and wants are. Then understand the values of your products or services. And most importantly, you must define your company. Identify and define the key characteristics that describe your company. Use all these factors in creating your company brand.

In the process of creating your brand, consider these tips:

• Identify what sets you apart from other companies. Magnify this uniqueness and use this to sell your brand.
• Focus on your market. You can’t please everybody so instead of trying very hard to do this, focus on pleasing your market instead. Pick a style that your market will positively respond to. Make sure this style suits your company.
• Leave an impression and make people remember your company brand. Make first impressions count. Be sure your marketing paraphernalia, like your company business card and brochures, are produced at high quality. Creating poorly designed materials, will give off a negative impression.
• Keep it clear. Don’t cloud your branding campaigns with too much technical jargon or too much flashy designs. Opt for an uncomplicated and clear design that will put your message in the spotlight. It’s important to make your message clear and understandable.
• Be consistent. Maintain consistency in your message. You want your market to think that whenever they purchase a product or get a service from you, they get the same level of excellence they had experienced before.
• Be fully committed. Company branding is not only followed in the marketing initiatives practiced by the business. It should also be evident in all of the daily functions of the business. You should integrate your company brand from the development of your product down to the sales and customer service you provide to your consumers.
• Always be truthful. Never mislead your market. Eventually the truth will catch up with you and when your market finds out about this, your company branding will suffer.
• Consider asking help from experts. If you are having a bit of a difficulty, consider hiring a marketing consultant that can help you create a strong brand for your company. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, especially when you really need it.

International brands like Apple, Coca-Cola and Starbucks, and Australian brands like Woolworths, Telstra and Coles. They are among the top companies that have successfully created a brand for their business and have reaped the rewards.

You don’t have to be a big company like them to be able to create a strong company brand. Nowadays, building a brand has become inexpensive. New tools are now easily available, even to small businesses, for companies to make a name of their own and create a brand that will catapult them to global success.

The battle for customers is getting more intense each day, jump into the bandwagon and create a strong and effective company brand now.

Debra Wright blogs about a plethora of topics including business consulting in marketing and other fields. Wright considers Marketing Angels as one of the leading marketing consultants.

 

4 Business Card Must-Haves

Business cards remain a critical part of networking, and their design, as well as the information they contain, helps networkers make and keep valuable connections.

When you’re meeting contacts face to face, your business card is the first thing you should reach for. You really don’t need a professional designer or to spend a lot of money to create a business card that will make a great first impression.

Dress (Your Business Card) for Success

 

Just as you wouldn’t show up at a job interview or an important business meeting in your pajamas, your business card should also be dressed for success, according to a Huffington Post article. A connection will form a first impression of you and your company based upon your business card, so you need to make that impression a favorable one.

To help make your card stand out from the rest, consider using heavyweight cover stock (at least 80-120 pounds); an easy-to-read font like Eras, Impact, or Century Gothic; and an eye-catching color scheme.

Make Your Card a Call to Action

 

According to Gwinnett Network, most business cards whisper, talk softly, or say nothing at all, while the real purpose of business cards should be to give prospects a tangible item to remember you by. They should be marketing tools that ask someone to give you their business by catching their attention, directing them to your website, or giving them a good reason to call you.

One way to make your business card a call for action is to add some text that outlines specific benefits that you provide to your customers. For example, try adding the word “easy” to your card, referring to how easy your business is to find, how easy it is to pay for your products with cash, checks, credit cards (or even your competitor’s coupons), and how easy it is to do business with you — no appointment necessary.

Connect the Dots: From Your Business Card to Your Website

 

QR, short for “quick response,” codes are starting to show up on business cards, according to SearchEngineLand.com. QR matrix barcodes can be read quickly by smartphones and are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and deposit it into a cell phone via scanning. Other common places where QR codes are found include magazine advertisements, billboards, and webpages.

A QR code can be scanned quickly by an iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or any phone with an auto-focus camera and a barcode scanning app, directing users to visit a webpage, open an application, link to a phone number, or launch an email or SMS message.

QR codes can store and digitally present much more data than standard barcodes, and instead of a cumbersome barcode scanner, all that is needed to access them is a smartphone. An easy Google search for a QR Code Generator will uncover numerous inexpensive or free options for creating and downloading a QR code.

Go Simple, Uncluttered, and Business-Appropriate

 

According to The Huffington Post, the two most important pieces of information on a business card are a business phone number and an email address. A personal cell phone number and company website address are also basic elements that you may want to consider including on your card.

When deciding on the text you want to print on your business card, remember that you’re simply trying to make a positive first impression, not bombard someone with information they don’t want or need. This may mean resisting the urge to clutter things up with your Twitter handle, Skype alias, link to your LinkedIn profile, and IM nicknames.

Most importantly, make your card appropriate to your business. For example, think about the kind of impression a physician would make with a cartoon character or tasteless joke on his or her business card. When crafting a design, begin with a style that supports the business image you’d like to project, and then go about telling your story.

Citations:

• PHOTO: Robert Scoble

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Jan Hill is a business professional and freelance journalist writing for Vistaprint, a leading provider of free and premium business cards to consumers worldwide. Jan has written an eBbook about networking, as well as numerous articles on small businesses and career development for magazines and newspapers.