7 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW with a Fully-Automated System to Improve Your Customer Service:

1. Get contact info right the first time.

There’s nothing more frustrating to a registrant than when an event organizer gets their information wrong. Each instance in your process where you manually enter or transfer data poses a risk for making errors. Using an automated system, which has everything built-in (online registration, accounting, badge printing), eliminates all data entry and data transferring issues.

2. Be sure that payment information is correct.

When a registrant thinks they are registered because they gave you their information and credit card number; then finds out a week or two later their charge did not go through; stress is created. You can automatically processes credit card transactions in real-time; so there is no miscommunication.

3. Send impeccable follow-ups.

Registrants like to know that everything is being properly handled with their registration and your event. When they don’t hear from you after they register, they get worried. Automatically send confirmation and reminder emails with a personalized touch. 4. Keep track of numbers daily.

Events can go wrong when an event organizer doesn’t know the details of their event numbers on a daily basis. Real-time awareness of lack of demand or hyper-demand for different aspects of your events, allows sufficient time to make alternate preparations. Automated online systems make it easy to tally registrant data on a daily basis.

5.Organize your information.

If you are managing your events with multiple spreadsheets or systems, you know it can be difficult to stay organized. If information gets lost or falls through a crack, it eventually becomes a dissatisfied attendee. Avoid unhappy customers by using a fully-integrated system… it should have all of the systems built-in: registrant preferences, accounting, badge printing and reporting.

6. Automate the waitlisting process.

Registrants don’t mind things being sold-out when there is a well-communicated waitlisting process in place. A good registration system automatically provides a waitlist for registrants then notifies them the instant a spot opens up. If they accept the open spot, then their payment is automatically collected as well.

7. Eliminate frustrations with early-bird specials and discounts

Registrants love to ask if they can get early-bird specials and discounts for which they know they do not qualify. They hate to hear “no” and you hate to say it. A fully-automated system qualifies everyone for the appropriate discounts, so you don’t need to.

To learn about jalapeno seeds, limonium latifolium and other information, visit the Gardening Central website.

The Failure of Training

By Antwan Richardson

 Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of the participants will ask, “Where’s my boss?”

And I say, “Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings.”

Then the person laughs. “My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyone in our company. And without our manager’s support, no one will use this.”

This is bad because if no one uses the ideas presented in a workshop, the client will conclude that training doesn’t work. And then the company might abandon all training.

Here are three important issues that determine the effectiveness of training.

1) People follow the leader. Any training program will be more successful if management supports it. This is why I always involve top executives in planning my workshops. I also ask them to attend. And I recommend follow-up sessions to review the material covered in the workshop. In fact, I only work with people who value and support learning.

Training has earned a bad reputation because many programs were just thrown over the fence at employees who were sent to be fixed. It’s unlikely that any training program conducted under these conditions will accomplish much.

> Key Point: Gain management support before scheduling any training program.

2) Each of us has control over our area of responsibility. And each of us lives in the environment that we create.

The participant mentioned above can still conduct effective meetings, even if top management continues to hold bad meetings. In fact, someone who demonstrates sound leadership by holding effective meetings could end up replacing the boss who holds bad meetings.

There are two parts to every learning experience. The first part involves mastering new skills. The second (and critical) part involves choosing to use them.

> Key Point: You can be an effective leader even when others aren’t.

3) Some people play make-believe. Many years ago I received an evening phone call from a colleague who wanted to know if I could recommend a good book on how to hold effective meetings. It seems this person was scrambling to find material for a workshop that was scheduled to start the next morning.

You will learn more from an expert, rather than from someone who is delivering a book report. In this case, I recommended either of the two books that I had written on how to hold effective meetings.

Many companies hire trainers who build training programs based on books that they read. And some entrepreneurs agree to speak on topics that are purely academic for them. The best trainers ARE the message, which means that they live and breathe and use what they teach. They can answer any questions, meet any needs, and help with any situations that the participants may bring up. They truly know their topic.

> Key Point: Hire a trainer who wrote the book instead of one who (you hope) read a book.

Any training program can succeed, if delivered to people who want to improve by an expert who can show them how.

Information on musa velutina can be found at the Gardening Central site.

Your Online Source For Wholesale Products From China

Different Printing Techniques for Flourishing your Business

By Prolab Digital

 Custom Retail Store Displays

With time passing by new products floods the retail stores and are wanting for buyer concern. The ability to drive in the retail field should not be left to chance at any cost. Pro-actively work on improving it, emphasize your item, and highlight your brand. Keep your store display fixture designs interesting and updated with new trends. Secure a high margin with sophisticated POP display rack solutions and get the most out of your limited store space.

The displays constructed to stand alone on the floors are known as floor stand displays. They come in many different forms, styles and materials depending on their function and the product to be presented. From heavy duty wooden POP stands that must hold a lot of product weight to a spinning wire magazine rack. Bigger Floor Displays can also serve to partition your retail space into departments.

Counter Point of Sale Display is often put on top of the cash counter and can effectively attract impulsive shoppers to purchase items. These are ideal merchandising solutions for displaying products on a limited small area.

POP Signage is also an important in-store advertising display. Digital signs, graphics, logos, and glorifiers are crucial to make your brand stick out. By adding eye catching signage features you deliver your brands message to the customers and accentuate your companys higher value.

Fetching store display fixtures will help your items get recognized. Placing a tailored POP display with well planned positioning within your store, you can favorably impact shoppers mood and convince them to check out your featured item. If your display gets high attention of shoppers then your product is practically already sold.

As a matter of fact in many cases shopping happens impulsively. This behavior benefits products on counter-top displays next to the cash register or on attractive store display racks that stand out in a crowd.

If you intend to distribute your merchandise in several different retail locations, you better go with a unified design for your POP display fixture. The reason going for a consistent display is to support your brand recognition potential against many others in the competitive retail floor.

Another way of successful advertising is newly invented printing techniques which prove to be one of the most influential factors for flourishing your business and also works as a beautiful way of giving your office or home a fresh and innovative look.

With various ways of printing on different kind of materials we have lot of choice to select the perfect kind of printing suitable for our needs. And thus printing on bamboo is one of the techniques which surely have a good impact.

Printing on Bamboo

A technique where the image is directly printed on bamboo giving it a unique artwork look. A technique in which the UV flat bed printer is used to print image directly on the wood. The output comes as a glossy varnish raw finish to the bamboo and that too with a flat look.

Printing on Metal

If you are looking for a new way to showcase your images artwork & photos for your home, showroom, office, bar restaurant or gallery. Then welcome to the world of printing fine prints direct on to metal. Using natural or artificial light your images will look fantastic on metal. And you wont need to worry about preserving the prints. Because printing on metal provides you with the advantages such as durability and long lasting quality. Preserve your important documents for eternity. Your documents will exist long after paper has crumbled to dust.

All the details regarding the pop displays, retail signage, printing on bamboo and printing on metal can be found at our website which provides you with various printing services. Please visit www.prolabdigital.com for any query or inquiries.

Best digital photo printing lab in Los Angles PROLAB Digital Imaging provides digital photo printing,canvas printing, Retail store signage, counter cards, custom poster prints .

china supplier

 In an age of mass differentiation and low cost chic, there has never being a worse time to be stuck in the middle. Consumers are abandoning mid-range products in their droves, often opting for cheaper alternatives and saving up to buy the occasional luxury. At one end of the scale thrifty customers are cutting costs by buying supermarket own brand goods, whilst at the other end easy access to credit makes it possible to trade up to a BMW rather than settle for a Ford Mondeo.

The Low Cost Revolution

Throughout numerous consumer sectors, there are companies specialising in low cost goods and services. Everything from food to flights and cars to clothes can be bought at very low prices. As cost-focussed companies get bigger, they continue to find ways to reduce overheads in their operations and squeeze suppliers for better deals. Consumers are also changing their attitudes to low cost goods. Film stars and fashion models are setting the trend of low-cost chic, happy to wear value clothes alongside their premium brands.

However the low-cost sector is largely driven by economics. Increases in living expenses, debt and taxation are stretching the purse strings of the middle classes and forcing them to abandon their loyalty to mid-range products in favour of low-cost bargains.

Luxury For All

In an increasingly globalised society, consumer aspirations for luxury goods and services have become much more demanding. The ’spend now, save later’ celebrity fuelled culture encourages us to treat ourselves to products that signify individuality, success and status. By becoming more affordable and easier to access, exclusive brands are cashing in on increased consumer demand, buoyed by changing lifestyles and easy credit.

How Should Mid-Range Brands Respond?

Businesses selling mid-range products and services should not be blamed for feeling the pressure — with low cost and luxury brands squeezing from both ends. In certain markets, this pressure will be less extreme, whilst in others it could mean being forced out of business. One option to counter the threat is to decide to trade up and become a premium brand or trade down to become low cost. How effective this strategy is will depend on the market and the company’s ability to change its business model and alter customer perceptions.

Another option is to launch completely new brands into the premium and low-cost sectors, a strategy frequently employed in the automotive and airline industries over recent years. Alternatively it may be more cost-effective to take-over competitors already operating in these sectors.

Whilst the writing is not on the wall for mid-range brands just yet, the outlook is becoming increasingly competitive and businesses will need to be much more innovative in finding ways to differentiate themselves.

To read about thornless roses, transplanting rhubarb and other information, visit the Gardening Central site.

Different Printing Techniques for Flourishing your Business

By Prolab Digital

 Custom Retail Store Displays

With time passing by new products floods the retail stores and are wanting for buyer concern. The ability to drive in the retail field should not be left to chance at any cost. Pro-actively work on improving it, emphasize your item, and highlight your brand. Keep your store display fixture designs interesting and updated with new trends. Secure a high margin with sophisticated POP display rack solutions and get the most out of your limited store space.

The displays constructed to stand alone on the floors are known as floor stand displays. They come in many different forms, styles and materials depending on their function and the product to be presented. From heavy duty wooden POP stands that must hold a lot of product weight to a spinning wire magazine rack. Bigger Floor Displays can also serve to partition your retail space into departments.

Counter Point of Sale Display is often put on top of the cash counter and can effectively attract impulsive shoppers to purchase items. These are ideal merchandising solutions for displaying products on a limited small area.

POP Signage is also an important in-store advertising display. Digital signs, graphics, logos, and glorifiers are crucial to make your brand stick out. By adding eye catching signage features you deliver your brands message to the customers and accentuate your companys higher value.

Fetching store display fixtures will help your items get recognized. Placing a tailored POP display with well planned positioning within your store, you can favorably impact shoppers mood and convince them to check out your featured item. If your display gets high attention of shoppers then your product is practically already sold.

As a matter of fact in many cases shopping happens impulsively. This behavior benefits products on counter-top displays next to the cash register or on attractive store display racks that stand out in a crowd.

If you intend to distribute your merchandise in several different retail locations, you better go with a unified design for your POP display fixture. The reason going for a consistent display is to support your brand recognition potential against many others in the competitive retail floor.

Another way of successful advertising is newly invented printing techniques which prove to be one of the most influential factors for flourishing your business and also works as a beautiful way of giving your office or home a fresh and innovative look.

With various ways of printing on different kind of materials we have lot of choice to select the perfect kind of printing suitable for our needs. And thus printing on bamboo is one of the techniques which surely have a good impact.

Printing on Bamboo

A technique where the image is directly printed on bamboo giving it a unique artwork look. A technique in which the UV flat bed printer is used to print image directly on the wood. The output comes as a glossy varnish raw finish to the bamboo and that too with a flat look.

Printing on Metal

If you are looking for a new way to showcase your images artwork & photos for your home, showroom, office, bar restaurant or gallery. Then welcome to the world of printing fine prints direct on to metal. Using natural or artificial light your images will look fantastic on metal. And you wont need to worry about preserving the prints. Because printing on metal provides you with the advantages such as durability and long lasting quality. Preserve your important documents for eternity. Your documents will exist long after paper has crumbled to dust.

All the details regarding the pop displays, retail signage, printing on bamboo and printing on metal can be found at our website which provides you with various printing services. Please visit www.prolabdigital.com for any query or inquiries.

Best digital photo printing lab in Los Angles PROLAB Digital Imaging provides digital photo printing,canvas printing, Retail store signage, counter cards, custom poster prints .

Your Online Source For Wholesale Products From China

wholesale distributor

 Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of the participants will ask, “Where’s my boss?”

And I say, “Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings.”

Then the person laughs. “My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyone in our company. And without our manager’s support, no one will use this.”

This is bad because if no one uses the ideas presented in a workshop, the client will conclude that training doesn’t work. And then the company might abandon all training.

Here are three important issues that determine the effectiveness of training.

1) People follow the leader. Any training program will be more successful if management supports it. This is why I always involve top executives in planning my workshops. I also ask them to attend. And I recommend follow-up sessions to review the material covered in the workshop. In fact, I only work with people who value and support learning.

Training has earned a bad reputation because many programs were just thrown over the fence at employees who were sent to be fixed. It’s unlikely that any training program conducted under these conditions will accomplish much.

> Key Point: Gain management support before scheduling any training program.

2) Each of us has control over our area of responsibility. And each of us lives in the environment that we create.

The participant mentioned above can still conduct effective meetings, even if top management continues to hold bad meetings. In fact, someone who demonstrates sound leadership by holding effective meetings could end up replacing the boss who holds bad meetings.

There are two parts to every learning experience. The first part involves mastering new skills. The second (and critical) part involves choosing to use them.

> Key Point: You can be an effective leader even when others aren’t.

3) Some people play make-believe. Many years ago I received an evening phone call from a colleague who wanted to know if I could recommend a good book on how to hold effective meetings. It seems this person was scrambling to find material for a workshop that was scheduled to start the next morning.

You will learn more from an expert, rather than from someone who is delivering a book report. In this case, I recommended either of the two books that I had written on how to hold effective meetings.

Many companies hire trainers who build training programs based on books that they read. And some entrepreneurs agree to speak on topics that are purely academic for them. The best trainers ARE the message, which means that they live and breathe and use what they teach. They can answer any questions, meet any needs, and help with any situations that the participants may bring up. They truly know their topic.

> Key Point: Hire a trainer who wrote the book instead of one who (you hope) read a book.

Any training program can succeed, if delivered to people who want to improve by an expert who can show them how.

Information on musa velutina can be found at the Gardening Central site.

How Much Should Your Virtual Assistant Make?

By Antwan Richardson

 I’ve seen Virtual Assistants’ prices range from $15 to $70/hr depending on the VA’s experience, specialty, and the project. One of the most common concerns with a new Virtual Business is what to charge for their services.

A common mistake made by new Virtual Assistant businesses is underestimating the value of their services. The more specialized your service is the more you may be able to charge for those services. Here are some guidelines:

Peek in on your competitors

Visit other Virtual Assistants’ websites to see what they are charging for similar or the same services. Look for areas you can improve and perhaps provide a service that they don’t. Find your USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Point). In other words, what sets your business apart from others like it.

Calculate your expenses

Your price should at least cover your expenses. Expenses can include but not limited to:

1. Your Time (Yes, I said your time)

2. Office supplies, Equipment, and Software

3. Marketing (Online and Offline)

4. Rent/Mortgage

5. Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water, etc)

6. Taxes

7. Insurance (Business, Health, etc.)

8. Web Hosting and Web Maintenance

9. Travel and Transportation

10. Continuing Education

These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Once you have calculated your expenses you will have a general idea of what you need to at least cover your expenses. Of course you don’t want to just cover your expenses, but make a profit as well.

Price your services according to your target market

Your target market is another factor to consider before setting your virtual assistance price list. If your target market is business executives or college students then naturally you could charge the business executives more than you could college students. Why? Well…college students may be on tight budgets, work part-time, and/or may still be depending on their parents for financial assistance. Business executives are pretty much established and tend to have bigger budgets. Do you catch my drift?

Price your services according to supply and demand

If you provide specialized services and the demand is high but the supply is low, not many VAs offering the same services, you can charge more for those services. However; if the supply is high you may want to consider being more competitive with your prices. If you want to lower your prices and still make a profit you will want to cut your expenses also.

After considering all of the above it should give you a general idea of how to set your virtual assistance price list. This is just a basic and general guideline so nothing is set in stone

Want to find out about freezing rhubarb, geranium phaeum and other information? Get tips from the Gardening Central website.

Your Online Source For Wholesale Products From China

china dropshipper

 In pre-computer days, POS (Point Of Sale) systems used to be easy to buy. They were called cash registers. As the high-technology revolution that started in the late 1970s brought us ever faster and more capable computing and communications, POS systems modernized right alongside the PCs and iPods. Today there is a wide selection of systems - standalone devices, software you can run on generic or specially-built PCs, Web-based tools, etc. - and there are enough vendors in this business sector to produce specially-configured ones for restaurants, bookstores and other kinds of firms. Whether you plug in a pre-made solution or develop it yourself, you have a lots ways to automate your hair and nail salon with a POS.

Perhaps the most common way to get a POS system set up in a hair and nail salon, especially when time is a critical factor, is with an all-in-one solution. With this kind of prepackaged system you can handle all the credit card processing, electronic calculations, automated billing, inventory control and other daily activities with just a few clicks of a mouse. Many owners use these “salon systems” as they help simplify transactions, benefit from the speed and accuracy of barcode scanners when selling packaged items, and can be set up easily to produce various reports at the end of the day.

Easy does it

All-in-one salon POS systems begin with the hardware, typically a PC and often one that has all the drives, parts and ports encased in the monitor (or on the rear like a backpack). What makes it a functional POS system, of course, is the software. There are many salon POS systems available today but you should make your buying decision with the same amount of thinking and care as you would give to any other major purchase. In this case, you will want the flexibility to add/remove items, adjust prices or even schedule a future appointment - all while the customer is paying, and taking no extra time.

Making change (by the way, you can have a cash drawer connected and controlled by the POS system, or a standalone one) is not all your system will be doing for you, not even in just the area of transactions. A comprehensive system will also offer invoicing options, customer tracking and order history, while keeping customer checkouts fast and accurate. You will also want a system that is easy and intuitive to use, one that has been customized sufficiently to operate easily, even for people who are not computer-literate.

Price considerations

Cost is always a concern, as it should be, but the fortunate thing is that there are several firms making good POS systems specifically for salons. The competition has been good for product development and keeping prices down. A salon POS system that has multiple functions, first-rate components and customized/customizable software is just not that expensive, and the challenge is not finding a good deal, but finding the right combination of performance, price and potential personalization. Off the top, of course, data entry should be straightforward and convenient, the reporting features robust and expandable, and transactions simple to edit or cancel.

Salon POS systems can also be used to automate some of your most tedious business functions and protect your business from theft and inventory loss at the same time. With these functions in place, the bottles of conditioner the customer buys while paying for their haircut can be deducted from your inventory in the time it takes for their receipt to print. This integration with other business tasks is done in hair and nail salons, tanning spas, day spas and other businesses that sell products, perform service and also maintain appointment books for customer visits.

Don’t just automate, enhance

By buying and customizing the right salon POS system you will be able to conduct a lot of business-building functions that will let you offer improved customer service and client-friendly operations. You should consider what kind of barcode scanner you want with your salon POS system, as there are different types. The single line scanners need to be oriented in a particular way to work correctly, while omni-directional units can read the barcodes at any angle. In-counter scanners, of course, are omni-directional.

Using a salon POS system is pretty much a no-brainer. You can process credit card transactions, keep records and issue receipts on every sale, have an accurate appointment book, link to customer records, maintain accurate inventory, log employee hours as needed and customize the system to get exactly what you need from it. Naturally, you need to do a little homework to find out just where you will get the best hardware, software, personalized attention and advice - but once you find the right source for your salon POS system, you are on the verge of taking a truly giant step for your business.

Home Security equipment and Peachtree software are only the beginning of what we have to offer at Gemini Computers. Visit online to peruse our spectrum of products including POS System, Point Of Sale Software, Touch Screens, symbol Barcode Scanners, Printers, Cash Registers, MSR, Scales, Intercom/Video Phones, IP Cameras, Accounting Software, and much more.

Don’t Get Stuck in the Middle

By Antwan Richardson

 In an age of mass differentiation and low cost chic, there has never being a worse time to be stuck in the middle. Consumers are abandoning mid-range products in their droves, often opting for cheaper alternatives and saving up to buy the occasional luxury. At one end of the scale thrifty customers are cutting costs by buying supermarket own brand goods, whilst at the other end easy access to credit makes it possible to trade up to a BMW rather than settle for a Ford Mondeo.

The Low Cost Revolution

Throughout numerous consumer sectors, there are companies specialising in low cost goods and services. Everything from food to flights and cars to clothes can be bought at very low prices. As cost-focussed companies get bigger, they continue to find ways to reduce overheads in their operations and squeeze suppliers for better deals. Consumers are also changing their attitudes to low cost goods. Film stars and fashion models are setting the trend of low-cost chic, happy to wear value clothes alongside their premium brands.

However the low-cost sector is largely driven by economics. Increases in living expenses, debt and taxation are stretching the purse strings of the middle classes and forcing them to abandon their loyalty to mid-range products in favour of low-cost bargains.

Luxury For All

In an increasingly globalised society, consumer aspirations for luxury goods and services have become much more demanding. The ’spend now, save later’ celebrity fuelled culture encourages us to treat ourselves to products that signify individuality, success and status. By becoming more affordable and easier to access, exclusive brands are cashing in on increased consumer demand, buoyed by changing lifestyles and easy credit.

How Should Mid-Range Brands Respond?

Businesses selling mid-range products and services should not be blamed for feeling the pressure — with low cost and luxury brands squeezing from both ends. In certain markets, this pressure will be less extreme, whilst in others it could mean being forced out of business. One option to counter the threat is to decide to trade up and become a premium brand or trade down to become low cost. How effective this strategy is will depend on the market and the company’s ability to change its business model and alter customer perceptions.

Another option is to launch completely new brands into the premium and low-cost sectors, a strategy frequently employed in the automotive and airline industries over recent years. Alternatively it may be more cost-effective to take-over competitors already operating in these sectors.

Whilst the writing is not on the wall for mid-range brands just yet, the outlook is becoming increasingly competitive and businesses will need to be much more innovative in finding ways to differentiate themselves.

To read about thornless roses, transplanting rhubarb and other information, visit the Gardening Central site.

The Failure of Training

By Antwan Richardson

 Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of the participants will ask, “Where’s my boss?”

And I say, “Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings.”

Then the person laughs. “My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyone in our company. And without our manager’s support, no one will use this.”

This is bad because if no one uses the ideas presented in a workshop, the client will conclude that training doesn’t work. And then the company might abandon all training.

Here are three important issues that determine the effectiveness of training.

1) People follow the leader. Any training program will be more successful if management supports it. This is why I always involve top executives in planning my workshops. I also ask them to attend. And I recommend follow-up sessions to review the material covered in the workshop. In fact, I only work with people who value and support learning.

Training has earned a bad reputation because many programs were just thrown over the fence at employees who were sent to be fixed. It’s unlikely that any training program conducted under these conditions will accomplish much.

> Key Point: Gain management support before scheduling any training program.

2) Each of us has control over our area of responsibility. And each of us lives in the environment that we create.

The participant mentioned above can still conduct effective meetings, even if top management continues to hold bad meetings. In fact, someone who demonstrates sound leadership by holding effective meetings could end up replacing the boss who holds bad meetings.

There are two parts to every learning experience. The first part involves mastering new skills. The second (and critical) part involves choosing to use them.

> Key Point: You can be an effective leader even when others aren’t.

3) Some people play make-believe. Many years ago I received an evening phone call from a colleague who wanted to know if I could recommend a good book on how to hold effective meetings. It seems this person was scrambling to find material for a workshop that was scheduled to start the next morning.

You will learn more from an expert, rather than from someone who is delivering a book report. In this case, I recommended either of the two books that I had written on how to hold effective meetings.

Many companies hire trainers who build training programs based on books that they read. And some entrepreneurs agree to speak on topics that are purely academic for them. The best trainers ARE the message, which means that they live and breathe and use what they teach. They can answer any questions, meet any needs, and help with any situations that the participants may bring up. They truly know their topic.

> Key Point: Hire a trainer who wrote the book instead of one who (you hope) read a book.

Any training program can succeed, if delivered to people who want to improve by an expert who can show them how.

Information on musa velutina can be found at the Gardening Central site.

Your Online Source For Wholesale Products From China

china wholesale

 Interim management isn’t the career for you if you don’t like challenge and change. But for those of us who love both, it brings a rich variety of enhancing and intensive experiences: exposure to different industries, products and processes, and a variety of organisational structures, and cultural styles and the opportunity to establish an outstanding “track record for delivery”, added to which interim managers love not having to go through rounds of appraisals only to be told that: “unfortunately budgets for salary increases are limited”.

Show Me The Money

In fact, performance can probably never be more directly linked to pay. Even new interim managers can raise their fees for the next assignment as much as they like - providing the market thinks they’re worth it. Enough said you might think, but operating through a limited company also reduces tax costs if more remuneration is taken through shareholder dividends. And don’t forget that the cost of IT, office furniture, consumables, some utilities, vehicle running costs, and indeed VAT, can be borne by the business.

No Such Thing As Job Security Even in a “Permanent” Role Whilst even the best executive interim managers can be hit hard by an economic downturn, arguably there’s no such thing as a “permanent” line management role any more. Anyway, even in downturns can’t interim managers just drop their fees to become more saleable? Well the truth is, it doesn’t always work that way. Nevertheless, many interims feel more (not less) secure, in the knowledge that their career has more longevity than the corporate alternative.

Interim Management Lifestyle - More Choice

It’s true that an interim management lifestyle means greater choice: flexibility between part-time or full-time work, working at home or on site, the frequency and duration of holidays. It also means that because of the objectivity that comes with not being a permanent employee, during assignments organisational politics are less of a grind.

Interim management also means that a great career doesn’t have to come at the expense of unsettling the family by relocating every three years or so. But it sometimes means working away from home perhaps for four or five nights over a long period, which isn’t easy for young families. And don’t forget to start pulling your weight around the home and talking to your spouse over dinner after spending nine months on your own in a hotel!

Yes executive interim managers have more flexibility to spend quality time and extended holidays with the family between assignments, but realistically it isn’t always spent on a beach somewhere. Between interim management assignments the role morphs into “Sales Director” and interims become relentless networkers. So if you’re not good at self-promotion or not keen to become good at it fast - give it some thought. And then there’s the tedious administration: paying bills, filling in VAT returns.

There is however a somewhat perverse upside to invoicing!

Read about household plants, iris reticulata and other information at the Gardening Central website.

Your Online Source For Wholesale Products From China

china electronics

 Of course, we all majored in recognition skills at high school. Being positive comes as second nature to everybody and we never focus too much on faults. Unfortunately there the fairy tale must end. Complaining, it seems, is a much more developed skill than praising and many people find it difficult to be only positive. It is as if they can’t help themselves adding a crushing blow. Like Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) in “American Beauty” when she praises her daughter Jane (Thora Birch) for her cheerleading performance, she says, “I was watching you very closely, and you didn’t screw up once.”

Language

It is often said that, in communication, we get the response we deserve. Bear this in mind when you next ask for an additional task to be undertaken. Listen to the words that you use. Do you apologize, saying:

“I’m really sorry that I have to drop this on you”

Do you antagonize, saying:

“Whether you like it or not you’ll have to do this by 5pm.”

Do you empathize, saying:

“I know this is a pain, but it really needs to be done.”

Do you sympathize, saying:

“Poor you! This extra work probably means overtime.”

…or do you enthuse, by saying:

“Hey, you’re just the person who can help me! I need this urgent job to be done today, and I was thinking you’d be the best person to get it out accurately and on time.”

No prizes for guessing which approach gets a more energetic response. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm and if you can embed a few pieces of recognition in your request without sounding sarcastic you’ll stand a better chance of getting a motivated performance.

When you are actually praising someone, try to tell them how you feel. “It made me proud that I work for the same company when I saw you handling that complex customer problem”, means so much more than, “Good job, keep it up.” “I wish I had your comic timing. Your ability to make people laugh and feel motivated to get on with the toughest and most unpleasant of jobs leaves me in awe.” says more than “I’m impressed, carry on, dude!”

Also make an attempt to acknowledge that you really did understand that the behavior was appropriate; “I was especially impressed when you offered to call them to update them on progress at the end of the day. That’s a great standard to work to”

Managers can develop a crippling disability when they use language variously known as “verbal diarrhea”, “let me tell you what you mean” and “that’s not the way I’d do it”. As people climb the management ladder there is a tendency for them to lose the listening skill and to gain an add-on to their verbosity skills. This is not surprising as they are probably expected to talk for most of the day; however when it comes to gathering information to promote informal recognition, keeping your ears open and your mouth shut is an essential skill.

For tips on okame cherry, paeonia suffruticosa and other information, visit the Gardening Central website.

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 Entrepreneurs embark on costly business ventures without first looking into the form of business that would be most suitable for them given their business experience and financial capability. Deciding on what legal form your venture is going to take will spell the difference when you experience difficulty in your business later on.

A businessman can choose from different business forms including sole or single proprietorship, partnership or a corporation. Each of these legal forms has their own advantages and disadvantages and a businessman should be well aware of their implications on his business venture.

Sole proprietorship is the easiest business venture to put up because you only have yourself to disagree with. This means you can go ahead with whatever plans you have and you can implement them anytime. It means that when your venture succeeds then you will reap all the financial rewards of your business. The sad fact is that this can also be a disadvantage since it can also mean that you will shoulder all the losses if the business fails.

A partnership will do well for business ventures that require more capital and more skills and expertise. You and your partner can concentrate on the different aspects of the business depending on your skills and talents. A partnership form of business means both you and your partner get to share your financial earnings and losses. However, there could be a problem if the business acquires debts because your creditors can run even after your personal money and not just after the capital infused into the business.

The most ideal, although complicated, type of doing business is the corporation. Incorporating your business would mean bringing in other people to the business. This would mean no decision can be reached without the agreement of the majority of the Board of Directors. The good thing about a corporation is the availability of vast financial resources for the business.

A corporation is a distinct legal entity from its incorporators and shareholders so that in case the business incurs debts, the share or stockholders will only answer for the debts depending on the shares they have in the corporation. This is called the theory of limited liability. The creditors will no longer have any right to seek payment from the personal finances of the stockholders.

A business can start as a sole proprietorship but the owner can chose to incorporate the business later as it grows. True, there are more documentation requirements for incorporating a business but the advantages of incorporating a business far outweigh the disadvantages.

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 Of course, we all majored in recognition skills at high school. Being positive comes as second nature to everybody and we never focus too much on faults. Unfortunately there the fairy tale must end. Complaining, it seems, is a much more developed skill than praising and many people find it difficult to be only positive. It is as if they can’t help themselves adding a crushing blow. Like Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) in “American Beauty” when she praises her daughter Jane (Thora Birch) for her cheerleading performance, she says, “I was watching you very closely, and you didn’t screw up once.”

Language

It is often said that, in communication, we get the response we deserve. Bear this in mind when you next ask for an additional task to be undertaken. Listen to the words that you use. Do you apologize, saying:

“I’m really sorry that I have to drop this on you”

Do you antagonize, saying:

“Whether you like it or not you’ll have to do this by 5pm.”

Do you empathize, saying:

“I know this is a pain, but it really needs to be done.”

Do you sympathize, saying:

“Poor you! This extra work probably means overtime.”

…or do you enthuse, by saying:

“Hey, you’re just the person who can help me! I need this urgent job to be done today, and I was thinking you’d be the best person to get it out accurately and on time.”

No prizes for guessing which approach gets a more energetic response. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm and if you can embed a few pieces of recognition in your request without sounding sarcastic you’ll stand a better chance of getting a motivated performance.

When you are actually praising someone, try to tell them how you feel. “It made me proud that I work for the same company when I saw you handling that complex customer problem”, means so much more than, “Good job, keep it up.” “I wish I had your comic timing. Your ability to make people laugh and feel motivated to get on with the toughest and most unpleasant of jobs leaves me in awe.” says more than “I’m impressed, carry on, dude!”

Also make an attempt to acknowledge that you really did understand that the behavior was appropriate; “I was especially impressed when you offered to call them to update them on progress at the end of the day. That’s a great standard to work to”

Managers can develop a crippling disability when they use language variously known as “verbal diarrhea”, “let me tell you what you mean” and “that’s not the way I’d do it”. As people climb the management ladder there is a tendency for them to lose the listening skill and to gain an add-on to their verbosity skills. This is not surprising as they are probably expected to talk for most of the day; however when it comes to gathering information to promote informal recognition, keeping your ears open and your mouth shut is an essential skill.

For tips on okame cherry, paeonia suffruticosa and other information, visit the Gardening Central website.

Is No News Good News?

By Antwan Richardson

 Not long ago, after consultations with others in an association I represent, I made a partnership pitch to another organization with similar interests. If the idea had been accepted, it would have radically changed our organizations.

So, you can imagine my impatience when I didn’t hear back from the person to whom I’d made the proposal. She had welcomed the idea, but a decision would be made by a council within her organization.

Given the importance of the decision to their organization, I didn’t expect a quick response. But, I would have liked at least a phone call saying the council had accepted, rejected, or was still considering the idea.

Then, I had a “Eureka” or maybe I should call it a “Whoops” moment. I realized I hadn’t reported back to the people in my organization either. That made me guilty of the same lapse of communication as the lady in the other organization. With that recognition, I made amends by sending out an email and followed up with a report at a meeting.

In taking an analytical view of this incident, I realized that nothing can be something when it comes to communication.

The idea that nothing can be something seems counter- intuitive. But, you may remember the famous Sherlock Holmes’ observation about the dog that didn’t bark (the fictitious detective solved a baffling case by noting what did not happen, rather than what did happen).

You can probably come up with several ideas about the importance of communicating, too, even though nothing has changed. That’s especially true if you’re the one who didn’t hear from someone else.

First, you may have made plans that assume either a change or a continuation of the status quo. Perhaps you’re holding off on holiday plans until the issue is resolved one way or the other.

Second, at least you know an anticipated decision or event hasn’t yet occurred, and that you didn’t miss something (for example, as I write this I’m waiting for a client to confirm some information and it would be nice to know that I haven’t missed a callback or an emailed reply).

Third, if you’ve received an update telling you nothing has happened, you don’t need to contact that person and ask if there have been any developments. Similarly, you can advise the people who look to you for information.

One other note: This might be a variation on what I call the Everybody Knows syndrome. That’s a decision not to communicate, based on the assumption that others know what I know. For example, I might not tell anyone the office will be closed between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day because I think everyone should know that, which is likely a bad assumption on my part.

In summary, if the issue is important, communicate frequently, even if nothing has happened. Something is nothing when you or others wait impatiently for news.

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The Failure of Training

By Antwan Richardson

 Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of the participants will ask, “Where’s my boss?”

And I say, “Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings.”

Then the person laughs. “My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyone in our company. And without our manager’s support, no one will use this.”

This is bad because if no one uses the ideas presented in a workshop, the client will conclude that training doesn’t work. And then the company might abandon all training.

Here are three important issues that determine the effectiveness of training.

1) People follow the leader. Any training program will be more successful if management supports it. This is why I always involve top executives in planning my workshops. I also ask them to attend. And I recommend follow-up sessions to review the material covered in the workshop. In fact, I only work with people who value and support learning.

Training has earned a bad reputation because many programs were just thrown over the fence at employees who were sent to be fixed. It’s unlikely that any training program conducted under these conditions will accomplish much.

> Key Point: Gain management support before scheduling any training program.

2) Each of us has control over our area of responsibility. And each of us lives in the environment that we create.

The participant mentioned above can still conduct effective meetings, even if top management continues to hold bad meetings. In fact, someone who demonstrates sound leadership by holding effective meetings could end up replacing the boss who holds bad meetings.

There are two parts to every learning experience. The first part involves mastering new skills. The second (and critical) part involves choosing to use them.

> Key Point: You can be an effective leader even when others aren’t.

3) Some people play make-believe. Many years ago I received an evening phone call from a colleague who wanted to know if I could recommend a good book on how to hold effective meetings. It seems this person was scrambling to find material for a workshop that was scheduled to start the next morning.

You will learn more from an expert, rather than from someone who is delivering a book report. In this case, I recommended either of the two books that I had written on how to hold effective meetings.

Many companies hire trainers who build training programs based on books that they read. And some entrepreneurs agree to speak on topics that are purely academic for them. The best trainers ARE the message, which means that they live and breathe and use what they teach. They can answer any questions, meet any needs, and help with any situations that the participants may bring up. They truly know their topic.

> Key Point: Hire a trainer who wrote the book instead of one who (you hope) read a book.

Any training program can succeed, if delivered to people who want to improve by an expert who can show them how.

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 If you listen carefully, you’ll hear people talking about ways they can make more money. Their strategies will be different depending on the kind of work they do.

I was in a convenience store when I heard the clerk tell another employee how he was putting in lots of overtime. It was long hours of work, but he was eagerly doing it to get a little extra cash on payday.

Another day I was waiting in the lobby of a big corporation. I heard several executives discuss how much they were earning in their new positions. Obviously these were salaried jobs that were paying a lot of money for the right education, skills, and experience.

Then last weekend I spent some time at the lake. There were several people gathered around an expensive boat. They were talking about money, but none ever mentioned a job. Their talk was all about investments, how much their property was appreciating, and how well their far-flung businesses were doing.

It was clear these men and women didn’t work a job for a living. They were obviously earning a fabulous income simply making their money work. They could afford to practically live at the lake while their investments, businesses, and properties were earning an income for them.

In essence, these wealthy individuals were profiting from the work of others. If you’ve ever seen an economics report on TV or read one in the paper, you know that is the basic principle of our Western business system, a tradition that has created trillions of dollars in wealth worldwide.

What I’ve experienced and observed are what I call THE THREE LEVELS OF WORK:

* You can work a job and get paid by the hour. The longer you work, the more you get paid.

* You can work a job — usually salaried — that pays you a lot of money for what you know or can do. The more you study, the more years you put in on the job, the more you earn.

* Finally, you can profit from the work of others. Many business owners and wealthy individuals fall into this category. They actually get paid MUCH MORE money to WORK VERY LITTLE.

You don’t need millions to earn income in this third category. Many home-based businesses now use the power of the Internet to let you earn big RESIDUAL INCOME from your kitchen table.

Passive, residual income is when you earn a commission on the sales other people in your organization make. These days the powerful reach of the Internet and simple online automation can make this dream a realty for just about anyone.

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 Trademark experts strongly emphasized the responsibility of American businesses to register immediately their names in China in order to avoid becoming the preys of brand squatters. They said that U.S companies, regardless whether they have future plans for expansion in the Asian country or none, need to enlist their names as quickly as possible. This action is necessary in order for them to avoid losing their business name for other local industries in mainland China.

Stephen Baker who works at Baker & Rannells as a trademark lawyer, stated that international brand name squatting is very similar to domain name squatting. The attorney added that cases of name squatting in the internet have increased as with the growing fame of the web and online businesses. He noted that businesses that did not immediately register the name of their company as their web address usually found out that another online industry was also sharing the same trademark with them. Surprisingly, some of these brand squatters even successfully obtained a huge amount of cash from individuals or big time companies that sought to maintain and fully own their web domain name.

Baker commented that trademark squatting works in similar manner. There are opportunists who think that they could earn plenty of cash by using and registering the brands of popular and successful international or U.S businesses in their own country. China is particularly cited as a place where numerous cases of business name squatting takes place.

In fact, the lawyer mentioned that his law firm currently handles several cases of brand name piracy most of which relate to China. At present, his law firm is involved in a cancellation case wherein a Chinese business attempted to enlist a name that pertained to a liquor company that is popular both in the United States and Europe. The attorney said that the alcohol industry’s U.K branch went to China in order to enlist the business. But the company was surprised to discover that a local business had already registered a similar trademark.

In order to avoid cases of trademark squatting, which can result to huge losses, large industries in the U.S are advised to quickly file their company brand especially in the regions where cases of business name squatting are prevalent. Owen Smigelski, another trademark legal counsel, commented that in the past few years, their cases of trademark squatting increased and most of which are connected with Asian nations in the southeast region. He commented that while the litigation procedures could amount to thousands of U.S dollars, it only costs barely $1,000 to enlist a brand name.

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Is Interim Management for You?

By Antwan Richardson

 Interim management isn’t the career for you if you don’t like challenge and change. But for those of us who love both, it brings a rich variety of enhancing and intensive experiences: exposure to different industries, products and processes, and a variety of organisational structures, and cultural styles and the opportunity to establish an outstanding “track record for delivery”, added to which interim managers love not having to go through rounds of appraisals only to be told that: “unfortunately budgets for salary increases are limited”.

Show Me The Money

In fact, performance can probably never be more directly linked to pay. Even new interim managers can raise their fees for the next assignment as much as they like - providing the market thinks they’re worth it. Enough said you might think, but operating through a limited company also reduces tax costs if more remuneration is taken through shareholder dividends. And don’t forget that the cost of IT, office furniture, consumables, some utilities, vehicle running costs, and indeed VAT, can be borne by the business.

No Such Thing As Job Security Even in a “Permanent” Role Whilst even the best executive interim managers can be hit hard by an economic downturn, arguably there’s no such thing as a “permanent” line management role any more. Anyway, even in downturns can’t interim managers just drop their fees to become more saleable? Well the truth is, it doesn’t always work that way. Nevertheless, many interims feel more (not less) secure, in the knowledge that their career has more longevity than the corporate alternative.

Interim Management Lifestyle - More Choice

It’s true that an interim management lifestyle means greater choice: flexibility between part-time or full-time work, working at home or on site, the frequency and duration of holidays. It also means that because of the objectivity that comes with not being a permanent employee, during assignments organisational politics are less of a grind.

Interim management also means that a great career doesn’t have to come at the expense of unsettling the family by relocating every three years or so. But it sometimes means working away from home perhaps for four or five nights over a long period, which isn’t easy for young families. And don’t forget to start pulling your weight around the home and talking to your spouse over dinner after spending nine months on your own in a hotel!

Yes executive interim managers have more flexibility to spend quality time and extended holidays with the family between assignments, but realistically it isn’t always spent on a beach somewhere. Between interim management assignments the role morphs into “Sales Director” and interims become relentless networkers. So if you’re not good at self-promotion or not keen to become good at it fast - give it some thought. And then there’s the tedious administration: paying bills, filling in VAT returns.

There is however a somewhat perverse upside to invoicing!

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