Find a Job Now!

Are you in desperate search of a new job? Don't worry; I've certainly been there myself. It can be difficult finding the right job to suit your interests and pay the bills.

I mean, we all want a career that allows us to kick back with our 1000 dollar shoes up on the desk and gaze happily out at a million dollar view each day. Oh, and from the hundredth floor of some billion dollar business. Did I leave anything out? Okay, well unfortunately most of us don't find that exact job, but we do have the ability to find a career that makes us happy. Have you researched any jobs online lately? You can definitely stumble across a job opportunity if you do some browsing. Cyberspace is practically overflowing with them.

What kind of job opportunity are you looking for? I asked my 17 year old daughter this the other days since she's about to graduate. She gave me a serious look and informed me that she would like to be the head of some large, billion dollar corporation. I was speechless. Then she said, "How can I do that right now?" I couldn't help but laugh. I honestly don't know what kids are thinking these days. I looked her square in the eye and said, you can't. First you have to go to college, get a bachelor's degree, then hopefully a master's. Following your diploma will come an entry position at some company, and you will continue to work your way up. She frowned and thought I was nuts. Well, in the real world no one enters a company after high school and becomes a CEO or president. As much as that would be ideal, it just doesn't work that way.

If a job opportunity is what you're searching for, then the perfect place to start is online. So you've got your bachelor's degree and you're seriously looking for that perfect job opportunity that suits your skills. It's time to pop open Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com. These are easy to navigate websites that will help you discover that perfect job opportunity. You can browse positions in your immediate area or nationwide. Punch in the field you prefer and do a quick search. If this doesn't give you the desired results, you can also punch in your degree for more feedback. That job opportunity you're looking for is out there if you browse in the right place. You can even send your resume to a potential employer via the World-Wide-Web.

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5:09 AM | 0 comments

"Powering Off" or "Power On?"

Do you take your laptop on vacation? Do you sometimes "hate" your cell phone or your Blackberry? Harris Interactive recently reported that one-third of vacationers take their laptops on vacation. During a Sunday meal at a restaurant recently, I observed a man sitting with his family talking on his cell phone -- obviously about business. He was not happy – neither was his family!

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, "It is the best of times. It is the worst of times." Certainly that applies when it comes to "connectivity." Stories of 9-11 victims being able to communicate with family members in the last minutes of their lives warmed my heart, while the story my friend told of her mother answering her cell phone in the delivery room during the birth of her grandchild chilled my soul.

How grateful I was for my cell phone when I came across a young woman stalled on an interstate without one, and I could immediately get help. How convenient it is on vacation to use the Internet to explore the options for entertainment in the area on a rainy afternoon, and get directions to find it easily. How comforting to know that my family can reach me in case of an emergency – or something to celebrate! -- regardless of where I am in the world. The same can be said for my colleagues.

So here's the question: Should you take your laptop on vacation? Should your cell phone be on 24/7? Clients often ask, "What should I do?" My answer: "That's the wrong question. The question is "What will you do?" Maybe an even better question would be "What would you like to do?" Perhaps the best question of all is "What action will bring you the best results?" In order to answer that question, you have to take the time to answer "What ARE your best results?"

Repeatedly I have emphasized that one definition of "organization" is "controlling the things you can control, so you can cope with the things you can't." In the complex world in which we live, especially with the level of connectivity available, it's easy to fall into the trap of feeling that we are victims of other people. I cringe when someone complains about having to answer their cell phone. Says who? If you don't want to be reached, you can "power off." If you have to be reachable because your job requires it, then the question may be "Am I in the right job?" Or, have you simply trained people that you are "always available." Customer service is great, but it doesn't require 24/7 response. It requires good communication. It's highly frustrating to leave a message and get no response for days, but few situations would suffer if the response came one hour later so you could have lunch with a colleague without interruption.

Connectivity can be addictive. My daughter, who has her PhD in counseling, reminded me that an addiction is something that reduces the quality of your life and the people around you.

So what does all this have to do with productivity? My passion is helping individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so everyone can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. When used appropriately, connectivity does help you accomplish your work and enable you to play. It can also undermine your priorities at work, destroy your health, and poison your relationships when used inappropriately.

The issue is not whether you take your laptop on vacation or leave your cell phone on 24/7. For some people, the ability to check e-mail once a day on vacation brings peace of mind and can be done when others are sleeping or swimming. For others, the whole idea of a vacation is not taking your laptop. There is no "right" or "wrong." The question is whether your choice is enhancing or diminishing your life and the lives of the people around you.

So "Power Off" or "Power On?" – it's truly up to you!

P.S. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Your ability to make any connection more valuable is being able to find the information you need when you need it. Are you wasting valuable time looking for what you need? Could you find what other people in your office have if you needed it? If not, fill out our Productive Environment Scorecard, (www.ProductiveEnvironment.com) and we'll give you a free 30-minute phone consultation to identify specific steps you can take to make sure that everyone in your organization is taking the right action at the right time with the right information.

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4:53 AM | 0 comments

Going Broke Committing To Your Job? A Home-Based Business Is The Answer

As the price of gas hovers around $3 per gallon in many states, people everywhere are starting to wonder about their future. It doesn't help that oil industry analysts are predicting gas prices will remain high for months and maybe for years.

Suddenly, commuting to your job is looking like a major investment that's already a big hit on your budget.

Maybe it's time for you to finally start a serious home-based business. Don't panic. Starting a business at home doesn't need to take a big investment. It can be done cheaply, basically coming out of the grocery money. And you don't need more training or education, because some firms offer very simple, well thought out, automated systems for you to use.

Expect to hear anywhere from a helpful part-time income of a few hundred dollars per month to an impressive full-time income that would rival the earnings of many corporate CEO's.

Here's what to look for when choosing a home-based business:

* Find something that really sounds exciting to you. Success in business is often based strictly on your enthusiasm for what you're selling. If you truly enjoy the product, you'll sell a whole lot more.

* Don't let anyone tell you Network Marketing (or MLM) is a bad thing. Big corporate media reports often portray MLM in a bad light, but that's only because most reporters have very little experience working outside the corporation. The truth is MLM has hit it's own pace since the advent of the Internet. Many top companies are earning hundreds of millions of dollars each year, with thousands of happy members. These companies enjoy unprecedented low overhead and little to no debt.

* Look for a home-based opportunity that comes with all the training and support you'll need to get started. Nothing can be more detrimental to your business than getting all set up, then finding out there is no one to help you figure out what to do next. Look for opportunities that have online assistance, telephone help, or get you connected with other more experienced members.

Finally, don't put off the business you can start today. As the months go by and prices get even higher, more and more people will be looking for their own home based business to supplement or replace their income. Get started now to be at the top of this exciting movement.

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5:00 AM | 0 comments

Will Your Small Business Have A Happy Ending?

There is no question that as a small business owner you have persevered and worked hard, dedicating your life to the success of your company. That being said, don't you think a company you put all of your energies into, deserves the chance at having a happy ending? Have you considered the impact your death, disability, retirement, or even divorce could have on your small business ?

If you are the owner of a small business it is time for you to stop thinking of only what is happening now, and start focusing on what could happen in the future. Therefore, you need to put your priorities into perspective by protecting yourself and your business with a succession plan. A business succession plan is what you need to ensure that your business has a happy ending by remaining secure, regardless of what may happen in the future.

In particular, a succession plan allows your business the chance to be able to stand up to any challenges that may occur along the way. For instance, certain setbacks that you might experience may be entirely beyond your control such as divorce, disability, departure and death. But with a business succession plan you have the chance, as a small business owner, to ensure that regardless of what may happen to you, your business will be protected.

The following are a few aspects you should to take into consideration when creating a business succession plan for you small business:

How to Begin the Succession Planning - Since you need to make choices before you can really begin achieving your succession planning goal, you must first think about your long term business objectives and ask yourself important questions such as –

• Will I sell my small business?
• Should I set up a plan that allows me to transfer my business to one of my business associates or a family member?
• Does my business have public potential?

Of course, business succession planning begins with much more than simply deciding who you will be giving your business to in the event that you can no longer run your company, or wish to sell it. Additionally, succession planning is about keeping your small business afloat and successful to ensure that your absence will not devastate your company. Therefore, in order to maintain future control of your business, you will need to begin your succession planning by making choices that will concern things such as:

• ownership objectives
• asset protection planning
• taxation and transaction planning
• estate planning

You will want to keep in mind, however, that due to the fact that every action you take with succession planning will result in a reaction, you will require the assistance of experienced experts when developing your plan.

Understand the Dollars and "Sense" of Business Succession Planning – Like any type of business preparation, your business succession plan needs to be orderly and handled carefully if you don't want to suffer the consequences of financial losses – or worse – the loss of your small business. That being the case, you need to know exactly what you are dealing with, and how you can achieve the most of your planning.

The one mistake you will not want to make is to overlook your business finances. You can help keep your business secure by properly using the following, and more, in your succession planning before problems occur:

• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Annuities

Furthermore, you will find that with an orderly succession plan, you will be avoiding the possibility of your business having to be sold to pay off the estate tax, in the event of yours or (if you have one) your partner's death. It is no secret that estate taxes can claim up to 55% of an estate that is taxable, which is no mystery why so many businesses fall into debt, become bankrupt, or are sold due to the death of the owner or partner.

In addition, another aspect that needs to be considered is that clients are most likely to do business with other businesses after the owner or partner is deceased. However with the proper succession plan, your business should be able to maintain any regular clients - or if not - it will be better equipped to survive the possible drop in assets if a slow period should follow.

Know How to Write Your Happy Ending – Remember, when all is said and done, the outcome of your succession plan depends entirely on the choices you make regarding the future of your small business. It is imperative that you take the time to make the best choices that will allow you to implement a succession plan, which keeps you in control of the outcome that involves the transfer of your company. By knowing how to ensure the prosperity of your business future with a succession plan, is how you will write your happy ending.

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4:56 AM | 0 comments

Pricing For Profit

To improve your profitability you must either make a larger gross margin on each dollar of sales or sell more without increasing your fixed costs. It goes without saying that the greatest improvement will be realised when you achieve both simultaneously.

Remember your gross margin is the difference between the price of your product and what it costs you to buy or make it. Therefore, the only way to increase your gross margin is to sell at a higher price or buy at a lower price.

In most instances (but not all!) you will have limited scope to buy at a lower price. For this reason your selling price is the critical variable.

Without doubt, the biggest single barrier preventing small business managers from making an acceptable profit is their refusal to charge a price which will enable them to achieve this. You are not in business to match the price your competitors set, but you are there to service your customers.

In fact, studies of the factors people regard as important influences on their decision to deal with a particular business indicate that product and price are relevant in only 15% of cases.

It is the lazy manager's competitive strategy to try to hold or win market share on the basis of price discounting. It is relevant and applicable only in the one situation where you have both a definite cost advantage (either variable or fixed) over your competitors and your product or service is one where customers are very price sensitive.

For example, if your gross margin is 30% and you reduce price by 10% you need sales volumes to increase by 50% to maintain your profit. Rarely has such a strategy worked in the past and it's unlikely that it will work in the future.

The service you offer or the unique way that you add value to the clients you support are all sustainable ways to differentiate your business and support an ongoing pricing for profit strategy.

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4:55 AM | 0 comments