Posted by: arlene on Monday, 4th Aug, 2008
To help him prepare, ask him to write down answers to these three questions before each meeting:
A. What actions have you taken? These should be the details of his performance over the last three months. He should include scores, rankings, ratings, and timelines, if available
B.What discoveries have you made? These discoveries might be in the form of training classes he attended, ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 3rd Aug, 2008
If you want to be sure of creating the best impression you might decide to hire an interior designer. Alternatively, Laura Ashley charge £500 for a styling consultation for three rooms, refundable against purchases of £500 or more. At the most basic level:
Posted by: arlene on Thursday, 24th Jul, 2008
Shyness affects just about everyone under certain situations. While most people cope reasonably well with occasional shyness, there are some who live in a personal prison, unable to reach out and make friends or relate positively to others. Being shy at work can severely limit work effectiveness, unless of course, you work generally on your own with little or no contact with others.
Shy people present themselves at work in many varied ways. There is the quiet wallflower who fades into the background and is not often noticed. At the opposite extreme, there is the raging extrovert who can be loud, aggressive and abrasive, but who finds it difficult to relate on an intimate level to others. In between, there are many other people, such as the knocker, the person who knocks or degrades others. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Tuesday, 22nd Jul, 2008
Market research is also invaluable in pricing your product or service. Ron Flounders, of Hertfordshire Business Link, which offers free advice to start-up businesses, says that all too often people work out their pricing ‘back-to-front’. They ask themselves how much they need to earn, what their costs are, and then price the product accordingly — regardless of what the market will pay. In fact, what you need to do is market research to establish what price the market will pay, then work out your costs and from that see whether it is worth going into business at all.’ ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 20th Jul, 2008
It is a sad fact of life that most small businesses require capital to start up. There are a few businesses which require only the minimum of equipment and stationery (journalism, PR and teaching, for instance), but most will require some form of outlay either for equipment, for stock or both. Then there are other considerations. You may need a budget for advertising, for accountancy and legal fees, or even for adapting your living room.
Before you even try to raise money, it is well worth thinking about the minimum amount needed. If the business is in the fledgling stage, try to keep only to the bare essentials — there will be time for a mahogany desk and state-of-the-art printer at a later, more successful stage. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 20th Jul, 2008
There are thousands of grants and low interest loans available for small businesses. The problem is finding out what they are and whether your business qualifies. Some fields are more liberally provided with grants than others. For instance, the Crafts Council has a setting-up scheme which allows selected craftspeople to receive a grant of £2,500 for maintenance and up to £5,000 for equipment (they pay half of equipment costs), provided they apply within two years of setting up. While this would not cover your start-up costs entirely, it could certainly be a very useful addition. Other areas where grants may be forthcoming include : ..more
Posted by: arlene on Monday, 14th Jul, 2008
With reference to a particular person X at work, do you frequently
Posted by: arlene on Thursday, 10th Jul, 2008
Stay at your desk until the call comes through. If you disappear the call charge is still ticking away. Nothing irritates the person at the other end more than hanging on for an incoming call.
The operator is probably very busy at peak times but not so busy at other times. He or she may be busy for only 50 per cent of the time and may like to take on additional work for off-peak times. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Thursday, 10th Jul, 2008
Long telephone conversations are obviously expensive. Calls should be planned and precise but, in addition to keeping the conversation as short as possible, consider other ways of reducing the telephone bill.
By keeping a close eye on all the detail and by checking against your own records it may surprise you how often you may be able to identify an overcharge. Perhaps you don’t even look at the telephone bill but please don’t leave it to the telephone company. Treat it like any other supplier’s invoice and subject the account to scrutiny. Get out the last three years’ telephone bills and compare the quarterly charges item by item, line by line. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Tuesday, 8th Jul, 2008
Some firms get locked in to one travel agent, but by giving them a monopoly you could be the loser. Go to several travel agents to get comparative quotes for the same journey. Then you will see just how complex air fare structures can be and how a travel agent with a competitive spirit can save you a small fortune. In-house travel offices give good service but are they working as competitively as they can in a non-competitive environment?
Overseas travel is so expensive that the maximum amount of planning should go into each trip. How often have you seen export sales executives sitting around waiting in the hotel foyer for their contact to arrive? Perhaps the reason for his delay is that your agent is out making last-minute appointments around town — a job which should have been done weeks ahead. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Tuesday, 8th Jul, 2008
Markets are becoming more international, distances are shrinking, more and more executives travel more frequently on overseas trips; travel expenditure is an area of potential waste that once brought under control, can significantly reduce your cost burden.
Check the reason for a journey, check that it has been planned properly and that there are clear new objectives. Check that existing objectives cannot be attained by means of cheaper communication such as telex, telephone or fax. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Friday, 27th Jun, 2008
Your new product won’t get off the ground unless you test it before the launch. Customers hate being guinea pigs and will start looking elsewhere for supplies, as well as returning faulty goods for recompense.
If a new product is intended to replace an existing one, it is essential to time the introduction of the new product so as to allow stocks of the existing product to be sold first. Be careful not to ‘land’ stocks of old models on a valued customer’s lap, as he will resent being overstocked and be unable to take up stocks of the new model. Try to find a market that will willingly accept the old models so that all your valued customers can be involved to the full in the new product launch. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Friday, 27th Jun, 2008
Managers enjoy being involved in success and so will be full of enthusiasm as sales of a new product start to take off. Expansion and sales development from an increased range of products or a wider geographical area will not find enthusiasm or hard work wanting.
But how do we foresee the end of a product’s lifespan? Be prepared for it with a policy for new products and product improvements.
If your present products are selling well you cannot be blamed for feeling satisfied. However, your competitors are watching you with envy and will not have been idle. They are probably working at this very moment on a product with a few advantageous features, so don’t ever think that your current product design is the ultimate. There will be changes in style, custom, fashion, new technology etc. Ensure that your programme of product improvement keeps you ahead. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Thursday, 26th Jun, 2008
Often when we decide we want something, we want it now, and when we do not get it straight away, we feel that life is unfair, that we have been treated unjustly, even cheated. Sometimes we convince ourselves that it is because others, and even forces beyond us, do not want us to have what we want. In choosing to believe that we have been singled out, we may rationalise that we must do unto others before they do unto us, or, at the very least, get in first before others, rather than adhere to the Golden Rule of treating others as we would wish to be treated. In taking things personally, we convince ourselves that the acquisition of our desires is at the mercy of the inquisition by others. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Wednesday, 25th Jun, 2008
The only way to gain and keep the goodwill and high esteem of the people we work and live with is to deserve it. Each of us will eventually be recognised for what we are because of our motives, not for what we try to be through our moves. Having the right motives will always win over making the right moves, yet, often prompted by personal ambition, we focus on gaining quick success by learning artful techniques. In the long run, no technique, no matter how clever, can conceal the motives a person has in his or her heart.
Many businesses focus on making all the right moves with the understandable motivation of greater return. Indeed, the majority of employment training is on specific competency techniques to ensure that the right moves are practised. But the motives behind practising the right moves are not always in harmony with what the business purports to be in business for. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 22nd Jun, 2008
So what becomes of our individual privacy and anonymity in a world where there is an Internet-ready device at every turn we make. Aren’t we being bombarded with enough information and advertising as it is? Are car manufacturers going to “eavesdrop” on our weekend getaways? And who’s going to know that I rode an elevator in Chicago last Thursday afternoon? Is “somebody out there” going to know every TV show-watch? Are we marching toward a privacy nightmare or a service and convenience dream? What is going to keep the car manufacturer from selling your whereabouts to other vendors, or even letting it fall into the hands of sophisticated robbers who could drop by your house while you’re spending the weekend in the mountains? ..more
Posted by: arlene on Wednesday, 7th May, 2008
Wear what you’d wear on the job if you were hired. If you’re unsure, it’s better to overdress than underdress. But make sure you feel comfortable—if you feel strange,you look strange.
It’s not just for dogs and cats and horses anymore. It’s important for humans too:
Posted by: arlene on Monday, 5th May, 2008
There are two voices in your brain. The first says, “If I admit my mistakes, I’ll look weak and lose people’s respect.” The second says, “When a person I respect admits her mistakes, I end up respecting her more.” Isn’t it amazing how you can know a fact but think you’re the only one on the planet that it doesn’t apply to?
When you’re wrong, say it. It may temporarily streak your self-image, but it polishes the image others see.
Let’s say you lose your cool and ridicule a worker in front of everyone. A moment later you regret your action and decide to admit you were wrong. You can say you’re sorry in two ways. No matter what words you use, the first kind of sorry means, “I’m sorry because what I did made me look foolish.” The only thing you regret is the damage you did to yourself. Let’s call that a selfish sorry. ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 27th Apr, 2008
Good news! There’s another way to go—an alternative that won’t wipe out your finances now or drop you in debt’s bottomless pit in the future. Here it is: Pay cash for a good used car.
I know that most adults think I’m crazy when I tell you this. New car dealers will boycott. Banks will call me a heretic. And maybe even your parents will write me nasty letters. I don’t care. I’m standing my ground. Paying cash for a good used car is the only way to go.
I’ve got to warn you—if you decide to follow my advice, you may be in for some serious resistance. People will tell you that buying a used car is just buyingsomeone else’s problems. After all, why would they be selling the car if there weren’t something wrong with it? Good question. Here are some good answers (and if you paid attention earlier, you already know them): ..more
Posted by: arlene on Sunday, 27th Apr, 2008
For many people, buying a car is their first big-time investment. But for most of these investors, it’s also their first leap into debt’s bottomless pit. Can you actually buy a good car without going into debt? How can you keep from losing your shirt to an unscrupulous seller? I’ll show you how to pay cash for a great, reliable, used car—and why doing it any other way is just plain silly.
When most people dream of owning a car, they think of a new car. They’re shiny, they’re reliable, they’re great fun to show off to your friends. And best of all, they have that intoxicating new-car smell. ..more
