Ten Ways to Build Your Personal Brand

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead, Self Improvement | Posted on 18-08-2010-05-2008

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Everything you do in life — from the way you dress to the car you buy, from the friends you see to the club you belong, from the notes you write to the way you speak — either builds or diminishes your personal brand. Below are ten suggestions for building a stronger personal brand.

One: Become an expert source. Deliver a speech, write a bylined article, and become an expert source for reporters. Make sure you have a current photo, bio, resume, and speaker introduction.

Two: Become a great communicator. Research shows communications skill is the top determinant for upward social and professional mobility. Join Toastmasters or hire a communications coach to ensure that your written and verbal skills are at their best.
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Three: Draft a marketing plan for yourself annually, and review it quarterly. Include specific goals, strategies, action steps, and a timetable.

Four: Develop an ‘elevator speech.” Within the time that it takes an elevator to travel one floor — about 60-seconds — be able to deliver a succinct description of what you do, how you do it differently, and the benefit it provides.  http://www.virtual-base.com

Five: Build your Rolodex. Make new business contacts and stay in touch with them. Most people with powerful brands have powerful friends.

Six: Realize that your boss can be your most powerful ally — or enemy — in building your brand. Be loyal and never speak ill of him or her — to anyone. We should make our bosses look good, and help them build their own brands.

Seven: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Balance your individual style with clothing that will appeal to those you are trying to impress.

Eight: Become a class act. Learn good business and social etiquette. Buy elegant personal stationery and send hand-written notes. Know how to order a good bottle of wine in a fine restaurant and drink it sparingly during dinner. (Remember, alcohol and branding seldom mix.)

Nine: Select “significant” significant others. Who you date or who you marry affects your brand. John Hancock CEO David F. D’Alessandro in his book Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It, suggests that single people not take their dates to company events. If they do, they will be judged by the outcome of every romance.

Ten: Give something back. Giving your time, talent, and money to charitable causes is a brand-builder especially when it complements your brand strategy. Find a cause you are passionate about. When I was in public relations, I wanted to be known for my creativity. By limiting my community involvement to arts organizations I was able to reinforce my personal brand. Not only did my involvement in the arts benefit my career, I enjoyed the work. I still do. http://www.careerberg.com

Your personal brand is one of your greatest business assets. Nurture your brand and you will nurture your career.

Confident Body Language: Research Shows It’s The Key!

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead, Personal & Self-Marketing, Self Improvement | Posted on 13-08-2010-05-2008

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It’s easy to assume that our feelings determine our behavior, and not the other way around. For example, most of us assume that if a person “acts” very confident it is because that person “feels” very confident. But there’s plenty of new research to prove that it also works the other way around. Many studies have shown that adopting confident body language can actually make you feel more confident!

Another great example of this mind-body connection is a study that showed holding a pencil between your teeth for 15-20 minutes (forcing you to smile) actually makes people feel happier. This is significant because it strongly suggests that changing what you do with your physical body will actually change your emotions too. The implications of this are huge, especially in the area of personal development.
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A Confident Posture
Just as “forcing” yourself to smile can actually make you feel happier, forcing yourself to adopt more confident body language can actually make you feel more confident. Keeping that is mind, here’s a quick list of behaviors that you can use to build feelings of confidence: http://www.careerberg.com

1. Stand up straight. This may be an old cliché, but it’s probably the number one behavior associated with confidence. Straighten out the back and push the chest out (within reason of course). Show your full height, no matter what it is and you will appear and feel more confident and powerful.

2. Chin Up! Rise your head, elongate the neck slightly and keep that chin up in the air-don’t worry, you won’t appear arrogant, you’ll appear centered and secure.

3. Smile. As we’ve already mentioned, making yourself smile (regardless of how you feel) actually changes the way you feel. Also, smiling shows confidence and an easy-going manner. If you’re someone who finds it difficult to smile, try the “holding a pencil between your teeth” technique. Do this for about 15 minutes twice a day and you WILL notice a difference in how you feel. You will also be building a new habit of smiling easily, which just broadcasts confidence.

4. Open your eyes! Opening the eyes a little wider than normal expresses openness and a strong social connection. Again, “faking” this behavior can cause you to feel these attributes, so go ahead and “fake it ’til you make it.”

5. Slow it down a bit. Slowing down your motions a little expresses confidence and a peaceful nature. Confident people rarely stress or rush. Moving in a slow, methodical manner tells others (and your subconscious) that you are confident.

You are in complete control of your posture, and by changing your posture you also take control over the way you feel. If you don’t feel like standing up straight (or any of the others), just fake it! Don’t wait to change your behavior after you feel better, change your behavior NOW and more confident feelings will naturally follow.

Six Sigma As A Career

Posted by admin | Posted in Career Development, Going One Step Ahead, Miscellaneous | Posted on 11-08-2010-05-2008

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The number of job opportunities available to 6 Sigma professionals has increased manifold in recent years. Qualified and experienced professionals also have the option of starting their own 6 Sigma consultancy business. As for job opportunities, they are available both within the organization and outside the organization.

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6 Sigma Job Opportunities Within The Organization

Companies planning to deploy Six Sigma often prefer to provide 6-sigma training to existing employees. This is done to reduce costs associated with hiring 6 Sigma professionals from outside who often charge hefty amounts for their services. Training existing employees is also beneficial because experienced employees are well aware of the company’s business processes and will be able to carry out the implementations far more effectively, if proper training is provided to them.

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Employees who receive the training automatically become entitled to receive the certifications. Combined with practical experience that they will gain during the implementations, they can easily add value to their resumes and enhance their career prospects.

Six Sigma Opportunities Outside The Organization

6 Sigma job opportunities are on the rise and candidates do not have to work too hard to find 6 Sigma jobs. They just have to type “Six Sigma” on any popular job site and it is certain that hundreds of job requirements will be displayed in an instant. They can then apply for jobs that best suit their existing job profile. Openings for 6 Sigma professionals are available both for fresh candidates as well as experienced candidates, but opportunities are certainly more for candidates having more two years of implementation experience.

Companies prefer seasoned 6 Sigma professionals because they have the expertise to execute 6 Sigma projects more effectively and efficiently. Another interesting detail is that job opportunities are more for high-level professionals such as Black Belts rather than for low rung Six Sigma professionals such as Green Belts. This is because companies prefer utilizing their existing workforce for low rung 6 Sigma jobs by providing them the requisite training.

This, however, should not dissuade candidates from opting for Green Belt training because in the field of 6 Sigma, one can always keep on moving to higher levels of professionals, just by getting the requisite training and certification. A candidate starting his career as a Green Belt can easily become a Black Belt by getting the requisite training.

It is true that training is essential for enhancing career prospects in the field of Six Sigma, but there are other factors also that affect the career prospects of a 6 Sigma professional. To make it to the top, Six Sigma professionals need to have creative and problem-solving abilities. Good communication and inter-personal skills are also a prerequisite for professionals aiming to make their mark in the field of 6 Sigma.

Positively Passionate People

Posted by admin | Posted in Career Development, Going One Step Ahead, Personal & Self-Marketing, Self Improvement | Posted on 04-08-2010-05-2008

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True passion is one of the most powerful feelings one may feel in their lifetime. One can become so passionate about something that they feel they would die for it (and sometimes do.) It may be one of the most powerful of all human emotions. Passion can be harnessed for good, or for evil. It is when people harness their passions in positive ways that the world is shaped in a beautiful way.

These people are not lazy, unambitious, unmotivated, depressed bags of flesh that mope about all day wallowing in self-pity. They are alive, energetic, proactive and dynamic beings who have come to fully realize the divine potential within their own mind, body, life and soul.
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As you’ll learn in many of our products, the people that you surround yourself with have a huge impact on your mind, and thus your life. Therefore, surround yourself with as many positively passionate people as you can, and you will find yourself becoming like them. To help you identify these people, we’ve listed eight broad characteristics below. You can also model yourself after these – and you will find your level of passion increases accordingly. http://www.careerberg.com

Lives life fully
Positively passionate person lives life to its fullest – everyday. They know how to have a great time. They know when to be spontaneous. They see the beauty in everyday living, and in all of creation. They realize that ultimately life isn’t defined by thoughts – it’s defined by the actions that arise from those thoughts. Thus, they master their mind, and simultaneously master their actions. Their actions and feelings which arise as a result of their thoughts are what allow them to lead an amazing, fulfilling life.

Unstoppable
Positively passionate person is unstoppable in all that they do. They are aware of the immeasurable value of perseverance. They never give up on what they have set their mind too – no matter what gets in their way. They realize that they are the only one that can stop themselves. They don’t let the negative feedback of others stand between them and their dreams. They know that good things take time. They never surrender – they always move forward, until they reach their goals.

Takes risks
Positively passionate person takes risks when appropriate – knowing that risks are the only way to grow. Unless they risk something, even if very small, they will not grow. They realize they must step outside of their comfortable current conditions in order to achieve anything. They take wise, informed risks in order to achieve what they desire. http://www.careerberg.com

Assertive
Positively passionate person is assertive in all decisions. They are intuitive, use good judgment, and make good decisions – fast. When confronted with a choice, they draw upon their own past experiences and external information – which they filter with their critical thinking skills – to reach a decision. They trust in themselves, and have confidence in their choice.

Focused
Positively passionate person remains focused at all times. They focus on their dreams and goals until they become a reality. They decide what they want, how they will get it, and then focus on it with all their power until they make it happen. They only allow things to enter their life that will help them achieve what they have set out to do – they develop powerful paradigms and mental filters that only accept positive thoughts in order to bring them closer to their goals.

Creative
Positively passionate person cultivates and utilizes their inner creativity. They create ways to reach their goals and to overcome obstacles placed in their path. They strive for innovation and for new, better, easier ways to do things. They use the power of their mind and their subconscious to show them the way. They utilize techniques such as those taught by our company to find inventive ways to crystallize their dreams.

Self-Evolved
Positively passionate person is self-evolved. They are self-confident, introspective, self-guided, and self-reliant. They have learned how to rely on themselves through the good and the bad. They are the reason that they are where they are, and that they are who they are. They use the lessons of the past to their advantage, and learn from every mistake. They examine their own mind and soul regularly, and learn to understand and control their every thought, feeling, and action. They know where they have been, and they know where they are going. If they do not like something, they change it. They continuously strive to move along the path to their dreams, and fully realize that they are the only vehicle that will take them there.

Mastery of subconscious
Positively passionate person has mastered their own subconscious mind. They realize that every thought and thus every action is a result of what has been put into their mind. They have a powerful, positive belief system and mental filters that allow them to recognize positive things in the world around them that they can use to reach their goals. They have positive habits and a positive self image, and everything produced by their mind conforms to their positive beliefs. They take on the rightful duty of programming their own mind – of eliminating negative programming, and positively affirming and regularly reaffirming every desirable aspect of their own being. They use mental tools and techniques, such as those we offer, to program their mind to receive exactly what they want out of life.

You’ll know a positively passionate person when you see one. They are the ones that stick out above the rest – the successful ones – the happy ones. When you become passionate about something positive and follow it… when you harness your own thoughts to get there… when you master your own mind – you become happy. Negative thoughts cannot dwell in a mind that has no place for them. Being passionate about doing something positive in the world and taking action to make it happen will not only bring happiness in your life, it can also bring happiness to those you help.

We have the tools to allow you to get whatever you want out of life. You have the power to live your dreams. Let us help you along the way. http://www.careerberg.com

Stop Wasting Time – Learn to Make Decisions Faster

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead, Self Improvement | Posted on 04-08-2010-05-2008

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Every success starts with a decision. The biggest waste of time, the biggest waste of life, for most people is the decision they need to make but haven’t made because they can’t make up their mind.

There is power in a made-up mind. Every one of us is a decision maker. We have 50,000 to 100,000 thoughts a day.  http://www.careerberg.com
Consider executives. During the year these men and women have to make hundreds, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of decisions. If they give equal value to every decision, no decision is that important.
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They may give equal time to a $1 million decision, a $100 decision, or a $10 decision as to a $100 million decision or a $1 billion decision.

Let’s have fewer decisions that have to be made. Let’s resolve to make fewer decisions.

There are going to be more-important decisions, and there are going to be monumental decisions. There are going to be such big decisions that, as you look back on them, you will say the decision was worth making; you’ll say that was the decision that leveraged the results of the company.

Very few people understand the importance of making fewer decisions. You really need to start at the beginning of the year, and figure out what is the one decision, or what are the two or even three decisions, you can make that will take your company, your life, or your business, or whatever it may be, to a completely new level. http://www.careerberg.com

For example, last year I moved from Japan, where I had lived for 22 years, to Singapore. When I moved, one of the things I needed to do was to make up my mind about where I wanted to live. That decision was going to affect every waking moment, every sleeping moment of my entire life in Singapore, because that is where I was going to be spending all my time. So I put an incredible amount of time into making the decision about where I wanted to live. I looked at 47 houses before I found one that was going to be exactly the right environment for me. That was a decision that was worth spending a lot of time on.

Then it came time for me to get a local cell phone because I was now living in a new country. I spent exactly zero hours, zero minutes, and zero seconds on selecting a new cell phone.

How did I do that? I told my assistant, “Get me a cell phone.” She asked, “What type?” I said, “I really don’t care; you figure it out.”

What you want is to hire the best. One of the decisions you make is to get employees who are better than you at some things. http://www.careerberg.com

Recognizing Your Skills and Abilities

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead, Personal & Self-Marketing, Self Improvement | Posted on 30-07-2010-05-2008

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Going out into the job market can be a frightening prospect, especially if you are trying to branch out in a different direction than the type of work you are used to doing. It can seem as though employers are only interested in those individuals who have experience with certain techniques or who have performed similar types of work previously; with a bit of research, however, you will quickly find that there are a number of opportunities available to you so long as you are able to present the skills necessary to do the job.  http://www.careerberg.com

Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short when trying to list or describe the skills that they possess. If you can’t be confident in your skill set and understand the skills that are transferable into new markets, then you’ll have a much harder time convincing a potential employer that you’re the right person for the job they’re offering. This is where being able to identify your own skills and interests can help you to bridge the gap and show that you are more than qualified for the positions that you seek.
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Identifying Your Developed Skills
First thing that you need to do is start thinking about the different jobs that you’ve had in the past and the various skills that you’ve developed over the years. Even fairly menial jobs can pass on a variety of skills, including those skills which are highly sought after in the corporate world such as time and project management and even customer relations. The skills that you have were developed with time and hard work, so don’t be quick to discount them. List the various skills that you’ve developed through work and other activities, making notes of any areas that you are particularly strong in. Managing a household or home business requires skills. If this is you, identify what skills you possess.

Finding Your Natural Talents and Abilities
Some things just come easier to certain people, and being able to identify Your natural Talents can help you to get ahead when trying to get the job of your dreams. Examine exactly what talents and natural abilities you have, and how long you’ve known that they just come easily to you; many employers are interested in having people with talent and who can do the work that they offer them without struggling to get it completed. Don’t worry that it will sound like you’re bragging to mention these talents and abilities… that’s what interviews and applications are for, to enable employers to evaluate potential employees and determine which ones will be the best for the job. Having natural talent in certain areas and showing documented proof will help to qualify you as being one of the best. http://www.careerberg.com

Following Your Interests
When you begin looking for a job, make sure that you try and find potential employers who fall within some of your areas of interest even if you’ve never had employment in that area before. Often times employers will ask job candidates during an interview exactly why it is that they want to work for the company they’ve applied at; being able to say that you’re genuinely interested in the work that they do and having enough knowledge about the field to back that statement up will help to show them that you’ll likely be a diligent worker and that you won’t become bored with the work and go off seeking another job. If you have developed skills or possess natural talents which support that area of interest, that’s even more of a mark in your favor since you will not only be interested in the work but will also have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to do it. These are qualities that employers are always looking for, and they can help you to land the job even when you thought that you wouldn’t be qualified enough.

Turn Unemployment into Self-Employment: 5 Tips on How to Start

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead | Posted on 22-01-2010-05-2008

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http://www.careerberg.com/

Losing a job is never easy, no matter what the cause. A large recession may get you a lot of company but that never solves the problem of how you can get back on the path to work and a steady income. Coming from the formerly heavily industrial city of Pittsburgh, you probably won’t return to that steady income by waiting to be called back to work. And really, the key word here is work; that is what you are looking for — the system to turn your labor into money. Maybe now is the time for you to work for you.

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I am not talking about building an empire — starting with a small idea and growing it into a major force employing many. That may happen, but it is very rare and accomplished by those who have a real entrepreneurial drive. You do not need a major venture order to earn a living by being self-employed. This article offers five smaller ideas to work on.

  1. Become a contractor to the company that you just left. If your employer had work but needed fewer hours or people, you may be able to come back as a subcontractor. You do the work when it is available and find something else when business is slow. This technique works in only some industries — building contracting, IT services, graphic design and professional services, home healthcare, and more — as you must be a true independent employee to comply with the current tax laws, which means you control your own schedule and your own tools.

The value to the employer is that the extra employees do not become overhead when business is slow, and the value to you is that you will make more money for fewer hours if all of your time is spent o n productive work.

2-Do the same work for several companies. If you have been a valuable asset to your former employer and can provide the same value to others in the same industry, set up a single-member limited liability corporation (LLC), the easiest way to form a corporation, and market your skills to all businesses that may need them. Your projects will be shorter, but your payments will be higher. The key to success here is in the marketing.

3-Look for a small company to buy. By small, I am talking about fewer than five employees. Owners looking to retire may be willing to finance the purchase, and then you can pay for it out of increased cash flow as it grows. Some businesses just need new energy to drive them on to better results.

4-Consider a franchise. The prepackaged business startup comes in many sizes and many price ranges — from consulting programs to full-scale restaurants. You will get assistance in all phases of the business and ongoing support. Lenders sometimes are more comfortable making loans to a franchise because of the existing track record of the other similar operations.

Remember that you will have to follow a prescribed business path which may keep you from exploiting some of your personal strengths, and you will have ongoing royalties to pay. Make sure that you are getting value in terms of corporate marketing for those fees.

5-Look for Strategic Partners. If the skills you have at not quite enough to cover all of the bases, you may be able to find someone whose strengths are complementary. For example, you have the technical skills but weak sales and marketing skills, or you could sell virtually anything but don’t do well with details. Find someone who is compatible and consider various forms of joint work. You may form a business together or may function only as a joint venture. The main difference between the two is one is permanent, and the other has a timeframe and a goal; when the goal is reached, the venture ends.

An economic downturn is a great time for all kinds of creative collaborations, building virtual businesses that operate to meet the current level of demand. With little overhead, you can be very flexible and make comfortable profits.

Final Thoughts
At a time when companies are reluctant to hire, we all need to get out of our comfort zone and find new answers. Self-employment may be a temporary solution or a permanent change of direction. http://www.careerberg.com/

Five Steps To Success In Everything You Do

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead, Self Improvement | Posted on 16-12-2009-05-2008

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If you follow these 5 steps, no doubt you will get everything you want!
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# 1:

What you need first is to have a strong desire. A desire like a fire! Not like a little flame you have to stir to get some heat going. No, you need a strong desire, you must really want to have what you long for! If you want something badly, but you didn’t get it until now, it is your desire was not strong enough! You must really feel the desire to have it in your bones, in your flesh, in your heart. The desire is the starting point, because without passion nothing can happen.

#2:

Now you need to set goals. Why? To know where to go! Without goals your desire will get you nowhere and you will turn around in circles like a dog who runs after his own tail. A goal gives you a reason, a purpose. The word goal means to GO ALl the way to get there! Your goal is your direction where your desire will take you. If you’re able to see with your mind’s eye what you want, you will have it. So the more details you see, the more concrete is your mental image, the more likely you will get exactly what you long for! Goals get your energy running. Goals generate the necessary activity to bring you towards the realization of your dream. A good goal is a statement of what you want, in a positive, clear, concrete way and with emotion (remember the fire! Without emotion, without fire, no outcome!). A goal should be written down, to give it more energy, and should be stated in the present time. You write your goal down as if you got it already. And start to act as if you were already there!

#3:

You must believe in yourself. You must really be conscious of the fact that you are worth to have what you desire and that you are able to get it, that you got everything you need to realize your dream. Yes you can! Maybe you do not know for now how to get there, but believe in the fact that you will learn step by step how to do it and that you will be guided on your way by coïncidences and syncronicity.

#4:

A strong desire, a clear positive goal, a strong believe in yourself, what else does it need to make your dreams come true? Positive thinking! The most beautiful dream, the strongest desire and the clearest goal will bring you nowhere if you destroy yourself with a negative belief system. If you have this lousy habit of seeing everything rather black than white, of fearing the worst, of expecting bad things to happen, this mindset will bring you what you ask for : black, fear, bad. A positive mindset lifts you up to the level of universal creation and the universe will conspire with you to give you what you long for. http://www.careerberg.com/

#5:

Consistency. Yes, it is easy to start things. It is easy to quit. But it takes consistency to stay on your road. Did you ever taste the freedom which lies in the fact that, after years and years of practicing the same thing, you became an expert in something? With your eyes closed you can answer any question on the subject and produce almost any result you want? You are an expert now because you did the same thing hundreds of times, over and over again. And now you know! What a freedom! Consistency, not giving up, always going on in the same direction, this brings you freedom at last. Why? Because you don’t need to think and to search anymore on your subject. It became a habit and you have space free in your mind to learn new more demanding stuff. Stay on your road, go on and on, every step will take you to more freedom, happiness and mastery of your life!

These are the five crucial steps to succeed in whatever you want.

Ten Tips for Growing Your Small Business

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead | Posted on 14-12-2009-05-2008

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http://www.careerberg.com/

As you maintain and grow your small business, it’s important to keep continued focus on some of the solid practices that helped get you to where you are today. This list is intended to help you do that because it’s easy to start to look to far ahead and forget that they way you were doing business wasn’t broken in the first place.

  1. Develop and Maintain Your Company’s Mission – Basically what we’re talking about here is creating a strategic direction for your company and doing your best to stick to it. That’s hard sometimes for a newer, small organization that is trying to make it’s own place in the marketplace. Sometimes you have to roll with the changes and adjust your expectations and plans mid-stream in order to survive. However, keeping these changes to a minimum in order to stay focused on the good planning and ideas that got you this far is also important. And customers like consistency.

2. Build Strong Vendor and Customer Relationships – This one is critical to the long-term viability of your company. Developing a trust and loyalty with customers is an absolute must. It is the same with the vendors you deal with. You are their customer so keep that relationship strong – if you’ve found good vendors then you will reap long-term rewards from the solid relationship you will have built and maintained with these suppliers – just as you and your long-term customers will reap benefits from each other.

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3. Hold Employees Accountable – Holding employees accountable for their individual tasks and responsibilities is no different than doing the same with your own kids. Train them to be responsible for what’s assigned to them or given to them and they will be better employees in the long run for it. Of course, you must give opportunities for recognition, rewards, and advancement (and if not advancement, at least more responsibility) if they are successful. Parents, does this sound familiar?

4. Create a Solid and Loyal Employee Base – A loyal and well-trained workforce will help your business move forward and stand up strong against the competition. It will also help to reduce employee turnover which means less lost productivity spent retraining new staff.

5. Develop Your Management from Within – As you create and develop your small business, it’s like that it is a one-man or one-woman show for awhile. As you grow, it can be very difficult to want to relinquish any of that decision-making and control to someone who comes in from the outside. Trust your own judgment as you add skilled resources to your company and find ways to delegate increasingly meaningful tasks and responsibilities so that at the same to you’re actually working toward upgrading your management. Building that loyalty amongst your employees – as we discussed in #4 above – will help you to build a great resource pool to base all of your future company growth upon. http://www.careerberg.com/

6. Never Lose Focus on Quality – This is probably an obvious one, but when the economy looks the way our current economy does, it’s easy to think about cutting corners. That’s fine to do internally as you reduce some operating expenses, freeze wages, freeze hiring, or possibly even letting someone go, but don’t reduce the quality that you provide to your customer. As a customer myself, when I start to see quality decrease, I go elsewhere. It’s hard to gain a customer, but it’s very easy to lose one quickly if we don’t continue to provide what they expect and are accustomed to.

7. Keep an Eye on Operating Costs During Growth – Just as you continually work to maintain the quality that got you to where you are in your marketplace and customer standing, you must also remember to try to maintain your production cost perspective. When there is a venture capital injection, or a growth spurt, it’s easy to start to think too big and spend accordingly. The prudent business owner maintains the focus on efficient, solid production practices and therefore maintains his/her grip on operating expenses and likewise on lower-cost production.

8. Grow Wisely – This one has been discussed on these pages before. Grow, but grow prudently and not too fast. Trying to grow too fast can kill a small business quickly as too much emphasis can be placed on growth and not enough on the customer relationships and the product quality that got you to that growth point in the first place.

9. Maintain Operations Excellence – You are driven as the small business owner/operator. As you experience success, growth, and customer loyalty,make sure that you continue to focus some resources on maintaining the strong infrastructure within your organization. Because if that falters, it can quickly affect everything about your business – and your customers may see it even before you do.

10. Build Solid Business Processes – Stop and take the time to define in an appropriate level of detail what your business processes are. Establish meaningful employee and business processes and practices and stick to them. Managing by the seat of your pants may work for a short time, but once growth has started you’ll continually be behind the eight ball if you aren’t working off of established management practices. You can’t be struggling to maintain control all the time and serve your customers well…it’s a battle you’ll eventually lose if you aren’t prepared.

http://www.careerberg.com/

Staying Ahead Of The Curve On Industry News

Posted by admin | Posted in Going One Step Ahead | Posted on 07-12-2009-05-2008

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Graduate professionals who want to advance from entry level jobs to management and executive positions need to do a number of things to distinguish themselves from the competition. Hard work, attentiveness, and impeccable organization are incredibly important for graduates who want to rise rapidly up the corporate ladder. As well, being creative and thinking “outside of the box” are important for graduates professionals who want to show their ability to stay on the cutting edge of their industry. However, one of the most underappreciated factors in graduate advancement within their profession is learning as much about the industry as possible.

Graduates in fields like engineering, design, and pharmaceuticals need to consult industry magazines and papers in order to distinguish themselves from competing professionals. Companies throughout these industries often provide industry specific material so that their employees will learn the newest concepts and ideas within their profession. Whether it is a new tool, a new organizational concept, or theories on a specific problem within the industry, graduates should not only learn from these publications but integrate it with their current knowledge of the industry.

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While industry publications are important, speaking with clients and colleagues in other companies is simple but neglected way of learning about an industry. Clients will often receive bids from various companies and may reveal techniques and methods used by competing companies. Colleagues at other companies can provide a different perspective on a particular job responsibility or the industry in general without the competition that can be found among colleagues within the same company. Graduates should use these resources to gain a more complete picture of the industry from the perspective of the customer and the competition.

With this information in hand, graduate professionals in any field should process these ideas and infuse their own creativity to make it marketable to executives and mangers. For example, a civil engineering graduate may read a theory on how to develop more durable roadways that can handle all weather over decades and not years. This theory may be in the early stages but an engineer already has the technical information at hand to understand how the theory works. Graduates should mix the ideas within this theory with the technical capabilities of the engineering firm to create a specific brand of road design that can become synonymous with the company. In this way, staying ahead of the curve by reading industry news can lead to a better career. http://www.careerberg.com

Graduate professionals who want to advance from entry level jobs to management and executive positions need to do a number of things to distinguish themselves from the competition. Hard work, attentiveness, and impeccable organization are incredibly important for graduates who want to rise rapidly up the corporate ladder. As well, being creative and thinking “outside of the box” are important for graduates professionals who want to show their ability to stay on the cutting edge of their industry. However, one of the most underappreciated factors in graduate advancement within their profession is learning as much about the industry as possible.