Casual Articles - Business

Leading Change - Stop the Bleeding
Ever been the guy who is put in to stop the bleeding. The Big Kahuna calls you in and says, “We’re bleeding money on this project. It’s still important. But it’s gotta’ get turned around. You’re the man!” How about that … you’re the man.It’s happened to me several times. It’s fun, if you know what to do. The first time for me (we always remember our first time) was a huge project for a glamour company I was working for at the time. When a partner and I got the news above we were six weeks from launch of a new handheld computer for route salesmen.We drove to a nearby office to meet with the team. They proudly displayed a

on where several people can log in, see and work on the same document. No more emails back and fourth. Inc. magazine recommends jotspot.com. See if it’s for you.

Step Four: Schedule a meeting
Got stuff to talk about? Don’t send an email. Rather than spreading out your requests over what could be a couple dozen emails, schedule a quick 10 minute meeting. Quickly review what needs to be covered, answer all questions at one time and move on.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the

Career Advice: Never Let Your Boss Be Surprised By Bad News
There is only one thing worse than delivering bad news to your boss. That is not raising the red flag when you know trouble is brewing, because it is a cardinal sin to let your boss be surprised.No organization escapes the negatives forever. Budgets are not met. Deliveries are late. Machines don't work. People are caught with their hands in the cookie jar.It is important to your career success to learn how to deliver ill tidings, as well as how to receive them.There are at least four major things wrong with failing to blow the whistle when stuff hits the fan.First, ignoring bad stuff won't make it go away.

I’ll tell you a little secret. Back in the mid 90’s I actually used to go for weeks at a time without checking my email. When I finally did, there would be a whopping 20 email messages. A little note from a pal. The occasional work related message. The joke of the day. 20 whole messages, in a week, can you believe it?

Now I get 20 messages in like 5 minutes. Do you ever miss the “good ole’ days” of email? When you could actually sit down, read and handle everything in a small amount of time? For many, what used to be a great convenience has become just another task to tackle.

No, you can’t give up email cold turkey. It’s here to stay. But it doesn’t have to be so hard or overwhelming. Here are 8 easy ways to cut down on the constant shuffle and overwhelming amount of email you handle every day. And I’m not just talking about spam filters.

Step One: Create an Email Process
Don’t get stuck in the email cycle where you end up reading the same email several times and still don’t act on it. Pick a specific time to check your mail. Maybe once or twice an hour. Read it once, complete what you need from it and then move on.

Step Two: Use Instant Messenger
Instant messenger is not just for kids chatting about the happenings of the 8th grade. Rather than shooting off an email and waiting for a response or having a conversation by sending emails back and forth, try using instant messenger. It’s great for quick check-ins and getting answers fast. Sign up for a free messenger service like MSN, give your contact info to those you communicate with on a regular basis (like your assistant) and talk in real time rather than filling up your in-box.

Step Three: Try a Wiki
No, this is not a Hawaiian tropical drink. Are you stuck in the trap where you are constantly getting the latest version of a contract or the latest redesign of a design? If you’re in a place where several people are sending different versions of documents back and forth, it might make sense for you to try a Wiki. A Wiki is a software program that allows users to create and update web pages easily and rapidly. This creates a central location where several people can log in, see and work on the same document. No more emails back and fourth. Inc. magazine recommends jotspot.com. See if it’s for you.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the s

PR 2.0: Using the Latest Web Technologies as PR Tools
Unless you live under a rock, in the last few months, you’ve probably heard the words blogs, MySpace and Podcasts more times than you care to remember. Because some of these new Web tools have gained popularity so fast, lots of folks are jumping on the bandwagon, implementing them into both their personal and business lives without a solid strategy behind it. While there’s no harm done if you’re cruising MySpace for a date or blogging about the day to day trials of raising twins, there can be plenty of harm done when you incorporate them into your business without a broad base of knowledge and research into who you’re try

ience has become just another task to tackle.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the

Government Seized Property Auctions
When people commit crimes, the government seizes their property associated with the commission of the crimes. This means the government seized property becomes auction goods for the general public to bid on. At a government seized property auction, property can include the following:VEHICLES:The most common government seized property auction is easily vehicles. Luxury cars, SUVs, pickup trucks – even boats, RVs, ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles are government seized auction property available in your area. Since vehicles have a documented value you can check against the Kelley Blue Book, it is easy to calculate your sa

an hour. Read it once, complete what you need from it and then move on.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the

Cashing In Your Chips & Pastures New
No, I’m not talking about gambling or dairy cows – although business is often referred to as a gamble, I’m referring to your exit strategy. That time when you decide to ‘play no more’ and go off and practise your golf swing. Yup, I’m talking about selling your business… So you own the show, good for you. You may even have a sign on your desk that says “The Buck Stops Here…But Not For Long” or some other humorous sign. The reality is though that selling your business is deadly serious – here’s why.--- Split PersonalitiesYou are not just one person. You are two. You are the owner of a business, if the busine

stant) and talk in real time rather than filling up your in-box.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the

Stock Photography, Royalty Free or Exclusive
Acquiring stock photography images can be costly; however, the cost is often worth it. Nevertheless, when do you pay for exclusive rights to an image, and when is it just not worth it? Images can be purchased with different license types, either royalty free, rights managed or protected or exclusive rights.All stock photography services offer different types of licenses and these licenses are all different from each other-you can even negotiate some licenses. Before purchasing a royalty free image, read through the licensing policy to make sure that their license applies to how you intend to use the image. For 'exclusive right

on where several people can log in, see and work on the same document. No more emails back and fourth. Inc. magazine recommends jotspot.com. See if it’s for you.

Step Five: Put an FAQ page on your website
Do you find yourself getting the same questions from your customers over and over again? Try adding the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on your website. Or even be more proactive and send the FAQ to new clients when they buy your product or sign up for your service.

Step Six: Remember the phone
Hey remember that old fangled invention called the telephone? Sometimes it seems easier to just shoot off an email, but the phone can dramatically cut down on the number of emails ending up in your inbox. For example, a client of mine recently told me she made a coffee date with a colleague. What could have been 3 minutes on the phone comparing schedules turned into 8 back and forth email's trying to pick the perfect date to talk over chai lattes. Don’t fill up your box if you don’t need to.

Step Seven: Automatically sort your email
Most email programs allow you to sort and highlight automatically. Learn to use features like Outlook rules so you can quickly identify those messages that are most important to you. For instance, I have a client who set up a rule that sends all website leads to a special folder. This doesn’t cut down on the number of emails coming in, but it sure makes it's a whole lot easier for his assistant (and NOT him) to process those leads.

Step Eight: Use multiple email addresses
Get lots of newsletters and announcements? Set up a special box just for those kinds of mailers so that you can read them when you want to. Again, doesn’t cut down on the number of email's coming through, but makes it easier for you to get to the items you want to see first.

Make email fun again. It doesn’t have to be so overwhelming.

© 2005 Beth Schneider. Want to reprint this article, feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, Chief Infopreneur of Process Prodigy, is a business process consultant who helps solo-entrepreneurs, small business owners and network marketers who want to systemize their business to increase profits, increase productivity and grow their business without having to give up the family oriented, flexible, balanced lifestyle they desire. Beth works one-on-one with her clients, off

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Recently I visited a new car dealership, something millions of people in the United States do every month. Several weeks later I visited the Florida State Department of Motor Vehicles for a bit of license renewal. Contrasting the quality of these experiences says a lot about us as individuals, our conditioned acceptance of ineptitude and our limited appreciation for quality service.

There are three major times you should contact a funder: when they ask you two, when a major program change occurs, and when you have good news to share. By doing so successfully, you can increase your chances of getting funding from the again.

A recent heatwave reminded me of the Legend of the Boiling Frog and how it relates to your business and sales efforts.

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