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Casual Articles - The Office Party - It Doesn't Need To Be Dreaded!
Fascinating Ways to Make a Living Doing What You Love May Be Closer Than You Think... ariety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening.You don’t have to look very far to find fascinating ways to make a living. Opportunities are literally everywhere… if you’re looking, that is. It seems I can’t turn on the television or radio or open a magazine or newspaper without seeing at least one good business idea. Maybe that’s why, as we were winding down a consulting session the other day, one of my clients said to me, “Boy, you sure have a lot of information in your head.” I appreciated the compliment, but Julie was only half right. When you’ve been in the business of helping people change course for as long as I have, it’s only natural I’d know a lot about creative income streams. But most of them aren’t in my head – they’re in my Opportunity File.What’s an Opportunity File? Basically anytime I happen upon an interesting story about someone who is making money doing what they Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser displa The Myth of the Working Sales Manager Be it a Christmas Do, a Retirement Party, or a summer social event to thank staff for their hard work or recent sales figures, your get-together should be fun for everyone involved with the business.A Sales Manager's Responsibility Does Not Focus on Selling but it Does Focus on the Promotion of SalesSales managers are often promoted and then expected to continue to handle their most lucrative accounts. This decision is often made by management for the fear of losing major accounts. The new sales manager hardly ever protests as it is an affirmation as to his worthiness and ownership of those accounts. These decisions leave little time for coaching their sales teams or strategizing about future sales initiatives. Field sales people may end up with the perception that their personal growth potential may be limited. The sales person replacing the sales manager that was promoted may feel that the company lacks confidence in their ability to handle major accounts. This is not the kind of orientation you want to adopt when assigning new sales personnel.< Your Office or workplace may be the cheapest but not necessarily the best venue for your event. Consider your staff too – would they wish to give up a sunny summers day or a cold winters evening to attend a function in the same place that they spend most of the days of the year? Probably not! Works parties should be fun occasions for people to relax after working hard, thus your office may not be the best place for this. If you have many sites dotted around the country a central location is essential to ensure that no office feels left out. You may wish to book up rooms for your staff, or ask for a small donation towards their accommodation, however do remember that as a rule, the more money you ask for, the less people will wish to attend. If all sites are within a local vicinity, you should look into hiring some coaches or mini-buses to safely transport your guests to and from the party. For smaller parties an entrance in a limousine, with a glass or two of champagne, can be a magical start to the evening. If there is a Conference Centre, or Suite of Function Rooms in a Hotel or similar, which you frequently use for meetings, seminars or training sessions, do enquire as to whether you would be able to hire the rooms for your party. Your employees should be familiar with the location and you may be able to get a discount on your next room hire! Local Restaurants may be able to offer both their venue and catering. If you are planning a large function, you may wish to consider using a Temporary Structure such as a Marquee, as they are adaptable if you wish to progress from a day to evening party, and can be used for an assortment of occasions, from an elegant a la carte dining area or housing a Las Vegas style casino to morphing into a massive dance-floor or a circus complete with fairground rides! If you chose to hire a Marquee, you will need to decide if you need to also hire Portable Toilets, Mobile Bars for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Dance Floors, Stages and Furniture Hire for items such as Chairs and Tables. Most Corporate Events are large, well organised affairs. Although this should be an enjoyable party, don’t forget that the company is still on show to your Employees. Imagine the personalities of your staff and try to achieve an event which is both entertaining and also upholds any sort of company stature; if the MD doesn’t know the accounts clerk, they may not feel comfortable seated next to each other for a seated dinner. Organised Theme nights such as a Murder Mystery or Race Nights are good ways of mingling older with younger or junior with senior members of staff without formal seating plans. For smaller businesses or for companies in which most staff know each other, lighter style catering, such as a finger buffet, Pig Roast or Barbeque, would mean that guests can chat and mingle whilst they dine. Check with your caterer and venue before hiring further crockery, linens or glasswares. Good ice-breaking games include hiring giant inflatables such as a Bouncy Castle or a Bungee Run. A Bucking Bronco will always draw crowds and laughter, or hire a go-karting track. Imagine the joy of knowing you’ve beaten your boss! Most Office Party Problems are linked with over indulging in alcohol, do ensure that your guests know what behaviour is expected of them, and make them aware if any potential clients will be attending! If you are opting for a more formal black tie event, you will probably wish to hire a stage, a lighting rig and PA Equipment for Speeches. A small Awards Ceremony is a nice touch for these occasions; prizes don’t need to be large or significant, a bouquet of flowers or luxury hamper for Margery the Cleaner for being in your employment for 20 years, pair of cufflinks for Colin who is retiring, a gift voucher for Cheryl in accounts who is getting married. You could hire a look-a-like to present such awards and gifts, just to add a flourish to festivities! Humourous anecdotes from the past year could be mentioned here, but be careful not to cause any offence, for those who should make a speech but have no idea what to say could invest in the assistance of a professional speech-writer! You could also use the stage for your Entertainment; hire a magician, hypnotist or comedian to perform a set, as well as getting some Live Music on stage for dancing later in the evening. There are a wide variety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening. Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser display Mobile Car Washing Long Term Opportunities in the Market with a glass or two of champagne, can be a magical start to the evening.The long-term outlook for the Mobile Car Washing industry is positive. It is ripe for savvy company to develop regionally or nationally to dominate the market. Currently in the mobile car wash industry there is no well-known companies as is the case with other service businesses such as Domino's Pizza, Midas Muffler, Thrifty Rent-A-Car, and Jiffy Lube. These companies will be able to develop revenues and market share sufficient to sustain franchisees as local leaders in their fields. The Mobile Car Washing Industry awaits a company, which can standardize the industry and allow for consumers to know what to expect.Long-term opportunities exist for a corporate run company or franchise to move fast in Suburban and large cities in the mobile car wash sector. Such a company would be advised in developing a product line for the do-it-yourself car buff which coul If there is a Conference Centre, or Suite of Function Rooms in a Hotel or similar, which you frequently use for meetings, seminars or training sessions, do enquire as to whether you would be able to hire the rooms for your party. Your employees should be familiar with the location and you may be able to get a discount on your next room hire! Local Restaurants may be able to offer both their venue and catering. If you are planning a large function, you may wish to consider using a Temporary Structure such as a Marquee, as they are adaptable if you wish to progress from a day to evening party, and can be used for an assortment of occasions, from an elegant a la carte dining area or housing a Las Vegas style casino to morphing into a massive dance-floor or a circus complete with fairground rides! If you chose to hire a Marquee, you will need to decide if you need to also hire Portable Toilets, Mobile Bars for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Dance Floors, Stages and Furniture Hire for items such as Chairs and Tables. Most Corporate Events are large, well organised affairs. Although this should be an enjoyable party, don’t forget that the company is still on show to your Employees. Imagine the personalities of your staff and try to achieve an event which is both entertaining and also upholds any sort of company stature; if the MD doesn’t know the accounts clerk, they may not feel comfortable seated next to each other for a seated dinner. Organised Theme nights such as a Murder Mystery or Race Nights are good ways of mingling older with younger or junior with senior members of staff without formal seating plans. For smaller businesses or for companies in which most staff know each other, lighter style catering, such as a finger buffet, Pig Roast or Barbeque, would mean that guests can chat and mingle whilst they dine. Check with your caterer and venue before hiring further crockery, linens or glasswares. Good ice-breaking games include hiring giant inflatables such as a Bouncy Castle or a Bungee Run. A Bucking Bronco will always draw crowds and laughter, or hire a go-karting track. Imagine the joy of knowing you’ve beaten your boss! Most Office Party Problems are linked with over indulging in alcohol, do ensure that your guests know what behaviour is expected of them, and make them aware if any potential clients will be attending! If you are opting for a more formal black tie event, you will probably wish to hire a stage, a lighting rig and PA Equipment for Speeches. A small Awards Ceremony is a nice touch for these occasions; prizes don’t need to be large or significant, a bouquet of flowers or luxury hamper for Margery the Cleaner for being in your employment for 20 years, pair of cufflinks for Colin who is retiring, a gift voucher for Cheryl in accounts who is getting married. You could hire a look-a-like to present such awards and gifts, just to add a flourish to festivities! Humourous anecdotes from the past year could be mentioned here, but be careful not to cause any offence, for those who should make a speech but have no idea what to say could invest in the assistance of a professional speech-writer! You could also use the stage for your Entertainment; hire a magician, hypnotist or comedian to perform a set, as well as getting some Live Music on stage for dancing later in the evening. There are a wide variety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening. Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser displa Donor Newsletters Boost Direct Mail Donations Without Asking For Donations well organised affairs. Although this should be an enjoyable party, don’t forget that the company is still on show to your Employees. Imagine the personalities of your staff and try to achieve an event which is both entertaining and also upholds any sort of company stature; if the MD doesn’t know the accounts clerk, they may not feel comfortable seated next to each other for a seated dinner. Organised Theme nights such as a Murder Mystery or Race Nights are good ways of mingling older with younger or junior with senior members of staff without formal seating plans. For smaller businesses or for companies in which most staff know each other, lighter style catering, such as a finger buffet, Pig Roast or Barbeque, would mean that guests can chat and mingle whilst they dine. Check with your caterer and venue before hiring further crockery, linens or glasswares. Good ice-breaking games include hiring giant inflatables such as a Bouncy Castle or a Bungee Run. A Bucking Bronco will always draw crowds and laughter, or hire a go-karting track. Imagine the joy of knowing you’ve beaten your boss! Most Office Party Problems are linked with over indulging in alcohol, do ensure that your guests know what behaviour is expected of them, and make them aware if any potential clients will be attending!I have a client whose direct mail fundraising program is in trouble. I think you can profit from his predicament. I know he is going to.The development officers at his non-profit organization are doing plenty of things right. They attract new supporters by mailing donor acquisition packages a couple of times a year. They solicit gifts from their existing donors many times a year. They thank donors promptly for every gift received. They recover lapsed donors using direct mail. And they watch their numbers.Yet the return on investment for their best renewal mailing each year has been declining steadily, from 1,500% five years ago to only 700% today. How come?Because they are trying to raise money only by asking for it. With the exception of their gift acknowledgement letters, every letter they mail to donors asks for a donation. And that’s why t If you are opting for a more formal black tie event, you will probably wish to hire a stage, a lighting rig and PA Equipment for Speeches. A small Awards Ceremony is a nice touch for these occasions; prizes don’t need to be large or significant, a bouquet of flowers or luxury hamper for Margery the Cleaner for being in your employment for 20 years, pair of cufflinks for Colin who is retiring, a gift voucher for Cheryl in accounts who is getting married. You could hire a look-a-like to present such awards and gifts, just to add a flourish to festivities! Humourous anecdotes from the past year could be mentioned here, but be careful not to cause any offence, for those who should make a speech but have no idea what to say could invest in the assistance of a professional speech-writer! You could also use the stage for your Entertainment; hire a magician, hypnotist or comedian to perform a set, as well as getting some Live Music on stage for dancing later in the evening. There are a wide variety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening. Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser displa An Entrepreneur and a Life To Be Remembered lging in alcohol, do ensure that your guests know what behaviour is expected of them, and make them aware if any potential clients will be attending!I was reminded of my own mortality today. I guess you can say I had a near death experience, though the death I experienced was not my own.No, I was never in any danger, nor was my life ever threatened. In fact, I was sitting in the air conditioned comfort of my home office sipping a nice cup of coffee and watching the dogs run around the yard when the moment came.The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. Life was going along just fine.Death was the furthest thing from my mind.Then the news came that Corey Rudl had been killed in a high speed crash at a race track in California. At the moment of his death at the young age of 34, Corey was a passenger in a Porsche that hit a retaining wall at over 100 miles per hour, killing him instantly and the driver shortly thereafter. The track had been rented by a local car club so that If you are opting for a more formal black tie event, you will probably wish to hire a stage, a lighting rig and PA Equipment for Speeches. A small Awards Ceremony is a nice touch for these occasions; prizes don’t need to be large or significant, a bouquet of flowers or luxury hamper for Margery the Cleaner for being in your employment for 20 years, pair of cufflinks for Colin who is retiring, a gift voucher for Cheryl in accounts who is getting married. You could hire a look-a-like to present such awards and gifts, just to add a flourish to festivities! Humourous anecdotes from the past year could be mentioned here, but be careful not to cause any offence, for those who should make a speech but have no idea what to say could invest in the assistance of a professional speech-writer! You could also use the stage for your Entertainment; hire a magician, hypnotist or comedian to perform a set, as well as getting some Live Music on stage for dancing later in the evening. There are a wide variety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening. Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser displa How to Talk Yourself Out of a Sale -Just Keep Talking ariety of Musical Entertainments available; from your classic Disco and Karaoke, through to Live Bands such as Ceilidh, Jazz, Country & Western, Blues, Tribute and Original Bands. Whilst your guests are eating, consider what will also be happening; will you provide some subtle background music, perhaps a solo vocalist, a harpist or piper? Or would you rather have some entertainers who can mingle with your guests, for example Caricaturists, Mind Readers, Magicians or Tarot Readers. Circus Performers such as Fire Eaters, Stilt Walkers and Jugglers could quietly amuse your guests whilst they are dining and then create an amazing display on the main stage later in the evening.Because we are salespeople we are expected to know when and how to close a deal, right. I thought so too until I tried to buy something this weekend. I guess retail sales is different because I was sending buying signals to our salesperson and he wouldn’t close us. After three solid buying signals like – “This seems like a great buy” or “It would look great in the back yard” and even “this seems like the right one for us”. We were ripe and ready to close. My wife was ready to take out the checkbook. The young man helping us was very knowledgeable about his product line and was showing us all the features and the benefits of the different units in the show room. It was a very large show room and so we narrowed down the perfect unit for us. We were ready to buy and write a check. And you are right; we didn’t and ended up walking out the door. We even gave the youn Thinking of amazing displays, you should consider the decoration of your venue to coincide with the theme of your event, for example, if you are holding a Casino Night, with Black Tie and Ball Gowns as your dress code, your invites and other stationery should be equally as smart with classic crisp decorations, such as black and white balloons, simplistic floral decorations and classy ice-sculptures. You may wish to have a grand finale of a firework or laser display to end the evening in a memorable fashion. If this all seems a bit much, you can hire Venue Decorators specifically for these finishing touches. For an unusual event, why not consider a day out? There are many options available to businesses for team building events, or even just a fun day out Paint-balling, Go-Karting or have a day trip to an Amusement Park! Hire a coach, ask your caterers to make a suitable picnic and let the sun shine! To remind guests of the reason you are holding the event, you may wish to include your company logo on your invites, and personalise other items such as balloons and small novelties to give away in goody bags at your party; if using your party as a networking event, you could ask some clients to ‘sponser’ or donate goodies towards these goody bags. Having some T-shirts printed to give away as prizes in a quiz, or printing a personalised mini-magazine for the event can be of minimal outlay, but will ensure that your business is remembered. You may wish to hire a professional photographer, or videographer so that you can include the pictures in company newsletters or other future publications. A DVD of the event would be a lovely gesture to present to your guests.
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