The Construction Skills Certifications theme

The Construction Skills Certification theme (CSCS) was established in 1995 to help meet the wants of the development trade. Its an ability card theme that covers most occupations inside the development trade and serves to enhance the activity capability of construction website staff. This accrued ability has helped decrease the number of accidents on construction sites protective workers and employers alike. As a result, its diode to accrued potency on sites across the united kingdom. The categories of cards vary looking on expertise, qualifications and your current job. With over one.7 million members, the theme is that the largest within the kingdom covering 220 occupations. 

The CSCS cards area unit necessary on most constructions cite and area unit valid for 3-5 years looking on the sort. Most contractors and shoppers can currently arouse proof of ability before permitting access to there cites. Not having a card may mean that you just can miss the chance to figure on bound construction sites. The CSCS card provides proof of the qualifications you hold which you have got passed the CSCS Health, Safety and atmosphere check. The cards area unit color hierarchal and depend on your occupation, what coaching, qualifications and knowledge you have got. To use for a CSCS card you wish to prove you are qualified at the occupation and level you select. 

There area unit many alternative levels of CSCS card color coded from inexperienced to black, that need numerous levels of qualification from NVQ/QCF level two through to seven, every smitten by your occupation, qualification and knowledge. The Blue Card for example needs Level two QCF for website Operatives and is valid for five years, whereas a website Supervisor with a QCF Level three would gain a Gold Card conjointly valid for five years. Black cards for website Management workers, need tier vi QCF. 

To apply for the cardboard, you will ought to prove you have got the ability for the work and this along with your expertise and qualifications, can verify that card you apply for. You will conjointly ought to pass the Constructions Skills Health Safety and Environmental check relevant to your occupation. AN application is often submitted once you have got passed the check. Cards have AN expiration date and can ought to be renewed; you will conjointly ought to re-take the Health and Safety check at now. If your qualifications are improved together with your expertise, then you will conjointly apply for a card upgrade at any time.

The Big Deal regarding chin-wagging

Many otherwise sure-fire people become incoherent, blabbering fools at work-related social events. The thought of getting to pay Associate in Nursing hour or two with folks they barely understand out of labor, and spouses or partners or friends or "significant" others that they understand even less turns them into spoken communication "monopolizers" or sends them running to stake out a permanent spot next to the buffet or drink table. The previous is unhealthy for your name, and also the latter is unhealthy for your health (and most likely for your name as well). 

Instead of following this path, attempt creating an enormous deal regarding chin-wagging. You may simply end enjoying the event and turning into gratifying to be with. 

B: To be... what? Charming? Witty? Humorous? Brilliant? Maybe. However the foremost vital factor you will be at an event may be a sensible attender. 

This doesn't mean merely being within the space whereas somebody else is talking, drooping your head each jiffy, whereas you mentally arrange the transform of your room. "Listen" may be a verb-an action verb. Being a honest attender suggests that being attentive, selecting to send not the spoken communication to yourself, working out queries which will assists you learn a lot of regarding the person speaking and also the topic, and keeping the main focus of the spoken communication thereon person (not on you). you do not ought to trust everything the person is voice communication, however even after you disagree you are possible to profit from the larger understanding that comes from listening. Thus be a honest attender, and keep in mind to stay quiet. 

I: Invite yourself et al into conversations. After you approach a spoken communication "already ongoing," do not take the intense approaches: stringent attention and instantly creating yourself the middle of attention or enjoying the wallflower and expecting somebody to come back rescue you. Instead, represent a flash and hear the cluster. Get a handle on the subject and also the participants. Realize a natural purpose of entry-a shared expertise, a mutual acquaintance, a shared opinion. Create a comment, then stop. Do not take over. Cross-check others, be friendly, and invite them to stay talking with you as a brand new member of the cluster. 

Likewise, after you ar in an exceedingly cluster and see somebody new walk into the space, invite them to approach you and be a part of. Keep the physical area open-don't type a descent circle with solely backsides showing to the remainder of the space. (Probably not your best aspect anyway!) Leave many spots for somebody to be a "walk in." once somebody comes close to, ease the newcomer realizes a job within the spoken communication. One in every of the most effective communicators i do know invitations folks to affix by shortly summarizing the subject then asking the new person Associate in Nursing open question that is straightforward to answer. This helps a brand new arrival gets a way of the spoken communication whiles not feeling placed on the spot to form a ready statement. 

G: Gather and re-gather teams throughout the event. It is simple to gravitate toward acquainted folks, have acquainted conversations, and be comfy within the familiarity all night long. However do not be that pattern. Take a handful of parents you recognize and take in some new folks. This can force you to try to do a lot of creativity and become a lot of attention-grabbing and engaged. All delicacies for you, in addition as for others! With a handful of colleagues, walk up to folks you do not understand well or do not know in the least, create temporary introductions, and see one thing regarding this cluster of individuals. You'll begin with acquainted topics, since they are not deadly uninteresting ("Cold enough for you?") or doubtless explosive ("I cannot believe anyone with a brain would vote for representative X"). Instead, attempt asking an issue that invitation folks to presume creatively or share one thing they feel sensible regarding. 

After a honest spoken communication, take yourself and a partner or two and begin once more. Pay special attention to people who appear hesitant or sick comfy. Gather folks along. Facilitate them meet each other. Have queries in mind on the far side the whether or latest political meltdown that permit peoples to share their interests and experience. As you actively obtain to collect new teams, you will find yourself growing more well-off with a lot of and a lot of folks. 

Of coarse, the most important consider chin-wagging is you-your angle, your purpose, and your perspective. You will approach everyone within the space with the goal of obtaining the maximum amount as you will and giving as very little as potential. Instead, attempt seeking to help somebody else create an association or realize a clear stage. Obtain to form productive introductions for others. Obtain to share your ideas and experience with a goal of serving to others, not yourself. And do not forget: Be a honest attender, Invite yourself et al to affix conversations, and gather and re-gather teams through the event. You'll realize massive rewards in chin-wagging.

How Many Sales Calls Do You Make?

Phones are not going to cause Cancer

What is the big deal? Why are sales people so scared of dialing the phones and make sales calls? This last Friday I sat down and talked to my business partner and we discussed a little experiment that he put together. He told me that he had called 30 people in one hour; just dedicating to dials. He sent out emails to almost everyone, letting them know his results.

Call Reluctance

So why do I see sales people on a consistent basis not call more than 100 people in their pipe line in a days period? I know one of the issues is call reluctance. Call reluctance is the mindset after a sales person gets off the phone that just lost a deal gives them this "shooting blanks" mentality. Every call is an opportunity and you are not going to close every call, so don't lose motivation, because you will always hear a bunch of "NO"'s. You need to press through and move on to the next opportunity. Have the "I can" attitude and not the "I CAN'T" attitude.

Numbers Game

Sales are about numbers more than any other factor. The more phone numbers you dial the more apt you are to have a lot of healthy conversations with those who want to purchase your product. If you sales person doesn't make at least 150 plus sales calls per day well, they're not really a sales person and they will not be successful.

Seeing the Prize

If Sales people could see all the customers they're going to get, they would dial so much more than they typically do. There's something about seeing the goal at hand that is more encouraging and motivating. Sales people really desire the outcome, but get demotivated easily. A way to push through this is focusing on the outcome; seeing the accomplishments. One way to see the prize is to set goals, such as how many calls you will do each day or week. Focus on the outcome and dialing will become much easier and faster.

No Excuses

But are you the problem as to why you are not getting deals? Stop blaming others and step up to the plate and challenge yourself on how many calls you can make in a day! If you're not blaming someone else then you are one of those type people that you are your own biggest critic and you will definitely beat yourself down. Either way stop what you are doing and tell yourself: "I'm not going to take it... no I'm not going to take it anymore... " (Sounds like Twisted Sister for a minute there). You need to remind yourself you are a winner, not a loser. So get off you butt and Call and Call and Call and make Sales Calls!

Grants for Cancer Research Give Hope to Eliminate the Big C

Throughout their entire lifetime, people remain vulnerable to chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other life-threatening conditions that often impede activities of daily living. The attack of such illnesses has an enormous personal and financial impact to the patients and their families.

Despite the availability of sophisticated medical technology equipment and devices, which are primarily used in preventing and treating chronic illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, remain to be the leading causes of mortality in the whole world. Cancer, however, has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in America. This is according to an article published by the New York Times in October 2011.

On the other hand, the news about the increasing rate of death caused by cancer versus cardiovascular mortality may not be as gloomy as it may sound to the field of oncology for it can help intensify the number of foundations and private organizations that will offer grants for cancer research.

What is it?

Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of the cells in the human body and that frequently leads to the formation of tumor. The spread of tumor throughout the body indicates the seriousness of this malignancy.

This medical condition occurs in several forms and affects different parts of the human bodies, the reason that makes it a complicated disease. More so,it cannot be diagnosed nor treated that easily.

How it starts

Human body is made up of innumerable number-billions-of cells. Generally, cells in the body divide faster during the early years of a person's life for physical growth. Thereafter, when a person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out dying cells to mend injuries. However, if cells continue to grow and form new abnormal cells, the cancer cells are formed. These cells grow out of control and can even invade other tissues. The excess cells that lump together form a tumor, eventually become cancer.

Ways to diagnose

In order to find out whether a person is afflicted with the disease, he or she should undergo any of the following diagnostic tests:

· Biopsies

· Imaging tests

· Laboratory tests

· Genomics tests

The burdens

Majority of people with the sick cells and their families are depressed due to emotional and financial struggle. The financial burden is caused by bloating medical expenses for treatment. More so, anxiety, confusion, fears, and feeling of hopelessness could possibly hit the patients and their families.

Importance of research

Discovering and developing new ways to diagnose, prevent, and treat this life-threatening disease give hope to the cancer patients, even to the entire oncology society. Today, cancer research continues to be the most significant initiative in the world of medical study.

Advanced treatments give hope

The funding sources for research of influential discoveries and breakthroughs in the oncology community predominantly rely on donations from the general public, business investors, and national organizations.

Fortunately, the increasing number of grants for cancer research provides better funding opportunity for doctors and researchers all around the globe for these professionals are determined to find ways to prevent the growing number of the malignancy. Also, they are persevering to better the quality of diagnostic tests and treatments to uplift the life of the people afflicted with the "Big C."

Erin Millano has always been passionate to improve the quality of life of marginalized, low-income individuals, and families. She is a lobbyist, freelance photojournalist, and proposal writer.

What Is Dry Ice Blasting?

What is dry ice blasting and how can it help your business remain productive and ecologically compliant? Let's investigate this new and ground breaking technology and discover the five main benefits of CO2 cleaning and sanitizing.

We all know that a clean work place is a productive work place. But how do you find time to clean your production machinery while you're trying to meet your production quotas?

Dry ice blast cleaning is the answer!

Cleaning with dry ice is quick, efficient and does not require long periods of down time. In fact, most production machines can be cleaned in place, even while the machine is still running without dismantling and costly cool down periods.

It's a 'greener clean.' Meaning that this ground-breaking cleaning process does not add any secondary contaminants to the workplace. Dry ice sublimates on contact, meaning that it literally evaporates and disappears, leaving nothing extra to clean-up. Which means your production is back on-line in no time!

Cleaning with frozen gas is safer than using corrosive solvents, acids and alkaline cleaning solutions. Dry ice is safe for the workplace, safe for your employees and safe for the environment.

Ice blasting does not damage or add wear and tear to expensive production equipment. Since the gas sublimates on contact, there is no abrasive residue to abrade metal, plastics or damage the delicate polymer components on any piece of equipment.

And finally, cleanings can be scheduled at your convenience. The cleaning process is completely self-contained and mobile, so it fits into your production schedule right when and where you need it to.

So there you have it! Cleaning with frozen pellets of CO2 gas is quick and efficient. It adds no additional contaminants to the environment, so we can call it a 'greener' cleaning process.

This cleaning process is safe for your employees and their work environment. It does not damage expensive production equipment and the process is completely self-contained and mobile, keeping your facility up and running, productive and profitable.

Since this technology is fairly new, there are a limited number of competent CO2 blast cleaning contractors available. If you do find a contractor, you can rest assured that they are most likely a serious contractor and not some 'fly by night' charlatan. This is due to the expense of ice blasting equipment. Many of these systems cost in excess of $40,000.00 to $60,000.00.

The 3 Steps to Presenting With Confidence

As a business leader or a manager of people, presenting information to groups of staff, to customers, suppliers or prospects may very well take up a large portion of your time. Communicating in this way takes practise and a willingness to share information in a way that people will easily understand.

It must come from a place of trust and integrity, which means you must be honest, authentic and congruent. By congruent I mean matching what you say in your presentation to the way you say it, and to the non-verbal messages you give out in your body language (facial expressions, stance and gesticulations.)

If your message is emotive, your audience will pay more attention to body language and voice tone than to what you actually say!

In order to present professionally you need a high level of self-confidence, self-awareness and self-belief and a willingness to improve. You need to be willing to review your own performance and to ask for specific feedback from those you trust and you must really listen (or probe further) until you have some ideas for improvement going forward.

There are 3 steps to Presenting with Confidence:

Harness your attitude.

Improve your approach.

Work authentically through your own personality.

Step 1 - Harness Your Attitude.

By harnessing your attitude I mean recognising your internal dialogue when it occurs before, during and/or after your presentation.

Be aware of what you say to yourself. What negative thoughts do you have? Thoughts like

This will be terrible

Something's bound to go wrong!

This isn't going well or

That was awful.

These thoughts affect how we feel, which in turn affects how we perform now and in the future.

So, notice your internal dialogue, become aware of it, and figure out when it's doing its worst to you - is it

As you first start to plan and prepare your presentation?

As you get nearer the date or time?

Just before you start speaking?

In the first few moments of your presentation?

A little way in - as you start to become consciously aware of your voice or the attention of the audience?

As you approach the end?

Immediately after you finish?

It may be one or more of these but knowing where and when this affects you most means you can have something positive to put in its place.

Step 2 - Improve Your Approach.

Improving your approach is about ensuring you do everything possible to fully plan, prepare and practise what you're going to say and how you're going to say it, so that you say it with confidence.

When planning you need to ask yourself the following questions:

What? Who? When? Where? Why? How?

Planning means being very clear on the purpose of your presentation and what you want the audience to take from it. This is crucial and should be the starting point for all your presentations. It often means that you work back from how you want to leave the audience (your closing.)

In fact, the open and close can be the same and they're very important points at which to generate interest.

Think about appealing to the senses, using pictures, sound, music, smell (if appropriate) as well as speaking. Explore using emotions to grab attention - state a startling fact or statistic, paint a picture in words, use a relevant quotation - anything that will help people remember your key message.

Planning also means knowing who will be attending or who needs to be included, and thinking about how best to structure the presentation.

It means putting yourself in the audience's shoes and asking WIFM? (What's In it For Me?); thinking about the questions people might ask and being prepared for them as far as possible. It doesn't mean you have to know absolutely everything, but it does mean that you have to think things through as much as possible.

When planning you need to think about how you can help people remember your key message; you can tell stories to illustrate your point, you can reiterate key points, as well as make sure you involve everyone by making eye contact, or by asking questions, if appropriate.

Emphasising points in an unusual way will also help people remember your presentation.

It's worth pointing out here that none of us are particularly good at listening, and people retain more information if they see as well as hear, and even more if they can also "do" - so do tell stories and get the audience involved as much as possible.

Once you've planned your presentation you need to prepare. This involves deciding on visual aids, handouts (if appropriate) and ensuring you have sufficient facts, figures and notes to support you.

Practising is a very good idea, particularly if you are new to presenting or it is a very important presentation. This allows you to check venue, equipment and room layout, as well as help you with the flow of the presentation (and if you're fairly new to this, it will also allow you to determine the length of time your presentation will actually take!)

Practising can also help you speak with passion and enthusiasm, as you need to be naturally interested in what you're presenting, so that it comes across in your voice. If you're not sure, try recording your voice and listening objectively - does your voice (tone and pitch, and use of emphasis and pause) match the words and convey the message you want?

If you plan, prepare and practise well so that you improve your approach, and you also harness your attitude for success by recognising your internal negative dialogue and putting something more positive and empowering in its place then you'll be setting yourself up to Present With Confidence.

Step 3 - Work Authentically Through Your Own Personality.

This final step also includes using your appearance to your advantage.

By appearance I mean more than the way you're turned out, (although it is important to dress appropriately) rather I mean that you should think about what you're doing with your face. For example:

Are you smiling or frowning?

Do you exude sincerity and trustworthiness? or

Do you appear nervous and apprehensive?

If this is something you're not really aware of at the moment, then you could practise in front of a mirror, take a video recording (nowadays it's easy to use your mobile phone to do this.)

Alternatively, you could ask for specific feedback from people you trust - either during a practice or rehearsal, or during your actual presentation.

When thinking about your natural personality you need to be aware of how you are and how you behave most of the time.

For example:

Do you naturally use humour? Is it generally focused inwards or out? Are you good at thinking on your feet and delivering one liners or puns?

How much or how little do you gesticulate during normal conversation? Some of us are very expressive with our hands and bodies, even with our faces; others less so.

Are you naturally calm and tend to stand still? Or, are you full of nervous energy and like to move around when you're talking?

I'm a great believer in working to your natural tendencies so that you're authentic and appear much more natural and confident.

It's no good trying to stand still with your weight evenly balanced and your hands clasped in front of you if you like to use your hands to emphasise points, and you like to move around!

By the same token, it's no good trying to move and gesticulate if it doesn't come naturally - you'll feel more comfortable and look more confident if you stand still.

Remember, presenting with confidence is about your ability to be as authentic as possible and appear as natural and comfortable as possible; as you would if you were just having a conversation with someone!

So, harness your attitude, think positive thoughts, improve your approach, smile at every opportunity, and be yourself. Above all, get more experience because Presenting with Confidence really does get easier with practice!

Press Release Submission Campaigns Complementing Aggressive Business Marketing

Business marketing has become very tough nowadays due to intense competition. All businesses are trying their best to stay ahead in their league through various online and offline advertising and promotion mediums. In such competitive business scenario, online press release submission campaigns complement aggressive business marketing and provide desired level of success.

Aggressive business marketing provides instant recognition to a business, its brand, products, or services. During the launch of a new product or service, no organization can expect required success without adopting the most aggressive modes of advertising and promotion. Business owners or personal relations managers utilize several key strategies for aggressive marketing. Online press releases submission is one of them.

Online Press Release Submission

These are a great way to make your voice heard instantly. Nowadays, people have the facility to submit online, covering a wider segment of people from all over the world. Reputable PR distribution networks provide great platform to all businesses for circulation of their news contents.

Online submission can provide expected advantage to a business within shortest time frame. If compared to other aggressive marketing techniques, PR distribution campaigns are low budget affair. There are several types of submission packages with different set of benefits attached with them.

Almost every PR distribution website provides free as well as paid submission of news contents. Depending upon the priority of news contents to circulate, business owners can choose the most suitable package for them. In any case, these promotions are the most affordable mode of promoting a business or the products and services being offered by them.

How PR Submission Campaigns Provide Aggressiveness?

An aggressive marketing campaign provides instant benefits and keeps the competition away. It has the potential to overpower the marketing strategies used by other peers in the same niche business. It also helps in developing credibility and positive environment for a business. An online press release has the capability to deliver all the aforementioned benefits. However, it needs to be well written following all the editorial guidelines of PR submission websites.

Online PR distribution provides instant visibility, making buzz about the products and services introduced by an organization, or spreading the essential news or announcements related to the organization within no time. With strategic management of these campaigns, businesses can rule the search engine rankings too for their preferred keywords resulting in instant boost in incoming organic traffic to the organization's website. For e-Businesses or e-Commerce websites, online submission is the necessity, as it helps them in making their customers aware about the latest promotions and other updates about their business or products.

Even for others, online press releases submission compliments their other marketing techniques and result in quick benefits.

Easy Press Release is a subsidiary of Easy Media Network, which offers quickest and most effective press release distribution services. With Easy Press Release, customers can be assured of instant visibility of their news releases in front of their targeted customers.

What to Do When Your WordPress Site Gets Hacked Part 1

It was Monday morning and I was on a call with a dozen others who are my peers. Each of us helps the small business owner with their businesses in one way or the other. It was at the end of the call and we were each sharing our websites and going over how to make little improvements here and there. Time was running out and there was just enough time for one more website review, I volunteered. As my site was coming up for all to see suddenly the screen turned a maroon red with an outline of a security officer with his hand stretched out and the words of "don't precede malware danger." There was more but I was too horrified to remember exactly what it said. I was concerned about my website that I had spent hours on being ruined plus humiliated that the people on the call had seen me so vulnerable.

Protect Yourself

My first step isn't one you have to take but it helped me. I had a good old fashion pity party. I cried and railed against the evil hackers (that where probably 13 and smarter then me.) And then I did what I should have done before I even started my website. And here is where I want you to start as well. Learn how to protect yourself before you get hacked. The beautiful thing about WordPress and why so many of us recommend it is because it is so easy to learn. Unfortunately, that can also be a detriment to the health of our sites. We have to learn how to add a security fence around our site.

Keep Updated

Here are some things I learned the week of coming back from being hacked. It can and will probably happen to you. I had gone five years on the internet without being hacked and got lazy. I had several domains being hosted together. I didn't keep them all updated with the newest plug-ins and themes. There is such a thing called cross contamination of sites that share a hosting spot. And if your site has outdated items on it that becomes an opening for hackers and then it just spreads. I had a backup plug-in but when I went to check to see how to get the site back it didn't cover all of the different areas of the website. It was worth the amount of money I paid for it. Zero.

Keep Informed

I was scared and didn't know what I was going to do. I don't know code how was I going to wade through lines upon lines of code finding the problems. I went looking for people who could clean my site and it was expensive. By this time I was frustrated and angry at myself. How could I let this happen to all the work I have done. And what was I going to do now. I remembered a year ago I went to a conference in Atlanta and meet a woman who worked helping other small business owners keep their WordPress sites safe. I contacted her on Facebook and was directed to a site called safewp.com. They give out weekly WordPress security reports, best WordPress security practices and best of all a weekly webinar which was going to run that night.

There's More to the Story

There is more to the story. You are just going to have to read the second part to hear what I learned that night that saved my WordPress site from being destroyed. Until then don't make the same mistakes I did. Learn more about how to protect your sites from hackers. Keep all your sites updated, it is so important that the plug-ins and themes stay updated within the sites. Keep yourself informed this is the informational age and things change daily. One of the best ways I found is a great site called safewp.com. I'm not an affiliate for them. Just thankful for the information they provide.

Non-Profit Titles Can Be Misleading

The typical non-profit organization (NPO) has an executive director (ED) that reports to a board of directors as indicated in its IRS application for charitable status. Too many EDs now carry the title of President/CEO which is totally erroneous (at best) and very misleading (at worst).

I was in a meeting recently with the ED of a local NPO - actually, several EDs of several local NPOs were in the meeting - and I saw a television ad that evening where one of those EDs was titled President/CEO. This is not the correct way to refer to the ED; the purpose of this article is to explain why.

In addition to abiding by the rules and regulations governing the charitable status designated by the IRS to an NPO, the NPO must abide by the rules and regulations of the state in which it was incorporated. For example, in my state, two officers are required for incorporation: a president and a secretary. The corporation for the non-profit is a standard, non-stock, c-corp entity. Perhaps unknowingly, NPOs are using titles that are misleading to the public. When an ED assumes the title of President and/or CEO, that person has, in effect, legally become the head of the corporation. I am sure this is not the intent of the board of directors, and it is not in keeping with the requirements of the IRS, but the fact of the matter is that confusion has been introduced into the day-to-day operation.

Most boards of NPOs have what they refer to as a Chair - and many utilize the ED as the Secretary in an ex-officio board status. I have previously written articles and answered questions regarding the executive director as an ex-officio member of the board and explained in what cases I consider it to be appropriate (most typically when the ED serves as the corporate secretary). In the case of boards that utilize the title of Chair for the chief volunteer person heading the board, that person is considered to be the President of the NPO and generally would sign as such when the corporation submits its annual report to the state agency under which it was incorporated and remains accountable. So, technically, the Chair is really the Chair/President. The title CEO (chief executive officer) does not even come into play in most state statutes of which I am familiar; again, the chief executive officer goes by the title of President.

I am aware of a for-profit company who recently needed to sign a document that was to go to the agency of incorporation for a certain state and the signatures of the persons titled Chair/CEO and President/COO (chief operating officer) were actually rejected by the state. The requirement was for the President and Secretary (who must be two different people) to sign the document to be filed. The officers of this company were confused by the regulation, but it was in fact the correct interpretation by the state agency.

However, back to the non-profits, the use of President/CEO for the ED can be very misleading and should be avoided. The remainder of this article makes the case and provides a suggested course of action to remedy the situation.

The meeting I was attending required a decision on the part of several executive directors. The subject matter was indeed both important and complex and would bind the organizations to a partnership in perpetuity. Accordingly, it made sense for the EDs to acknowledge that they needed to brief their respective boards and receive approval before proceeding to sign a memorandum of agreement. Technically, if the board was following strict governance protocol, either the board president would sign the memo or the board would adopt a resolution specifically authorizing the ED to sign the memo on behalf of the board. Such resolutions are common in well-governed organizations and make the intent of the board clear.

After the meeting, I was asked to summarize my thoughts. I explained that I expected more leadership from the President/CEO of the one NPO and less hiding behind his board. Given the title he used, I believe I was correct to expect a higher level of participation than the other EDs in the room. See how titles (when taken literally) can become confusing?

The confusion centers on an ED who represents himself/herself as the President/CEO but then proceeds to use the board to hide behind. Members of a group should be able to rely on the title of the organization's representative as an indicator of the authority that person has within the organizational structure. Technically speaking, this non-profit ED has assumed the role of President/CEO as would be applicable in a for-profit situation. In the typical for-profit situation, the President has considerably more authority (and, presumably, more accountability under Sarbanes-Oxley and other federal and state regulatory requirements) and is, therefore, able to act on behalf of the corporation and approve such documents as memoranda of agreement. In those for-profit situations, the President may or may not brief the board of directors, even after the fact, depending on whether or not the memo is deemed to be material or outside the normal day-to-day operations of the corporation for which the president is both authorized to perform and accountable for those actions.

At what point in time did the title of Executive Director (ED) cease to satisfy the holder of that position and cause the title of President to come into play?

I notice the change in title is occurring more and more frequently. In another recent meeting, this subject arose and one of the attendees observed a pretty noticeable "title creep" in organizations today, particularly in the vice president arena. Does the board realize that it is ceding authority to the executive director that is outside the bounds of proper governance? Somehow I rather doubt the board understands; although, undoubtedly, there came a specific point in time when the issue of titles had to come before the board for discussion - or not - depending on how the executive director and president chose to handle the conversion of ED to President at that point in time. I could argue that any intentional decision not to make the board aware, if perpetrated by the executive director and/or the president, would be fraudulent. Further, I could argue that silent and benign neglect of this information by existing board members, if they noticed a change and chose not to speak up, would be negligent. Matters of this significance deserve board discussion and informed action.

In order to remain in keeping with espoused excellence in non-profit governance, ethics, and accountability, I would recommend the following:

The board of directors should resist any request by the executive director to be named President and/or CEO.

If the title designation has already been bestowed, the board should review the situation, explain the issues, and reverse the decision that was previously made.

The board should double-check to make sure that the chair of the board of the NPO is, in fact, signing regulatory documents as president of the corporation.

The board, or its executive committee (if it has one), should review the titles and governance issues utilized by the NPO and include an agenda item for the next meeting to fully brief the board on the action being taken and the reasons for the action.

The board should make clear to the ED that he or she may not act in the assumed role of president of the organization and make clear the limits of the authority of the ED.

The meeting that I attended was harmless enough, but it really brought to the forefront the importance of clearly identifying roles and respective titles within an NPO. By taking the opportunity to be proactive in the review of the existing governance practices - and correcting them if necessary - a board can prevent misleading titles and potentially unintended and unwanted problems. It has long been my contention that Sarbanes-Oxley (or something very similar to it) will ultimately be enacted and applied to NPOs. Continued missteps, such as the actual one described in this article and the hypothetical ones, will only hasten the need for additional federal regulations to keep NPOs from exceeding their bounds. If NPOs intend to argue the fact they can be self-policing with a community-based board, the time to demonstrate that ability is now.

Acting As a Host

Many people feel right at home when they are the host of an event. They feel comfortable with the responsibility and confident they can accomplish whatever needs to be done. They are relaxed, which makes their guests feel relaxed, too. For these people, hosting an event is just like being at home.

Being a host within the networking process works in the same way. When you are attending an event, take a minute to get comfortable and relax, then go out and host! You don't have to impress anyone. All you have to do is welcome them, show sincere appreciation for their being there, and ask what you can do to help them. It's as simple as taking an interest in someone else.

When you act like a host instead of a guest, you are striving to make others comfortable with their surroundings. You want them to be relaxed and to feel nurtured so they are more at ease; and thus, more open to doing business with you.

Being a good host can be easily accomplished through the following exercise: The next time you attend a networking event, such as your local Chamber of Commerce-After Hours program, walk up to the first person you don't know and say: "Hi, my name is_____, I'm glad you could make it this evening. I really enjoy these events because it gives me an opportunity to meet new people. What do you do?" This exercise sounds basic, and it needs to be. Through this exercise, you are acting as a host and treating the person you just met as your guest - you introduce yourself, make them feel welcome, answer any questions they may have, and take an interest in them. Your strategy as a host is to shift attention from who you are to who they are.

In addition to the previous exercise, here is another step - after you meet a second new person, introduce him or her to the first new person you met. This action reflects an incredible act of generosity on your part. You can't develop a greater networking strategy than to introduce people to people. This action is simple and easy to do and quickly lays the foundation for building lasting, winning relationships with those individuals you meet and introduce.

The main distinction between a party you are hosting at home and a public networking opportunity is the location. But you can still be the host. All you have to do is be aware of the people around you and the general needs of those individuals. Many people have no idea how to get things done or what to do next at a networking function. By showing your willingness to support their efforts and help direct their energies, you can make a difference and be remembered long after the event has ended.

Acting like a host and not as a guest is the quickest way to make you the key networker at any event you attend.

Claim Dues Without Cutting Ties to Your Business Partners

Debt collection is a messy affair, and it doesn't matter where you sit at the bargaining table. You have everything to lose if you're the one chasing after unpaid dues, though, especially if these compromise your business's solvency. You can always hire debt collectors if you don't want to sue your debtor at court, but there are other ways to nudge your client, supplier, or partner towards the right direction without severing business ties. It's the least you can do to salvage what was left and move on with business as usual.

It pays to be diplomatic, especially if the reason for the delay is hardly the debtor's fault. Deliverables are pending because your supplier's machines are broken, or your client stumbled upon a rough patch and couldn't keep up with the dues. These shouldn't pass off as excuses to delay the payments, but it's up to you to remind the debtor of the dues and wait it out. You should always send a letter of notice fifteen days before the deadline so the other party is aware of responsibilities. You can then escalate your methods if the delay drags on from a couple of days into several weeks. Your discretion determines the tolerable grace period for payment, but you'll have to consider tougher measures when repeated requests fall on deaf ears.

Small claims court is your first option, but there's a limit to the amount you can claim from your debtor. It's a cost-effective solution if you're only owed several thousand dollars' worth of goods, money, or services, since you'll also pay a processing fee for the litigation. You'll save a small fortune on attorney's fees, though, since parties aren't required to bring legal counsel to the hearing. Decisions are often reached by the end of the first session, and resolutions or penalties are final and duly enforced. You're required to know the scope of small claims beforehand, though, so do your due diligences before you go toe-to-toe with your debtor in front of a judge.

You'll have to hire debt collectors if your debtor ignores the court's decision. Debt collection services aren't cheap, but their methods work and guarantee dues are fulfilled in time. Besides, your debt collector will evaluate the success rate of your claim before accepting it; risky claims are best entrusted to a proper court, if you're willing to shoulder the legal fees and the paperwork. Running a business requires diplomacy and patience, so you should always keep your options open and resort to extreme measures only when necessary. Your goal is to recover dues without losing a client or business partner in the process, so you keep your head down and your temper in check.

Who Says Size Doesn't Matter?

Don't worry, it's not what you think- we're not writing about those "male enhancement" prod­ucts you see advertised on TV.

We are going to talk about size; specifically, the size of some prod­ucts you buy at the supermarket.

In case you haven't noticed, there has been a steady and stealthy trend over the last few years to reduce the size or contents of standard-sized products... while maintaining the original prices.

When is a Half Gallon Not a Half Gallon?

Sounds like a trick question? It really shouldn't, unless you use the "new math" in packaging products.

Dairy products come in standard sizes, right? Gallon, quart, pint, etc. And these sizes are clearly defined in terms of liquid volume: a gallon is 128 ounces; a quart is 32 ounces; and a pint is 16 ounces.

By that math, then, a half-gallon would weigh in at exactly 64 ounces.

Which is why it caught my eye when I went to pick up a container of my favorite Tropicana Pure Pre­mium Grovestand orange juice.

I went to the dairy case, pulled out what appeared to be a half-gallon container, and then did a double take as I saw what was writ­ten on the bottom of the container:59 FL OZ (1.8 QT) 1.75L

You'll see this on the container on the right. While this might not seem like a big deal, you can make some interesting observations.

The first, and most obvious is the reduction in the amount of juice contained in the two containers: 64 ounces on the left, and 59 ounces on the right; a reduction in the total content of nearly eight percent.

The second observation relates not to what's different between the two containers, but rather to what's the same; namely, the size of the container itself.

That's right, the container isn't actually any smaller, they just don't fill it up completely any more, so it still looks like you're getting the same amount.

It's not just orange juice that's experiencing this "shrinkage phe­nomenon." Look at Breyer's Ice Cream in the grocery store. The containers are now 1.5 quarts (75 percent of a half-gallon) or 1.75 quarts (about 87 percent of a half-gallon).

To make it difficult to easily spot the smaller size, they've kept the same size lid as in the original 64-ounce container, but reduced the height of the container since the reduced volume would be more noticeable with the ice cream than it would be with the orange juice, which is poured rather than "scooped" out.

So What Else is Shrinking?

If you start paying attention to things like this, you'll start to notice this trend creeping into other prod­ucts.

A bag of regular potatoes used to be ten pounds; now the "standard" size is eight pounds, a 20 percent reduction in size, with no corre­sponding reduction in price.

Same thing with sugar, which was traditionally packaged in a five-pound bag, but now comes with only four-pounds.

So you don't think this article is just some kind of "rant" or outspo­ken social commentary, there are two important business and mar­keting principles at work here.

Give the "Reason Why"

Anytime you make changes to what you're providing-even if you're adding instead of subtract­ing, it's always important to explain why you're doing it.

In the case of the orange juice, the official company response to the smaller size was this:

"Reducing our 64-ounce carton to a 59-ounce carton wasn't a deci­sion we took lightly. As you prob­ably have heard, the Florida citrus industry has suffered the most devastating winter freeze with one of the smallest orange crops in 20 years. When the supply of oranges goes down the price goes up, which impacts our costs.

Instead of raising prices, we chose to slightly reduce the amount of juice and maintain the price.

Our consumer research shows that most shoppers, when given a choice between a price increase or slightly less contents, prefer to hold the line on prices."

I guess that makes sense-at least it's an attempt to explain their actions. Of course, I'll be absolutely shocked that if the crop yield is good next year, they will go back to the full 64-ounce size or drop prices on the smaller package.

My guess is that they will simply pocket the additional profits; but we'll just have to stay tuned to see how this plays out.

Three Ways to Increase Revenue

The second principle at work here, albeit subtly, goes back to something we've addressed here before: the fact that there are only three ways to increase revenue:

1. Get more customers

2. Get your customers to buy more

3. Get them to buy more frequently

Assuming a constant rate of consumption of orange juice or ice cream or sugar or potatoes, reduc­ing the size of the unit sold will increase the frequency with which the product is purchased.

And if the price is held constant, and the product is purchased more frequently, simple math dictates that the revenue will increase.

Who can say for certain if this was a deliberate strategy or just a happy outcome? But one thing is for sure: these two strategies are both powerful and effective, and you should find a way to incorpo­rate them into your own high-level marketing and business strategies.

Does Your Company Need a Technology Insurance Policy?

If you are planning on launching a new product or program, then you know that it has to undergo what is referred to as prototype development.

Prototype development is actually the process of making products and programs from scratch, testing, evaluating and changing it until it become the perfect final product and program.

A number of prototype development categories exist as proposed by the authors Moss and Atre. Number one on the list is the show-and-tell prototype that is usually created to get approval for a budget and to get a sponsor. Second is the mock-up prototype which is used in understanding the requirements in analysis. Third is the proof-of-concept prototype which assists in exploring risks and deciding whether to proceed or not. Also included in the types is the demo prototype which connects both link vision and partial functionality together. The final type is the operational prototype, which the most useful of all types since it could produce the final product or program.

Regardless of what type of prototype is achieved, there are common processes in prototype development which is made up of several steps that are not interchangeable. The first step in the development process is the identification of the needs in the production of the product or program. These requirements nevertheless can still be changed depending on the result of the process. Step two is to make a design using all the things you have pointed out in step one. The design would involve information like who are the participants in the testing, the whole product specifications and packaging, and the product manufacturing. After the product or program is made, the participants are then asked to use and test it. Once experimentation is done, the participants are then asked about their experience with the product, including the its effect on them and you can also opt to do some modal analysis. The data acquired during this step are very essential such that the next step in prototype development depends on it.

The step that follows is the carrying out of modifications with the product or program which relies on the observations made by the ones who used it. When you are done with revising, you would have to test it again and have participants use it for the second time to know if the prototype has already been perfected. After the whole process and the product or program still isn't perfect, revisions and tests need to be done again until they become perfect.

The best advice for YOU

I am the first one to admit that I don't always follow my own advice. I badger my boys to floss their teeth every night and then I plop into bed too tired to floss my own teeth. I encourage clients to say no to requests that are not in alignment with their goals and values, yet I find myself caving to pressure to take on something I should decline. I don't always practice what I preach. Does that make me a fraud? I don't think so. I suspect it makes me human. A little incongruent, yes, but not a failure. And certainly not a lost cause.

The world is full of nicotine-addicted doctors, overweight personal trainers and broke financial counselors. That's because it's easier to give great advice than it is to follow it. In fact, most of the time, it's not the "knowing what to do" that causes the problem, it's the actual "doing it." Dave Ramsey says financial success is 20 percent knowledge and 80 percent behavior. Behavior. Just doing what we know we need to do.

No matter what you're trying to do (lose weight, get out of debt, raise children or build a business), knowledge only plays a minor role in your success. Most of us can go by the rulebook for a short while, but eventually we stray from the plan, whatever that is. The motivation to "just do it," wears thin. So how do we shift ourselves back into a pattern of following our own advice?

Having traveled this road before, in business and personal matters, I have some experience with narrowing the gap between what I say and what I do. Here are a few of the tips that work well for me.

Five Steps to Practicing What You Preach

1. Make it a Mantra. Let's assume the advice you are spouting is actually good advice. If you know it to be worthwhile and effective at reaching a goal, then dig deep and get to the truth of your wisdom. When you understand why you need to change a behavior, it's easier to stay on track. And when you summarize your idea in a memorable sentence, it becomes easier to embrace. For example, Lysa TerKeurst knows that spending quiet time in scripture first thing in the morning makes her a better person. So her mantra on the subject is to "exchange whispers with God before I exchange shouts with the world."

2. Write it Down. I'm an avid journal writer and lover of visual reminders. So it's not unusual for me to have sticky notes, photos, vision boards, index cards and other written declarations of my intentions. If I'm having trouble following my own advice, I go back to basics and write it down. Sometimes I find a scripture quote to support it, or a funny photo that illustrates the point. But I write it down and make it real. If I am really serious about it, I sign my name, as if I'm entering a contract with myself. You would be amazed at how eager you are to stick with something after you've signed your name on the dotted line!

3. Identify your Distractions, Rationalizations and Excuses. You're probably not new at this game, so take a few minutes to identify the things that have prevented you from staying on track in the past. What are the thoughts and feelings you have when you decide NOT to follow your own advice? Write them down. And then write down a rebuttal for each one. For example, if you are trying to get out of debt and you know you'll try to rationalize buying too many toys for Christmas, write down a statement that will remind you of your goal and the future happiness and security of your family. When you find yourself ready to hit the "buy now" button on Amazon, take out the rebuttal and read it aloud.

4. Find Someone to Hold You Accountable. Let's face it - we all need help achieving our goals. So why do we keep them a secret? Are we hoping to surprise everyone we love when out of nowhere we've lost 30 pounds, completed a marathon, built a million dollar business and written a book? The surprise will be on us - when we realize we're not getting anywhere on our goals because we don't have the support we need to succeed. That's why it's important to find someone you trust who will gently, but firmly, hold the space for you to become who you want to become. Schedule deadlines and check-ins with this friend so you have some structure to your relationship and you both understand the expectations.

5. Give Yourself Grace. It takes time and patience to make behavior changes and create new habits. Know that it's OK if you slip up a few times. It's even OK to change direction and set new goals. If you recognize that you need to grow, and you take steps to make improvements, that's all God asks of you. He doesn't expect perfection. He expects persistence. So keep looking for opportunities to grow into the person He created you to be. And keep setting goals and working toward them. But know that He loves you unconditionally. And know that every day is a new chance to glorify Him. God believes in "do-overs," so you should allow yourself the grace to start again.

business

business

Choosing the proper merchandiser Services supplier

 Thus area unit|you're} able to begin acceptive credit cards as a sort of payment for your business otherwise you are simply wanting to induce a rate analysis to form positive you are being competitively priced from your current supplier. In spite of the explanation that you simply square measure longing for a merchandiser services supplier you will be faced  with variety of challenges. 

Choosing the proper merchandiser service supplier will create all the distinction within the world to your business. There are actually many firms advertising everything from super low rates to "the best" client service. However does one grasp that one is going to be best for you? Here square measure some small print to think about. 

1. evaluation and/or Rates 

Pricing makes the highest of the list of things to think about once operating with a replacement merchandiser services supplier for obvious reasons. It will be extraordinarily tough to assess weather or not or not you are competitively priced as a result of evaluation will amendment dramatically for merchants looking on business kind, card gift vs card not gift, E-Commerce vs Retail, Etc. The sole thanks to make sure that you simply are becoming sensible evaluation is to raise multiple suppliers so choose the one that is providing the simplest rates. 

2. Service 

Another important issue is client service and support. If you have got a drag running a mastercard and a client is standing right ahead of can|you'll|you may} you be ready to get someone on the phone during a timely manner to help? What if you have got a problem late at night? Will the supplier supply 24/7 support? Is that the support outsourced or in house? Client service in several cases are that the darling reason a client will opt for a supplier that is even dearer than their competition. If client service is extremely vital to you, confirm you get each detail. 

3. Funding choices 

Some suppliers can deposit your funds in 20 four hours, some take 40 eight hours, and yankee categorical takes three days. If you wish next day funding confirm you discover out if the supplier offers it before linguistic communication a contract. If you wish the funds deposited into one account conjointly the} fees taken out from another it's also vital to form positive you recognize if the supplier is capable of doing that. Some will and a few cannot. Make sure to seek out everything once it involves once and wherever you will expect your cash. 

4. Equipment 

Does the service supplier supply free equipment? If thus, confirm you raise concerning the primary issue, Pricing! Lots of suppliers can supply free instrumentation however offer you higher evaluation to complete it. If they are doing not supply free instrumentation confine mind that the typical mastercard terminal can price around $200-$250. Another issue regarding instrumentation is compatibility. Will the supplier supply services which will permit you to accept simply credit cards on your sensible phone? Is that the instrumentation PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant? Is that the instrumentation underneath warranty? Once more, the a lot of data you have got the higher you will be equipped to form the proper call. 

5. Contracts 

The trade customary is sometimes a one year contract. Make sure to seek out specifically however long you will be fast in to a contract and what would be the prices related to breaking the contract. Early willcellation fees can vary from $0 to virtually staggering numbers. Scan your contract thoroughly! Once more, some suppliers can supply no term contracts with no cancellation fees. Confine mind that they will be jacking up your rates to complete all the work that goes in to underwriting and acceptive the chance of process cards for your business. 

6. purpose of Sale System Support 

If you are employing a purpose of Sale system it's vital to seek out if the merchandiser services supplier offers support for it. Some POS systems square measure solely supported by specific processors and a few charge vast fees for shift the processor that you simply wear record (Especially if the POS system is provided by the processor itself). confirm you recognize specifically what the price would be with shift your code and determine UN agency goes to obtain it. You will be ready to negociate the fees with the supplier looking on however badly they require your business! 

7. Reputation 

Make sure that whoever you choose to try to business with could be a prestigious company. A lot of significantly confirm that there aren't any complaints denote everywhere the net concerning the corporate. You'll realize that once a client incorporates a dangerous expertise they will post concerning it in multiple places thus if there is a criticism concerning the corporate you must be ready to realize it rather simply. confine mind that the scale of a corporation is not as vital because the service it provides and also the price of the service. Generally a smaller company could be a higher choice to do business with as a result of there a lot of needing to have your business and can supply higher evaluation as a result of low overhead. 

These square measure the foremost vital factors to think about once fixing a replacement merchandiser account. Weather or not you are buying higher rates or fixing for the primary time acquires every bit of knowledge that you simply presumably will. The a lot of data you have got a few companies and its services the a lot of educated of a choice you will be ready to create.

Why Postcard Marketing?

Postcards are a cost-effective alternative for generating leads, getting the word out about your business and your special offers, i.e. marketing. Unlike other advertising methods your message is delivered directly to the decision maker and the best part is... they don't have to open anything to get your message.

They are also cheaper than mailing letters. In fact, since the new postage increase has taken place (Effective January 22, 2012), the postage cost to mail out a standard 1st class postcard ($0.32) is over 28% cheaper than mailing out a standard 1st class letter ($0.45).

You should use them to pre-qualify prospects before they enter your sales cycle. Let them self-nominate to receive future contact from you. (When this happens, you will no longer have to make cold calls. You will make warm calls because THEY WANT what YOU HAVE to offer).

You are not trying to sell your prospect with this piece. You want them to take action and request more information. This establishes you as the expert and puts you in control because the prospect wants YOUR EXPERTISE to satisfy THEIR WANTS and NEEDS.

With any lead generation tactic, you should ALWAYS use a two-step approach. By this I mean you need to have a "Do this, Get that" mentality. In the industry, this is known as Direct-Response Marketing. Keep it simple, the harder you make things for the prospect, will in turn make it harder for you to convert them into a new customer or client.

Direct mail gives the prospect an opportunity to self-nominate and say "Hey, I'm giving you permission to market to me, now show me what you got!"

Once your prospect takes action (visits your website, sends your reply card, reply envelope or calls you for more information), you have momentarily secured their desire and now you must handle any objections they may have and close the sale. If you do not close on that call, you must follow-up with Excellent Customer Service.

Sounds like a lot of work doesn't it? Seems like it might be too much to handle? If you were doing all of this work yourself, yes it could be a lot, but as a business owner, you need a simple automated system that works for you instead of you working for it.

When you decide to use postcards as ONE OF YOUR marketing tools, you leverage your time, money and effort, so your business will do all the things it's supposed to do: increase profits, generate qualified leads, attract new business and build brand awareness... whether you decide to work or not... and do it consistently.

Hi, I'm Bruno!

Unfortunately, the name "Bruno" has become a bit tarnished with last year's release of the movie by the same name, written by and starring Sasha Baron Cohen, the man behind the hit movie, "Borat."

I say "unfortunately" because we recently had a new restaurant open near us called Bruno's Seafood and Steaks. Sorry, all I could think of when I saw that name in big letters on the sign above the building was Cohen's character in the movie trailer shouting, "Hi, I'm Bruno!"

(If you haven't seen this for some reason, Google it and you'll see what I mean.)

We haven't tried out the restau­rant yet, but a quick peek in the window before they even opened revealed not one, but two good strategies you can implement in your own organization.

Set Yourself Up for Success

They were set to open for busi­ness on Friday, May 28-Memorial Day weekend.

Since they're being advertised as a "fine-dining" experience, they certainly didn't want any mistakes or missteps to occur when the first customers-and likely a restaurant critic or two-showed up for dinner.

So I was impressed when I saw a note taped to the glass on the front door that said:

To make sure we work out any last-minute kinks, and to deliver the best possible service, we will have limited seating on our first three days, May 28-30. Thank you for your patience and understand­ing!

So while creating an expectation of an exceptional fine-dining expe­rience, they also gave themselves an "out" in case anything went wrong, as was virtually guaranteed to happen.

You can practice and prepare for any situation, but you never really know what's going to happen until you're working under "real-world" conditions.

Certainly anyone joining them on these first three days will see the sign on the door, and will probably have had this explained to them.

Who Sets the Expectations?

The customers' perception of any interaction with a vendor-whether a doctor, a supermarket, or a restaurant-will be heavily influ­enced by the expectations they have going into the situation.

Waiting 30 minutes to be seen by a doctor, while annoying, is exactly what you expect to happen, so on the rare occasions when you get seen anywhere near the actual appointment time, it's cause for celebration.

Similarly, letting people know in advance that there may be a few "hiccups" at the restaurant is understandable, and by bringing this front-and-center, it lowers the expectations of the customers, so they won't be upset.

Naturally, you don't want to set the expectations so low that people won't even walk in the door, but promising a certain kind of experi­ence, and then delivering some­thing extra is a good way to build customer loyalty.

But We're Not Even Open Yet!

Now for the second smart thing they did: they have testimonials.

I know-how could they have tes­timonials when they haven't even had their "soft opening" yet?

Actually it's quite easy-all it takes is a little creativity and a bit of boldness.

You see, Bruno had run a suc­cessful restaurant in New York that got high scores in the Zagat survey and favorable write-ups in Newsday-a Long Island daily newspaper.

So rather than leave the walls of his new restaurant bare, he wisely chose to fill them with the very same plaques and framed, lami­nated reviews that he had hanging up at his old restaurant.

Since the food and menu were very similar, he must have figured that the praise and accolades he got up in New York would be just as valid here in North Carolina.

Really, there's nothing wrong with that-he didn't fabricate the reviews or ratings, and he was responsible for the product that earned those reviews, so why not take advantage of them?

You can use a similar strategy as well. When you're launching a new product or service and don't have any direct feedback you can use, then use previous testimonials from your other products and services to help convince people that you're a "safe bet". These "borrowed testi­monials are almost as good as the "real" ones!

Reaping the Benefits of Online Payroll Processing

Payroll is a crucial component of any business in any nation. An online business would still require a payroll system if it is braced for expansion. With the developing technology today, it is not surprising to see companies adopting online payroll processing through online payrolls which are abundant in the market.

Technology progress

With the progressive technology of today, more and more payroll packages and systems are in the market for companies to choose. Hence, one can find advanced payroll features in many outstanding payroll systems which make it so convenient for companies to facilitate their payroll operations.

Payday is what most employees would look forward to; hence, an efficient system is expected to be installed to facilitate the payroll processing. Some experienced businesses may not even be well versed with their payroll operations which can be quite complicated with a large number of employees and many work options such as part-timers, hourly paid workers, temporary staff, full time workers, skilled employees, administrators and managerial level employees.

It is crucial to have the right payroll system in place to compute employee pays as well as tax deductions correctly and carefully. The payroll systems must be flexible in adjusting their features to accommodate the constantly changing IRS regulations in order to stay relevant; otherwise, the company would need to resort to new payroll purchases which can be costly and above the budget.

Online systems

With the latest technology, it is now possible to enjoy flexible systems online. Such payroll systems allow the payroll processing to be handled efficiently with the relevant data stored securely online. Such payroll systems offer a full range of payroll solutions online to improve the company's payroll process.

Online payroll processing can be handled by the company or through the professional services of experts in payroll and accounting. These service providers are experts in operating the full range of online systems to benefit the company. Their charges are reasonable and their service is efficient and prompt for every pay schedule required by the company to facilitate the different types of workers in the company.

Benefits

Online payroll systems for a more efficient processing is a viable choice for companies that wish to expand in the near future as there is no need to be concerned about system upgrades or maintenance; these are handled efficiently by the service providers at no extra charges.

As companies make use of technology quite heavily today in most of their business operations, it is not surprising that an online payroll service is highly considered to ensure a smooth operation on its payroll component.