Business Talk

Monday morning means putting aside your casual and comfy attire and getting back into your business attire for another week at the office. For many, formal office wear can "wear" on you. With little change to express your self, your forced to be a "suit" eight hours a day 5 days a week; or is it 4 days a week? If your lucky enough to work in an office privy to the needs of their employees you may be the proud participant in the well renowned "Casual Friday." Casual Friday means you get to leave the suit on the hanger and don something a little less restrictive and a little more "you." Unfortunately with causal Fridays comes the ever looming question: "what is casual?"

The word casual can mean a plethora of things which leaves you with a wide open closet and an important decision to make. Making the wrong decision can at best get you a one on one meeting with the boss to discuss policy and at worst leave you with a pink slip and a box of your office belongings. So how do you avoid the worst and make the best out of casual Friday? Here are a few tips to help you stay in the realms of casual without being the topic of conversation at the water cooler.

• Read Your Handbook: Like most work related questions, the answer to some of your casual Friday quarries can be found in your employee handbook. Before you even look in your closet consult your handbook too see if there is anything listed that is explicitly out of the question for your casual Friday wardrobe.
• Ask Around: If your not sure what casual Friday means in your office ask your co-workers. Those who have been employed by your company for awhile should have a pretty firm grasp on what casual does or does not mean. Ask them what things should definitely be avoided and what are acceptable.
• Use Common Sense: Sure, you may feel casual and comfortable in your favorite jeans worn in all the right places and that graphic tee you've had since your college days but should you wear it to work? Absolutely not! When you're deciding what to wear use common sense to guide your decision. Anything with holes, frays, faded sports, or wrinkles should be left for your out of work or after activities. If you look in the mirror and see "watching the game at your favorite hole in the wall bar," you've gone to casual for the office. If you think you look sloppy you probably do so clean up a bit.

Learning by Observing
As a graduate business student I took a wonderful class in which we studied ancient cultures and looked at the lessons they contained for modern managers. It was an amazing experience to look at how their rituals, patterns, values and governance shed light on the challenges faced by contemporary business leaders. I have had the opportunity to repeat that exercise recently, with a bit of a twist.

I adopted a puppy a few months ago and for the first time in 30 years I have a pet in my home. Chloe joined our household at the age of seven months, after being picked up by the Animal Control department as a stray and remaining unclaimed after two weeks. She has transformed my life in a way few other living things or experiences have. I recently shared one of her antics with my coach who asked me what lessons Chloe could teach a Business Coach. What a rich question that turned out to be! So, here you go-business lessons from my mixed breed puppy.

Things are Definitely Not as They Seem
The most obvious lesson Chloe teaches is thinking outside of the box. I have nicknamed her Houdini because it seems that nothing holds her in. We tried using a crate with her and she was so stressed and distressed by the experience that I couldn't continue to listen to her whimper and cry all night and abandoned the idea. Next we bought a pet gate and installed it across the doorway in the hall so she could be in the hall and the laundry room when we were away. After she knocked the gate down, chewed up the assembly so it could not be re-installed and set off the burglar alarm, causing the police to be called, we decided that would not work either. So, we bought a 48" high exercise pen and set it up in the hallway-she could not jump over it so she crawled under it and got out. We reset the fasteners so she could not crawl under and she managed to drag the entire pen out of the hallway, into the foyer where she pushed it over enough to jump up onto a bench and get free. I just know that her thought process is something like, "Box? What box? I don't see no stinkin' box!" (Did I mention that she has an attitude?)

What Else Might it Be?
When Chloe stayed in the fenced yard while we were away for a short time one day, we came home to find that she had reduced a six foot tall climbing hydrangea to this nifty 12 inch stick (root ball attached) that she was carrying in her mouth as she proudly ran back and forth in the yard. I think the lesson in that stunt has to do with being open to new possibilities-to see a stick where others see a shrub!

Paying Attention to What Matters
Chloe also teaches me about staying close to those who feed you. When there's food involved, Chloe can be counted on to sit very patiently with her eyes glued to the person eating, wiggling just a little closer to be sure she can be seen. If she thinks that she is not seen, she will offer an ever-so-gentle nudge with her nose.

It seems that if we all paid attention to our employees and customers the way Chloe attends to people with food, we would know what needs to be done without having to ask a lot of questions or see things deteriorate before we notice a problem.

The Life-Work Balance Question
Chloe has also mastered the art of having fun and not taking herself to seriously, a great lesson for business owners and leaders who get caught up in the urgency of deadlines and the importance of their work. Chloe knows that a balance of unadulterated joy with the devotion of work and a good measure of pampering makes everything work better-better decisions, better performance, and better attitude.

Imagine how wonderful business would be if we all learned from Chloe (and her counterparts) the importance of letting people know that you're glad to see them! And, to ask nicely for what you want. That would make business more fun and more balanced.

Out With the Old
The final lesson from the Chloe School of Business was a bit difficult for me to see, but I think I've finally figured it out. After all attempts to keep her confined while we are away, we decided to allow her to stay in the bedroom where she sleeps, as she had never bothered anything in that room. I thought I had Chloe-proofed the room, closing the closet doors and moving things up out of her reach, but when we returned, she had managed to open the closet sliding door with her nose (telltale nose prints on the glass) and get to my shoes. There was six pair of shoes-chewed, mauled, torn and destroyed-scattered all over the room. The lesson for business? You have to get rid of the old paradigms, model and perspectives to make room for the new ones.

So, courtesy of Chloe (who is now in doggy day care) I'm going shopping and I leave you with this question: What old stuff do I need to shed to make room for the new?

? 2007. Marti Benjamin

The U.S. Government encourages companies to pursue business with foreign enterprises. However, there are rules in effect that govern such exporting.

Exporting is defined as the business of:

? Sending or taking hardware out of the U.S. or transferring to a foreign person in the U.S.

? Disclosing (oral, email, written, video, or other visual disclosure) or transferring technical data to a foreign person whether in the U.S. or abroad.

? Providing a service to, or for the benefit of a foreign person, whether in the U.S. or abroad This serves as a just reminder that industry needs to be cognizant of what kind of information it discloses to foreign persons. Whether or not you are in the U.S. or visiting overseas, you can only discuss what is authorized on our license.

Keep in mind that exports can and do occur not only during shipments but when hosting foreign visitors, during meetings, tradeshows, plant tours, chat-room discussions, published articles and many other means. You can even export technical items exposed on your desk or otherwise revealed when a foreign visitor tours the facilities. Be sure to review all appropriate publications, your company Technology Control Plan and security policies for compliance issues specific to the licenses.

The government highly encourages business with approved foreign persons and has developed a system for obtaining licenses to do so. If you have any questions about exporting or about existing licenses and TAA's, contact the security office or the contracts manager.

Language translation companies have noticed a growing demand in businesses looking for Spanish translations. Of all the foreign language translation jobs in the United States, Spanish ranks as number one. Why is this?

The Growing Number Of Spanish Speakers In The United States

Many years ago, businesses became concerned about offering Spanish services to their customers. They knew that there was a small segment of their customer base that would benefit and use their services if they offered documents and information in Spanish.

The difference between then and now is that, not only is the number of Spanish-speaking customers growing, but the number of companies owned and operated in Spanish is on the rise.

You don't need a statistician to tell you that the number of Spanish speakers is growing in the United States. Currently, the population of Spanish speakers is somewhere around 15 percent, and it has doubled in the last 10 years. To not consider this important customer base would be suicidal to any business.

Even more important to your business is the fact that the buying power of these Spanish speakers is increasing. Spanish speaking consumers are the fastest growing market in the country.

The last ten years has also seen a dramatic increase in companies operated in Spanish. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, and it's a fact no business can afford to ignore.

Spanish As A Second World Language

But, look outside of the United States. Spanish is not only becoming more important there, but it is becoming one of the world's key international languages. Spanish ranks #2 after English, with more than 500 million native speakers. After all, it is the main language spoken in every country in the western hemisphere, except for three.

The economy of Latin America is booming. Following years of political instability, and a minor economic crisis in the mid-1990's, this region of the world shows significant economic growth. Latin America is an important business block not only for the United States, but the countries of the European Union as well. In the coming years, with the growing population and rapid economic change, Latin America will be one of the major business centers of the world.

In particular, there is a growing demand for high tech products in Latin America. Computers, IT, telecommunications and new cell phone technology is booming in the region. This trend is expected to grow over the next decade.

There has also been a sharp rise in Internet users in the Spanish-speaking world. This is a great reason to have your website translated into Spanish. You may be losing lots of potential customers because their English is not up to par. Spanish is the second most important language on the Internet, so offering your site in Spanish can bring you lots of business.

Spanish is essential to any business operating today. Luckily, Spanish language translation services are offered by virtually every foreign language translation service. Because it is such an in-demand language, you can expect quality translation at an affordable price.

All businesses that handle with massive transportation and shipping issues are going to need a distribution manager at some point. This need is almost as great as the need to have desks, phones and even an actual physical location to do business with. There comes a point in any business where you have simply grown to the point of being unable to handle everything yourself and must dedicate a specific employee to the task in order to ensure your business continues running as smoothly as possible. This means it is time to start looking to hire a distribution manager, yet how do you really decide whom to hire?

Of course, you are going to want someone who is highly experienced, so you certainly do not want to hire the first person off the streets. Additionally, if you do make this mistake you could end up with regrettable consequences to both your business and your clients themselves, so it is always best to avoid making a rush decision. Instead, take your time. While the need for a distribution manager is important it is also very important to make a good decision regarding whom to hire.

Once you have selected a few people whom you think are suitable candidates for the position it is very important to not only check references, but also take the time to do more than one interview with each person. There are days when someone has a bad day and then days when they have a good day. Seeing each candidate on more than one occasion allows you to get a broader sense of how they truly are, rather than only seeing the side that they want to present to you. Additionally, putting too much emphasis on previous references can be a recipe for disaster since most people will not list bad references.

Other things to look for include someone who is very creative as well as organized. While the creativity may seem like a relatively minor need, it is actually important. Those who are able to think creatively tend to also be quick to think on their feet. This means that if a problem occurs you will usually see a creative person thinking outside of the proverbial box in order to design a solution whether it is temporary or permanent. In addition, it allows you to know that your department is in good hands.

Working to find the best person for your needs is not a hard task, but it does take some time and a bit of effort to really make the appropriate decision for your company. The best qualified person at one point may not be the best at another point after your company has grown. This mean you must look at both your current needs, as well as your future needs in order to make the best decision possible overall. You are sure to appreciate the effort you took to find the best distribution manager for your business.

Gerry is all too conscious that he's not promoting his company in the best way possible. The black and white photograph of his factory that hangs on the wall in the reception area is flat, stale, outmoded and boring, and really does nothing to convey the impressiveness, character and scale of the state-of-the-art building. The right image can speak volumes, but this one is merely saying the all the get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. It lacks 'oomph' - there's no 'wow' factor. That same uninspiring picture appears in his company prospectus and other promotional literature, and to be quite honest, if he were a potential customer, he would not be inclined to take the trouble to visit.

It's little wonder that the business seems to have taken a bit of a down-turn. Effective marketing is crucial for a company is to remain competitive, and survive. A new year is imminent, and Gerry decides that a fresh approach is essential if he is to enhance his market image. It's a case of 'out with the old and in with the new' - time to give the company profile the injection of energy it so desperately needs and deserves.

Looking on the Internet, Gerry soon finds an organisation that specialises in producing hand-drawn 3D artist's impressions, designed to bring out the very best characteristics of a building. As he views the case studies on the website, Gerry can readily appreciate how effectively a professional drawing can breathe life and true perspective into an image that would otherwise be dull and inert. He's convinced that this is the way forward, and wastes no time in calling on the organisation's expertise.

First of all, specially commissioned artists arrive to conduct a full physical and photographic survey of the site. Hundreds of photographs are taken from every conceivable angle, enabling the experts to go away and develop a selection of rough drawings which are submitted to Gerry for his agreement on perspective. Consulting with Gerry every step of the way, the artists produce various drafts until a final illustration is submitted for his approval.

Gerry is delighted with the end result. Every measure has been taken to ensure that the correct detail and colour is incorporated in the design. Now that all the hard work has been done by the professionals, the ownership of the artwork passes to Gerry, so it's entirely up to him decide how he wants to use it. He discovers that this innovative organisation can design and print a comprehensive range of promotional material in any sheet size or format, guaranteeing a quality product at a competitive price. They can even incorporate clear, sharp location maps which will leave Gerry's potential clients in no doubt as to where to find him. Together, Gerry and the experts plan an exciting range of presentational material that will catch the eye immediately and put the stamp on his company's corporate identity.

When his smart, glossy new prospectuses arrive, Gerry takes great pleasure in consigning his remaining stock of the old prospectus to the recycling bin. And as for the photo hanging in reception, it's now where it belongs - in the skip, having been replaced by a superb, full colour, three-dimensional artist's impression that seems to leap off the wall, portraying just the dynamic image needed.

Gerry can't wait to launch his brand new marketing campaign early in the New Year. Somehow, he feels he's just about to turn the corner...

Too many times sales recruiters and hiring managers have no idea what they're looking for in a new candidate before they start a new sales recruiting project. They will tell you that they do - they will even show you a written description of their ideal candidate.

But 9 times out of 10 their description will say something like:

"10 years industry sales experience calling all C level executives. The last 4 years must have been in sales management. managing no less than 10 reps with a total annual sales goal of $23 million." etc, etc.

Pretty generic right? I'm not making this up. Do a search on any job board. For fun do a search on "software sales". Read only the required experience for all 10 sales positions.

By the time you finish you'll notice that they all say pretty much the same thing.

Let me tell you - most job requirements do not say anything about who you're looking for to fill your sales job. You're looking for the same person that every single one of your competitors is looking for - and you're probably offering the same exact compensation package that everyone else is also.

And to top it all off it will be a total crapshoot if you hire someone who is successful in the sales job you're recruiting for.

If you want to raise your chances of finding a good sales rep who will be successful with your company then you need to know more about the role you're looking to fill. To do this start thinking about the sales reps first year.

Start with their first day on the job.What is the most pressing issue that this sales person must solve for you? What will they need to do in order to solve that pressing issue? What will the final outcome be once they solve this problem successfully.

Repeat this process until you have a list of at least 6-8 problems that this sales person needs to correct.

Only you can know what these problems are. If you don't then you should find out what they are very quickly!

Once you have this list completed you can start to figure out the job requirements for your open sales position. You'll be looking for someone who has been confronted with these issues in the past and successfully solved them.

That's it in a nutshell.

You will no longer be looking for a "sales rep with 10 years industry experience calling on C level executives." You'll be looking for someone who has successfully solved your specific problems in the past. Someone who has "taken over a territory that has not achieved quota in 3+ years. The territory consists of contacts who are Vice Presidents of IT at Fortune 100 companies. The VP level contacts have accepted meetings but no reason to do business with your company was ever uncovered."

So when you're recruiting you'll be looking for someone who has solved issues like this in the past. Someone who has turned around dormant target accounts and uncovered buying pains with prospects where non existed in the past.

This is just one example. Hopefully this can help change your mindset as we head into a new year of sales recruiting and team building!

When meeting with a new client I am often asked the question "What can a Virtual Assistant do for me?" While it is easy for me to rhyme off a list of assignments and tasks I perform for other clients, it may not be the kind of work that this new client needs immediate help with. Administration work does have commonalities to it, but every client's needs are different and unique to them.

Virtual Assistants are a relatively new concept and as such it is hard for people to know what we can do, but basically if you can imagine giving a task to an Assistant you can most likely give it to a Virtual Assistant! With the vast array of technology available enabling people to work effectively while mobile, today it is easier than ever to effectively support a client that is half a world away. Half of my clients I have never physically met; I have never been to their office and they have not been to mine! Being based in Brisbane Australia, it always intrigues and enthuses me that I can assist my clients interstate here in Australia and recently, China, just as effectively as I do my clients a few kilometres away.

I have found that Solo Operators seem to make up the majority of my clients. Solo Operators are usually people who work extremely effectively on their own and don't want the physical presence of somebody in their office. Virtual Assistants fit in with their dynamic well. We are on call when they need us and don't disturb their workflow with a dozen little questions everyday. On the flipside, medium size organisations I have found, also use Virtual Assistants. They may have undergone restructuring, where non-core staff (often found to be admin. staff) have been reduced. This sometimes leaves the situation of highly skilled professionals each doing small amounts of administration.

If you are considering, or even if you currently use a Virtual Assistant, following are some ideas to help you get the most out of your relationship with your Virtual Assistant:

What Would You Really Like To Be Doing With Your Time?

Wouldn't you like to be spending more time working 'on your business' and not 'in your business'? Yes I know it is a clich?but to achieve this you really have to let go of some things. All the Business Coach's tell us that to be successful, you have to try to work yourself out of your current position. You need to put a plan in place to delegate some of your current work load in order to move on to that higher position (even if it is in your own business). You can start this process by simply making a list of things "I would like my Virtual Assistant to do" and match it with a list of "things that I want to do when I have more time".

Express Your Personality And Working Style

Are you outgoing or introverted? Do you like regular updates & contact or do you prefer to work autonomously? All these little idiosyncrasies speak volumes to a Virtual Assistant. We don't have the benefit of working 'physically' alongside you everyday and observing your behaviour. Perhaps after deciding on your Virtual Assistant, have a casual conversation sharing details about yourselves; what are your business goals, what times of the day do you prefer to be contacted, how do you prefer to be contacted (email, sms, phone) and so on...

Be Specific With Instructions And Deadlines

It is all in the detail... the more detail that comes with an assignment the better - we like to give you exactly what you want. Deadlines are always helpful, they can be as specific as '2pm Thursday' or as general as 'sometime in the next week'.

Getting To Know You

Remember that when you begin working with someone new in an office environment it can take several months for you to learn each others quirks, habits, etc and become comfortable working side by side. You have to give your Virtual Assistant a little time too!

Most of all make sure that your Virtual Assistant's personality and attitude fits you. Do you want an extrovert with a 'can do attitude' or do you prefer a 'quiet achiever'? Spending the time to find an Assistant who is the right fit, can lead to further business success for you!

Relocating to Dubai cannot be harrowing, as the set up rules are simple for every kind of business by the government. For some entrepreneurs, the existing business centers are providing excellent world class facilities. The city has become the commercial hub for many multinationals and every conceivable business. The available suites in business districts are competitive. The rentals keep changing hence market prices have to be considered before choosing an office space. Every district has its own advantages for doing business. The business centers are well equipped. All the services are functional and prepared with all administrative requirements. These include common services like telephony, internet and telephones. Some of them also provide human resources, like well trained secretaries and receptionists for various jobs.

The areas where main business centers are located include:

? Dubai World Trade Center (Sheikh Zayad Road)
? Dubai German Business Center
? Dubai Internet City
? Gulf Business Center
? Kinko's (Bur Dubai)
? Regus Instant Offices Worldwide
? Servcop- Emirates Towers (Sheikh Zayad Road)
? UB Business Services
? Alliance Business Centers
? Business Time

As there is boom in all sectors in UAE, business centers are in demand in many locations. They are popular elsewhere in the world also. There is no capital investment, cost of set-up, or buying them either. They can be leased, as long as business requires them. Elaborate and up market business centers also have meeting rooms, conference facilities and special suites. They also have full offices, virtual office, hot-desking suites, training rooms, video conferencing, IT and telecom packages. All the business centers are well decorated and have optimum office furniture. This way most of the business clients do not have many overheads. Getting the right business center is easy. One can surf online and check out the rates and locations of these centers before starting work. Private suites, work stations, trained clerical staff, impressive lobbies, areas for multimedia presentations and courier facilities are also available.

All the companies doing business in UAE need to respect the labor laws of the land. Many international businesses also operate successfully in the business centers. Business Time has membership packages for businessmen. Even local citizens are availing of the benefits of such business centers. Along with the other facilities, it provides legal consultancy also. It handles paper work of migrants, all visa formalities, hotel transfers, airport transfers and every other logistical support. With real estate activities doing very well, the best of infrastructures are being developed in UAE. Business centers allow many new entrepreneurs to do hassle free transactions. The economy will still grow and as new laws are being formulated, some outdated ones being changed, they will help the country to get more revenue. As all businesses are registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry one can get a fair idea of what works well in the region. With the free zone becoming a hot bed of major activity, many men have made the right decision of relocating to Dubai.

I'm sure everyone has seen high powered executives and directors of your company walking around at some point. What image do they project? What sets them apart from the office clerk sitting at a desk barely 50 meters away?

Most times the first thing we notice is the way they carry themselves,the way they relate to others around them. They just seem to radiate that aura of confidence and poise. Your imagination? Most definitely not.

In today's world of high powered corporations moving up the ladder relies on more than simply doing your job well; that just isn't enough anymore. Having the right image and people skills are a must have for those intending to scale the peaks of the corporate world.

For starters , speaking clearly and projecting your voice without shouting projects confidence. In fact, the best way to learn the fine art of good body language is to observe someone when they are feeling down, they sit with a hunched over posture , with their head drooping down. Pay attention to these and other body signals such as fidgeting and tapping your feet to ensure that these are not the messages you are sending!

Learning which topics are acceptable with different crowds in the office will also go a long way to establishing your reputation as a confident , intelligent worker. While it may be common practice to share your weekend partying activities with your friends , refrain from doing so at the office. It makes you look unreliable and unprofessional. Instead stick to safer generic topics such as the latest movies, sports etc. Remember, when in doubt answer with honesty. People will appreciate it and you avoid coming across as a know-it-all.

While we are on the topic of personal grooming , ensure that you look smart. When going to the office it is always best to err on the side of caution, bear in mind that your personal image should be one of a smart attentive worker. So for example, if you have long hair , don't let it cover your eyes - it projects sleepiness and inactivity.

Also, one of the most common dressing mistakes I frequently see is men wearing white socks with their business wear. White socks for the gym , dark colored ones for the office please! The rational behind this is that white socks make you look like a school boy or just plain weird; not the image you want to project to your boss.

In conclusion , if you want to one day be the person sitting in that director's chair master the fine art of grooming and etiquette and you are halfway there. Just don't be surprised when people start mistaking you for a director!

Although designed to make you feel like your in the office, home office furniture can be different than traditional office furniture. Manufacturers design your home office chairs, desk, etc., to suit the home environment and needs. These home furnishings often offer softer edges and corners, designed with children in mind who are often at eye level with many sharp corners. Home furniture also usually has a more casual appearance to blend in with the rest of your home decor. With the many style and color options, you can choose your home office furniture to suit any taste. This also allows the home office to possible serve dual purposes.

While home office furniture may be more laid back that traditional office furnishing, they are both used similarly: to help you work. Choose furniture that will enhance your ability to get your work done while allowing you the comfortable home environment. Ergonomics is essential! Ergonomics will help a user maintain proper posture, helping to prevent muscle and skeleton tension and/or problems such as carpal tunnel.

While many companies are beginning to allow their employees to work more at home, and as the internet money making opportunities expand, make sure that your home office enhances productivity and comfort. When comfortable in your office environment it can be amazing how much your productivity level can increase and help you to maintain a healthy back and office environment. At home or in the office environment, your office furniture, how you position your chairs and desk and the style that you represent with your workspace reflects directly on what kind of a worker you are and how dedicated you are to doing the job well.

Probably not many people thought that infrasound can somehow influence their business. Strangely enough, there are situations in business when infrasound can make you rich or completely poor.

It is known that there is no silence in nature. There are a lot of sounds that carry extremely important information, but our ear just does not "hear" them, because we grasp only sounds with frequencies between 16 and 20 000 Hz. Infrasound waves have frequency less then 16 Hz and our consciousness does not pick them up.

Unlike humans, animals did not lose an ability to hear a diapason of these frequencies, even if it is not very intensive. Because of this, animals know in advance about coming storms and earthquakes. Infrasound plays a vitally important role for animals.

It would be very naive to think that infrasound does not influence people at all. Modern industrial and office buildings are extremely powerful sources of infrasound because of the ventilation systems and large open spaces. Did this ever happen to you that when you entered a building, you just did not feel good being there? Low frequency waves are not as harmless as they may seem to be.

One our friend rented some space for his restaurant in a large mall. All previous owners did not stay there for more than half a year, no matter what businesses they were in. But our friend also did not have too much success, even though the actual restaurant had a very good position.

His business had a constant loss. Changing furniture, chefs, reducing prices - nothing was helping, but customers tried to avoid that place. One day we went to his restaurant, and we caught ourselves on a thought that we wanted to leave that place as soon as possible. Exactly these feelings may cause infrasound if it has certain intensity.

Measurements showed that ventilation system in his restaurant was creating a powerful source of infrasound with frequency around 7 Hz. Intensive infrasound of this frequency makes people feel anxiety, fear, increases heart diseases, causes other illnesses.

As we reduced intensity of that infrasound with special tools and changed its frequency, the entire picture of the business also changed: few times more customers started to come. At the end, from getting constant loss, his business became high profitable.

Notice, reality had changed!

Before we came and worked there, external reality in that place was an unprofitable restaurant. Internal reality consisted of constant changes of employees, interior, prices and ideas.

As we can see, attempts of changing internal reality could not influence external reality, because there were energoinformational influences that were not taken into account - infrasound waves. Customers' subconsciousness was perceiving infrasound energy as information that it is dangerous to be in that place. It is the key to the energo-informational reality that was always present, but could not be seen.

What happened next?
By influencing energo-informational reality (changing frequency of the infrasound source and reducing its power), we achieved a specific change in external reality - from unprofitable, business became profitable without almost any expenses.

This case is not unique.
New office buildings can be the cause why companies that are based there get bankrupt or experience losses. Powerful infrasound waves of industrial origin, that arise in ventilation systems or caused by the actual architecture of a building, can negatively influence employees and, what is more important, management that is responsible for crucial decisions for the company. Being of sound mind and compos, people sometimes make decisions that, in a different situation, can not be called anything but absurd.

One of the causes of this behavior - presence in a zone of influence of a powerful infrasound source that is an element of the energoinformational reality. It influences you, your brain just stops working the way it should.

ERP stands for enterprise resource management, and is used by a variety of companies to better handle their needs. When a company first begins looking into the process of ERP implementation, their first question is often in relation to how much the process will cost. The simple answer to the question of how much an ERP implementation will cost, is that it varies greatly. It varies not only on the amount of needs the company has, but the size of the company as well and the age of their computers and other miscellaneous hardware.

How much does the hardware for an ERP implementation cost is a more accurate question to ask. This is because the hardware is as important as the software itself. Consider the company that has not upgraded their hardware for several years, maybe as long as a decade. They will discover that the answer to how much does the hardware for an ERP implementation cost is, quite a lot. Not only will they need to replace all of their existing hardware and computers, but they may need to purchase faster processing items for the equipment.

The question of how much does an ERP implementation cost is also related to the needs of a company. Obviously a smaller company will be able to spend far less money to meet their needs than a much larger company. The reason for this is because a smaller company will often have less needs than their larger counterpart. Those looking for an answer to the questions of how much an ERP implementation will cost should first identify the needs of their company, and determine the expenses associated with those needs.

Anyone who has asked the question of how much will an ERP implementation cost has found that it is fairly expensive. A smaller company may discover that the process costs at minimum $25,000. This includes not only the software, but the cost of the firm installing the software and bringing the software up to date. For a larger company, they may discover that the answer to how much does an ERP implementation cost is in the million dollar range. This explains why some larger companies choose to have their own IT department install the software, rather than an outside firm. This helps save money if something goes wrong. Rather than paying the firm to return, their own department can find a solution to the problem.

To find an answer for the question of how much does an ERP implementation cost, the company needs to look at a variety of factors. They need to identify their needs, and decide if the process will be done with their own employees or by using an outside firm. They will also need to determine if their software is up to date, and examine their existing hardware. All of these factors play a significant role in how much an ERP implementation will cost. The answer to this question simply cannot be found or answered until the other factors are first considered.

In today's world of instant gratification, short attention spans and lack of patience, the one-strike approach to dealing with business is becoming a main stream concern for many small business consulting firms. Add this onto the ongoing challenges associated with employee shortages and an ever increasing demand for services is stretching many Small Business Specialists to the breaking point. We are definitely in a one-strike society!

How do you deal with a customer that expects you to drop everything to take care of their needs? Do you risk jumping to their shouts for immediate attention and risk damaging a relationship with a long time client? Do you also risk not taking care of them and they turn to a competitor that can service their needs right away? Today's world of instant gratification is leading to a ever increasing lack of loyalty between IT vendors and customers who flip flop their way through a lineup card of providers, calling around to see who can take care of them first and perhaps the cheapest. Is this where you want to focus your efforts?

The question is too many of us, do you even do it to our own service people? Image this, it is Saturday morning, the temperature is very cold out and your furnace quits. You have a regular furnace service guy that has provided you with the best service throughout the life of your home, providing you with a scheduled maintenance plan and reminders about changing your filters and other tidbits of good information. You call your furnace guy and he can't take care of you during the weekend because his business model doesn't allow him to react to emergencies easily, maybe he is a one person firm and he is at another emergency call. You can't wait; the temperature is dropping rapidly in your home. You risk damage to your home if you don't take care of this right away, what do you do? Many people simply pick up the yellow pages and start calling around to see who can take care of them, and the first guy who says he will be out there wins. Does this happen in your IT practice, if you can't take care of a client right away?

Reliance on technology has never been as high in the small business world as it is today. With instant and always on connectivity, mobility solutions that reach all corners of the globe and a catalogue of other mission critical services and applications many corporations cannot afford any outages however, many small businesses do not invest in the systems to prevent this from happening either. The weight of the world falls onto the IT Company's shoulders. That is the way business operates today.

What can we do to lessen the risk of our clients doing the one-strike, your out?

Remove the commodity mentality to our services - Many small businesses see technology support the way they see electricity, it is strictly a commodity. Small Business expects technology to work, just like the lights in the office, when they flick the switch it just needs to work. The challenge he is that many still in today's age of technology still do not understand the value of investing in technology and the proper support. Breaking the mindset of a commodity and building relationships will assist many IT firms in breaking away from the one-strike risk of happening to them.

Set realistic Expectations - Both sides are guilty on this one. Many clients are not fully aware of what technology can do to benefit their business and the amount of complexity around simple services like E-Mail, websites and the Internet. Consulting firms that can educate their clients on what technology is all about will win in the end and when you have provided the right education then realistic expectations can be set once again lessening the risk of a client going somewhere else.

Do not compete on price - Price is often a killer with customers that exhibit the one-strike approach to their business. Many customers that purely shop on price say they want a relationship however never practice what they preach. The lowest price always wins, no matter how long they have been dealing with a support firm or reseller. It is hard for a reseller to deal with this, best just to let that opportunity go because normally when you give them the lowest price, they generally will complain about the invoice, the service work and whatever else they can find wrong with your offering. These events will eat up valuable time and a lot of your resources. Play the value card at all times.

Be prepared for emergencies - Emergencies occur everywhere in every part of life. How is your firm structured to deal with emergencies. Do you have a call out system? Do you have a 24- hour answering service? Do you have a support email that clients can use and is delivered to someone who can respond rapidly? There are many preventative measures that a support firm can use to deal with emergencies. It is also critical that rates and expectations are clearly indentified ahead of time so no confusion exists. If you say you can get back to some within 2 hours, you better deliver. However, many small businesses do not have the patience to wait two hours, this is why I like the 24-hour answering service, this equates to instant gratification.

Create relationships always - "It really boils down to relationships and whether one can be developed or not" states Matt Pardo, CEO of Austin, TX VelocityStorm. Relationships is the key to preventing the "one-strike, you're out" threat that lingers in the marketplace today. Successful small business IT firms develops relationships with clients that can weather any storm. Failures, disasters, outages and service issues happen that is the nature of our business. It is how you deal with them that will determine if you are victimized by the one-strike approaches that some small business live by.

Ask questions - Question small business on how they view IT? This is a critical question to understand the importance of IT in their business. You may also want to find out how many suppliers or consulting firms they have dealt with? Find out who the last company in there was? Did they get fired by their provider or did the provider not meet their expectations and why not? Qualifying small businesses ahead of time will provide you with a clear picture on what this relationship will be like.

Begin with the end in mind - I sat in a sales presentation once and the speaker was talking about "beginning with the end in mind", his theory was to start off with your goal to get a testimonial letter from the client. That is what we all want, something to put into our brag book to show as proof to others that we can do the work we claim. I have started using this and this mindset is powerful to creating an awesome service factor for your business.

The one-strike society is not going away! The stronger relationships that we can develop with our clients will provide us with the mechanisms to lessen the effects in the world that we do business today. Combined, excellent client services with the tools to deliver what your clients want and you will win in this society.

The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the entire world. It provides beautiful views to the countries that border it, and an essential port for trade between these countries. A large amount of the world's caviar is harvested from the large sturgeon population that thrives in its murky depths. The largest reason for dissention and political dispute between the neighboring nations of the Caspian is its enormous potential for some of the largest natural resource yields in the entire world.

The Caspian Sea is bordered by five nations. Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, all have interest in the development of this huge body of water. The three northern countries, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, signed a 2003 agreement dividing the northern 64% of the sea amongst themselves. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have steadily increased their oil exploration in the region since the 1990s and have been rewarded with a 70% increase in oil production.

The Caspian, in terms of oil output, is believed to hold up to 200 billion barrels of oil. This amount would be as much as a quarter of the entire Earth's reserves and would be worth upwards of 10 trillion dollars in today's market. Controversy erupted with the dissolution of the Soviet Union; many of the newly independent states did not recognize the ancient treaty signed by Russia and Persia that divided the lake in the middle. Preliminary solutions have been reached in the interim, dividing the region amongst the five nations, but of course, not every nation feels the new terms of division are satisfactory.

Conflicts are sure to arise between all five nations in the future because of the current situation. Currently, several oil fields are in dispute because they are shared between two or three of the countries. Iran and Azerbaijan both claim exploratory rights to the same fields; Iran has even opened fire on Azerbaijani ships venturing into this disputed area. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are grappling over a shared field because one country feels the other is pumping much more than its fair share of oil.

The natural gas deposits in this area can also be seen as over 25% of the entire Earth's proven supplies. The profit from the extraction of natural gas is a point of contention between these countries as well. The United States and other countries that import resources from the region are watching closely as these discussions take place, because the outcome weighs heavily upon the future energy supplies of the world.

Can you comprehend how incredibly difficult it would be to compete in an Olympic swimming event if you had never in your life put one foot in a swimming pool? I know this sounds ludicrous; but, how often do we approach the world this way?

There is an old adage that advises us to "jump in the deep end and sink or swim". If everybody followed this, the whole world would drown!

Every activity we encounter in this world has a pattern for success. The harder we fight the proper pattern for succeeding, the more time it takes to actually achieve the goal.

Prior to approaching any business; any kind of activity; any leadership position; any investment; or any occupation, memorize and use these principles to multiply your chances of success:

Learn About It- As a business man or woman, this means to investigate and study. Furthermore, it means learning from experience and from experts. How long does it take you to figure out on your own how your new board game works as opposed to actually reading the directions and watching a skilled player play?

Abraham Lincoln demonstrated this principle beautifully when he said "If I had six hours to cut down a tree, I'd spend the first four sharpening the axe." By doing thorough research you are symbolically "sharpening the axe." This will allow you to be several times more effective when it comes to actually doing the physical work.

Act- Once you have a background of understanding for your mind, only then can you begin practicing the function or task.

Know What's in Your Garage- You possess several resources that are available to you already. Take an accounting of resources you have available to you. If you exert some effort in brainstorming, and are imaginative in your thinking, you'll soon discover that you possess several of the components required for success.

This pattern for success is appropriate for every aspect of life from leading a business to homemaking. So remember to learn, act, and employ your resources!

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Why would an intelligent, hard-working, executive need a Coach? Unless you are in business for yourself, isn't that what your superiors are for? It would seem logical to assume that everyone in the corporate world has someone to report to, hence replacing the need for a Coach. What many find, though, is that the bigger the company, the bigger the challenges and the less time he/she may have for you.

So how do you know if you could benefit from having a Coach? You work hard and you are successful, yet deep inside you feel you could be challenging yourself even more. Unsure of how to get to the next level, you continue setting goals, but find that most days ultimately end the same as the day before. With a Business/Executive Coach, you would have the opportunity to bridge the gap between expectation and performance, so you don't find yourself constantly creating new goals, yet ending with the same results.

What you know and what you have done to be successful thus far, only goes as far as your own horizons, but with a Coach you can:
? Learn to work harder, but with less stress.
? Redefine what's really important.
? Create the passion to overcome challenges.
? Refine and build upon your existing skills and talents.

A Coach will focus on the strengths that already exist within you and help you to reach your full potential. A potential that you didn't know existed.
Are you ready to:

? Manage more effectively?
? Increase profitability?
? Organize time more efficiently?
? Project confidence?
? Redesign an existing career or jump into an entirely new one?

Then I would say what are you waiting for? It sounds like a Coach is just what your career could use right now!

While having a home-based business, it is vital to have the necessary tools to get your work done in a timely manner. One of the main equipment that you should possess is a computer. While desktops are always great, the portability of a laptop is always a big plus. If possible, it would be a great idea to have both because you can always store larger amounts of files or work on your desktop versus a laptop that does not have the amount of memory a desktop computer has.

Another essential component to a home-based office is having a telephone with voicemail capabilities. Some home-based business have toll free numbers in which their clients can call, this is especially great for clients who are not within your area but out-of-state. Now this brings us to having a long distance plan on your phone. Choosing the appropriate long distance plan for your business is a vital step since you are making numerous calls throughout your depending on the type of business you have.

If possible, purchasing a printer that has a fax machine, scanner and copier will make your life a whole lot easier. No one wants a crowed and cramped home office. If you purchase the majority of your office equipment that have 3 and 1 options, then this will save you space and money as well.

Determining where you will set-up your office can be simple. A good idea is to choose a room that is a good distance away from the rooms where you may entertain or where your family spends most of their time in. The scenery in your office is an important aspect too. This is way it would be great to choose a room that has one or two windows.

When you're in business, you always want to give the best to get the most. One of the efficient devices to add to your arsenal is the Bluetooth headset to keep tabs on people and their latest exploits in the name of the business.

Business Chic and Hi-end Tech

If you have people in the field and in other parts of the country dealing with clients and looking for financial opportunities, you'd want to know what's going on. The Bluetooth headset will bridge the gap and the miles.

In the office, teleconferencing can take place with people at their cubicles, but ideally, a teleconference should be held in a quiet place without the irritating background noise coming from keyboards and paper being shuffled.

In all appearance, a Bluetooth headset is a discreet device that can be worn on the ear. It is a single earpiece that establishes connection to the phone, camera, PDA, and more, relying on Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth technology in the layman's glossary is wireless connection technology. No more dangling wires that get in the way. Simply wear it, dial the number, and provide the password given to you.

The latest Bluetooth headset in the market is version 2.0, which is three times faster, uses less power, and has simplified multi-links because of more bandwidth. The 2.1 version provides extended power conservation. These are pricey, but eliminate the problems of the older versions.

Your Bluetooth headset

Shopping for the Bluetooth headset that'll supercharge your business? Take the following tips to heart:

Budget is the deciding factor when buying your Bluetooth headset. You'll have to decide if you'll go for the $30 or $300 headset or those in-between.

You'll have to decide if you want boom or no boom. A boom is the small microphone appendage that sticks out from the headset, which you can adjust comfortably.

In reality, there is no assurance that a Bluetooth headset is comfortable. Worn for hours on end, it can become uncomfortable on the ear. You can switch these from the left to the right ear and back again to ease the pressure on the ear.

Better yet, try on the Bluetooth headset before making your final choice, if you're buying these from a retail shop. These come in different sizes, so you'll have to consider the people who are going to use these headsets. There are also headsets with eyeglasses clips or interchangeable loops for those wearing eyeglasses.

Other deciding factors when buying your headset

Your headset should be easy to pair with multiple phones. The Bluetooth headset can be paired with multiple phones. By pairing, you are connecting the headset and your phone instantly, and the two will recall each other's names and connect each time until you decide to break up the pairing.

Choose a better-sized headset. The smaller the headset, the tinier the buttons. If you happen to have fat fingers, you'll be constantly seeking the on-button and dislodging the headset.

Battery life. The bigger and weightier the headset, the longer the battery life. You have the option to choose somewhere between two to 10 hours talk time and 25 to 250 hours standby time. Remember, you can't receive calls when you're down on batteries.

Get the Bluetooth Advantage Now

There are great reasons to get the Bluetooth headset. Cut down travel costs, increase workforce productivity, exchange information real-time, and cut down those telephone bills. You'll have up to 5-10 people on the line. Won't your business gain from these advantages?