If you’re constantly on the go, you know just how tiring and stressful business travel can be. If you aren’t careful, you can find yourself burned out while on the road. Needless to say, that’s not good for you or your business.

So, what can you do to make sure you stay sharp while constantly traveling for business? Here are some tips that will keep your mind sharp and your body refreshed while you’re on the road.

• Eat right—When you’re constantly running, it’s easy to fall into the habit of grabbing some fast food or munching on some snacks. While this might satisfy your hunger, it won’t give you the energy you need to keep performing at a high level. In fact, it does the complete opposite.

                That’s why it’s so important to eat right when you’re traveling. Make sure you enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables as these are great brain foods that keep your mind sharp. You should also limit the sodas you drink, and make sure to drink plenty of water, as a hydrated body is more energetic.

• Give yourself time to rest off the plane—A lot of travelers make the mistake of just trying to catch a little bit of sleep during the flight. A quick nap on the plane won’t recharge your body like a good night’s sleep in an actual bed will. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep at home (or in your hotel) before you get on your flight. This way, you can devote the time on the flight to other tasks, and you won’t get off the plane looking like you just rolled out of bed.
• Get rid of the clutter—If you travel a lot, it can be easy for your briefcase to start filling up with a bunch of papers, folders, CDs, and other junk. Physical clutter leads to a cluttered mind. It causes you to be disorganized and stressed out. So, before you travel, take the time to clean out your briefcase, getting rid of anything you won’t need for your trip.
• Replace papers with digital documents—This goes hand-in-hand with the last tip. Reduce your clutter by replacing papers with digital documents whenever possible. You can store a lot of information on a tiny USB drive, saving you space and helping you stay more organized.
• Read a book—Reading stimulates the mind. It’s like a mental workout. It also allows you to kind of get away from the real world for a little while, taking your mind off the things that are stressing you out. Spending a little time during your flight reading a book can strengthen your mind and make the flight go by a little faster.
• Engage in a conversation—Brain fitness experts also say that interacting with others stimulates the brain and keeps it sharp. So, while you’re on your flight, you might try striking up a conversation with one of your neighbors. This will keep your mind sharp, and you could even make a new friend or a business contact.

Do you travel a lot for business purposes? What do you do to stay sharp and to avoid burnout? Share your best tips by leaving a commen

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Let’s say you’re in the U.S. You’re about to start a new business. You need to come up with the perfect business name for your new software development company. Oooh, I know! “Microsoft!” No, wait. We can’t do that, can we? That would be trademark infringement. Shoot!

You can’t simply go in and use the name of another company in your industry, or one that could be confusingly similar. A key element of trademark law is that your business name and other branding elements shouldn’t confuse consumers into thinking you’re someone else. In other words, you can get a free ride off of another company’s reputation.

Okay. That’s oversimplifying, but I’m not a lawyer and diving into the deeper realms of trademark law isn’t within our scope today. Instead, let’s talk about conducting a simple trademark search to see if you’re really free to use that great business name you came up with.

What is a Trademark Search?

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A trademark search is just the act of checking up on a business name or other potential trademark to make sure it’s not already being used in a confusingly similar way. There are registered trademarks — those officially registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). However, a trademark doesn’t have to be registered. It’s all about first use in business. Therefore a thorough trademark search would have to go beyond searching the USPTO’s database.

How to Conduct a Basic Trademark Search

While it’s always a good idea to hire an attorney specializing in intellectual property law before investing a lot of time and money into branding a new business venture, you can at least rule out some potential business names on your own. It’s relatively quick and easy. Here is the process:

1. Visit the USPTO’s website (http://uspto.gov/).
2. Click the link in the Trademark column that says “search marks.” This will take you to the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).
   

   Credit: USPTO.gov

3. Click on “new user form search (basic).” This takes you to the basic search form pictured below.
   

   Credit: USPTO.gov

4. Enter your search term and click the submit button. Enter “Microsoft” just to see an example. You’ll see a list of registered trademarks involving the word “Microsoft” (or whatever you typed in). Let’s look at an example with no trademarks registered — BizAmmo (a project I launched a few years ago). You’ll see there are no registered trademarks.

Yay! You found a name with no registered trademarks. Don’t get too excited though. Remember, a trademark holder doesn’t have to register their mark with the government for it to be valid. There’s still the first use issue to contend with. Here’s how to move on to the next step of your simple search.

1. Go to Google (or your favorite search engine).
2. Type in the keyword or phrase you want to check. I like to use quotes around the phrase in this search to bring up exact instances. Search for BizAmmo as an example. Darn. It looks like it’s already being used for something.
3. If there are no results, try searching for very similar phrases (like a plural or singular or minor spelling changes). Make sure there is nothing too similar in use. If you did find results in your search, you can take a closer look. Are they in any way related to the industry, product, business, etc. that you wanted to use the name for? If so, it’s time to move on to the next idea. If not, you’re ready to consult with a trademark lawyer to determine if there’s a likelihood for confusion, or if you might be the first to use the trademark in your intended way.

Like I said before, I’m not a lawyer. This tutorial isn’t meant to provide you with a failsafe method of identifying trademarks and it isn’t meant to serve as legal advice. Keep in mind that trademark law is a complicated area and not all trademarks might be found in a Web search or USPTO search (think of a local competing small business that might not be on the Web).

Use this guide as a way to weed out business name and other trademark options with obvious infringement potential, and don’t assume that a lack of results is enough on its own to mean a trademark is yours for the taking. As mentioned, consult with an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law (or more specifically trademark law) when you’ve narrowed down your ideas before you invest a lot in your new venture, especially where international trademark issues might come up.

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You must have seen several ads about how to get “free” money for your small business. Is there really free money available for your businesses?

While the government does offer grant money, it is not easy to qualify or receive as some may lead you to believe.  There are hundreds of scams out there that entice small business owners with the promise of free money, for a small fee.

These scams work by guaranteeing that you will get a small business grant or you will get all your money back.  They charge you a fee of about $50 for a packet with information on how to write your grant proposal and a list of organizations that can provide the grant you are looking for.  Unassuming business owners pay this fee and receive information with a list of organizations that don’t give any business grants.  When you try and get your money back, you find that the guarantee was just a hog wash.

Does that mean there are no small business grants?

There are, but are rare, and the information you need to find and apply for the legitimate grants is available “free” of charge. For businesses that qualify, there is a possibility of getting free grants from the county, state and city governments.  There are also some private corporations and foundations offering these grants.

Grants for Technology Startups

Businesses that stand the best chance of getting grants are technology startups. As long as they match the extremely stringent requirements, the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology (STTR) programs are there to help. They award more than $2 billion in grant funding each year.

Small Technology Focused Businesses

Many state and city governments offer grants for small businesses that focus on technology. In Ohio, TechColumbus offers grants to help entrepreneurs test their ideas and see if they can actually run a business. In Philadelphia, The Ben Franklin Partnership and in Gardiner, Maine, the Maine Technology Institute are just a few of the many organizations that help local tech companies out.

Credit: drsnapea (via Flickr)

Non-Tech Businesses

Small Business Certifications – Non-tech businesses may not find it as easy as tech-focused businesses to get a grant. But it is still possible if you do the needful. The first thing to do is to check if the business qualifies for special small business certifications, such as minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned business or disadvantaged business. The state and federal governments usually give preference to such business owners.

Economic Development Agencies – You can then look at the economic development agencies or similar agencies in your local area.  Many of these agencies offer government-sponsored grants in an attempt to help with the expansion of existing businesses, help new businesses get started, train employees etc. For example, workforce training grants are offered by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council for businesses in the counties.

Get Grant Information – The next step would be to sign up at Grants.gov and get information related to different kinds of federal grants.  It may not be easy to qualify directly, but it is certainly possible to get a part of the funding with a little innovative thinking and some networking.

Workforce Training Grants – Workforce training grants are a great source of funds. Many states have these grants and you can check out for grants within your state.  You will also be able to get more information through community colleges or workforce investment board.  Some states fund more than $10 or $20 million which helps hundreds of companies.

Foundation Grants – You can also look at foundation grants at the Foundation Center that provides you information on U.S. based foundations, public charities that give grants as well as corporate giving programs. While grants from these places are meant for non-profit organizations, you can make use of them intelligently by creating a non-profit front for your small business.  You can attach a non-profit section to your existing services or products business.  For example, a children’s theatre company can have a non-profit section that teaches after-school acting classes.

Irrespective of the grant you apply for, you must understand that the cash is usually meant for funding specific products or projects, not for companies.  If you are looking for free money, you must also be ready to fit into the requirements by making changes to your business structure as needed.

Apart from that, businesses that do obtain grants cannot spend the money as they please.  They will have to abide by the strict rules and regulations concerning how the money can be spent and the percentage of money that can be used for specific purposes. These requirements will have to be complied with.

Are you looking to add a new full-time staff member to your team? Some part-time help? An independent contractor to help with a specific project? No matter what your hiring needs are, it’s important that you find the right fit for your company.

When some people think of the hiring process they think of placing job ads, reviewing the applications and resumes that come in, and then conducting interviews to make a hiring decision. While advertising your job openings can give you a large pool of applicants in some cases, do you really have the time to review all of those resumes? What if none of those applicants is exactly what you’re looking for?

The best way to find your perfect new hire may not be posting a job ad, especially if you’re looking to hire someone with highly specialized skills. Instead, consider some of the following recruitment techniques:

Credit: Jay Simmons

1. Give Google a Go – Sometimes a simple online search is all you need (especially if you’re hiring a freelancer who considers new clients, as opposed to someone who may already be employed fulltime). Freelancers such as writers, designers, programmers, and consultants often have online portfolios available. Search for the type of contractor you’re looking for. Chances are good that you’ll find professional websites from freelancers that could meet your needs.

There you’re often able to review their portfolios (their past work) and sometimes learn more about their past client list, their rates, and their credentials. In other words, your hiring choices aren’t limited to those who have seen your job ad and you won’t have to weed out applicants who send resumes without actually meeting your requirements.

2. Ask Your Employees (and Others in Your Network) – The best referrals come from those who know you and understand the needs of your business. People are often better-connected than we think, and it’s possible that one of your existing employees or colleagues knows someone that would be a perfect fit for your company’s opening.

Credit: Sanja Gjenero

Many higher-level freelancers and full-time professionals don’t respond to advertised jobs. That’s because they already get job offers through their own network (such as their clients, past employers, or colleagues). Therefore if you’re looking for someone highly-specialized, this could be your best bet. Ask a colleague who they hired for a similar project in the past. Ask an employee who will be leaving if they know someone in the field that might be interested in filling their shoes (obviously only if the employee is leaving on good terms, such as due to relocation). Make those in your professional network aware of your hiring needs, and they may be able to help you in recruiting the best match for the job.

Preferably, stick to members of your professional network rather than turning to friends and family (where there’s a bigger chance of tarnishing the relationship if you don’t take their suggestion, or if you do and the employment situation doesn’t work out).

3. Don’t Neglect Social Networks – While it probably isn’t the best idea to start your recruiting efforts on social networks like Myspace and Facebook which are often used for personal networking, give LinkedIn a try. Not only can you find members’ educational credentials and work history if they’ve shared them, but you can view recommendations from their past employers or clients.

Credit: LinkedIn.com

Because LinkedIn is specifically for business networking, you won’t have to sift through endless irrelevant personal details to narrow down your pool of potential new hires. Social networks also generally give you a way to contact the user privately, whether or not you have their direct email address.

Job ads still have their place in the recruiting process, but in a time where more people are looking for work and fewer companies are hiring, they can lead to a lot of applications from people who aren’t really qualified for the job. Let job ads be a last resort, and let your professional network and the Web bring you better initial prospects.

Credit: Steve Woods

Maybe you’ve just launched a new online business. Perhaps you’ve released a new, heavily-updated version of your commercial software package. Or maybe you’re ready to release the results of an industry survey conducted by your company. When your business is faced with potentially-newsworthy information to share, you might decide to use a press release (or news release) and online press release distribution sites to get the word out.

Online press release distribution is a great tool for small businesses without big budgets for major newswire distribution. While the primary purpose of a news release is still to get exposure (which happens most effectively when members of the media, authority bloggers, and others in your industry put out a story on you), they can do more thanks to the Web.

Press releases can also help you build links from authority and relevant sites (through their coverage), direct traffic from some members of your target market, and ultimately better search engine rankings as a result. To get these benefits though, you have to use online press release distribution in the “right” ways.

Where Some People Go Wrong

Credit: Michal Zacharzewski

Because online press release distribution can lead to SEO benefits, those distribution sites are often abused by spammers. Press release spam can mean a few different things, but when it comes to newswire services and distribution sites it basically refers to non-newsworthy press releases distributed solely for links.

This is a problem. If you have a generic article with no timely aspect or news value, it shouldn’t be put out over press release distribution sites. It would be better suited for article marketing. If it reads more like an advertorial, you’ll be better off seeking paid placement on the end sites you want to reach.

Remember that press releases are first and foremost public relations tools–not marketing. They’re not about pushing hard sales or advertising. They’re not about getting a lot of quick (but irrelevant) links from free press release distribution sites. They’re about sharing news and creating an authority image for the company releasing them. The quality links, traffic, and rankings are simply an added reward of a job well done.

5 Ways to Get it Right

We’ve talked about how people go wrong with online press release distribution. Now let’s talk about how you can get it right with a few dos and don’ts of distributing your news releases on the Web:

1. DO have your press release written by a pro (or learn how to do it yourself).

Not all press releases will look alike, but they all should cover the same basic elements. That includes press releases distributed online. Most will follow Associated Press (AP) style guidelines for example. You should also never intentionally misspell anything (even if you’re targeting typos for SEO–SEO is a side benefit, not a primary purpose of a press release).

You must include contact information. Remember the goal is to have people do a story on you or your company–they need to be able to contact you if they have questions. Your headline should be catchy, but more importantly it should convey the essence of the news story (don’t shoot for “cute”). Your release should be written in the third person (lose the sales speak approach of talking to “you”).

Most importantly, make sure your release is timely and talking about something newsworthy. Cover the who, what, when, where, and why of your angle as early in the release as possible.

2. DON’T overlook paid press release distribution sites.


Credit: Miguel Ugalde

You might think the real perk of online press release distribution is that you can put your news (and links) out there for free. For the most part though, free press release sites simply won’t get the job done alone.

Ideally, you’ll want to manually distribute your press release to your own media contact list (journalists and bloggers in your niche or industry). If you can do that, then by all means a free distribution site can be a nice supplement to hit smaller sites, blogs, and news engines. But if you can’t devote the time or budget to getting that done, your best bet is to stick with paid press release distribution sites (such as PRWeb.com or WebWire.com).

3. DON’T submit to dozens of free press release distribution sites.

If you really insist on using free press release distribution sites, don’t be one of those people who feels a need to submit their release to dozens of sites at once. It’s completely unnecessary, and you won’t see a much bigger return for the effort (or the money spent if you’re hiring someone to handle submissions for you). Choose the best 3 – 5 free sites, and spend the additional time you would have spent submitting to more contacting specific outlets instead.

4. DO take advantage of social media tools.

If your press release distribution site allows you to tag your release with related keywords, do it. Opt for services that include social bookmarking buttons on your release page. Some will allow comments directly on the release page and others won’t–choose what makes sense for your company (one school of thought is that your release should be interactive while another is that companies should allow comments on the news on their own sites rather than through a third party service). Making these tools and features available can influence how well (or how poorly) your news actually spreads.

5. DO publish your press release on your own website!


A lot of online business owners neglect this simple step. When you release news, add your press release to your business website. Some people worry about duplicate content. That’s what happens when you forget the real purpose of the document while thinking only of SEO. If you’re really worried about it, make sure it’s indexed on your own site before putting it on distribution sites or rewrite the release or change the format before putting it on your site (it’s not necessary though). Or you could always just block search engines from crawling the release pages.

By putting your press releases on your site, you’re able to create a timeline through archives. If a member of the media visits your site for more information, they’ll be able to browse your archives to see how your company, site, or product line has progressed over time (which can play a role in whether or not they’ll consider your story ultimately worth covering).

On top of the above tips for better online press release distribution, remember this: a single press release is not going to make you rich and famous. It won’t help you sell massive numbers of your new product. It won’t have your phone ringing off the hook with media enquiries. That is, for most people it won’t (there are always exceptions of course). Press releases are just a single tool in larger PR or publicity campaigns, and the more often the use them, the more visibility you’ll get out of them. Don’t just get your name in front of influential people in your niche. You have to keep it there. Regular press release distribution (because you’re repeatedly doing something newsworthy) is a great way to do just that.

Internet marketing is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? There are countless marketing tools available on the Web, and many carry little to no barriers to entry (in other words, they’re free or very inexpensive, so anyone can use them). That ease of use can cause some problems though. What do you do when you have an overwhelming number of options available, and only a limited budget or limited time to implement your Internet marketing campaign?

Turn to Market Research

Traditional business owners know that market research plays a vital role in the success of any marketing campaign. That doesn’t change on the Web. Still, it’s all too common to see online entrepreneurs, webmasters, or traditional businesses making the leap to the Web taking a very untargeted approach (we recently talked about the consequences of untargeted social media marketing specifically).

When you jump into using a tool because someone says you should try it, without doing any planning or market research first, you run the risk of wasting both time and money in a failed attempt to reach your target market. Market research lets you compare different marketing tools and tactics to figure out which will best reach and influence your intended audience before you commit to them.

What You Want to Know About Your Market

There are several general areas of marketing research you should be familiar with. The first part of your market is your customer base (or subscribers or readership as the case may be). Consumer market research helps you decide who to target and how to influence them.

Don’t stop there though. You also need to think about your competition (by researching what they’re doing and what’s worked well for them, you can make better market planning decisions).

Here are some of the things you’ll want to find out about your market before engaging in any particular marketing tactics:

Credit: Jesse Courtemanche

• Who is your marketing really reaching? – You probably have a vague idea of who your target audience is the moment you create a website, product, or service. But do you know them well enough to know exactly who your marketing message is going to reach? Think about the demographics and psychographics of the people who are your potential buyers or visitors

  Are they mostly male or female? What age group? What income level? Where do they live? What level of education do they have? What are their interests? How will whatever you’re offering relate to their values?

• What influences your audience? – It’s not enough to know who your audience is. Marketing is about influencing a group of people–convincing them to visit your website, sign up for your newsletter subscription, buy your product, etc.

  If you target an audience consisting of mostly mothers in their 20s and 30s, for example, their motivating factors to make a purchase are going to be very different than those of a single teenage male.

• How can you compete? – In any industry you have to know who your competition actually is if you want to successfully compete with them. More importantly, you should look at their past marketing campaigns to keep their successes in mind and to learn from their potential mistakes.

  Even more vital than that, you have to know how you measure up against them if you’re going to craft effective marketing messages that set you apart. You can do this through a basic SWOT analysis (where you detail your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in comparison to your biggest competitors).

How to Find the Market Information You Need

One of the reasons business owners sometimes neglect market research on the Web is the misconception that it has to be expensive, difficult, or very time consuming. That may be true of some types of market research. But just as the Web offers simplified marketing tactics, it offers more accessible global market research as well.

Here are several ways you can gather market research information online quickly, inexpensively, and very easily:

• Visit competitor websites – There you may be able to find out how long they’ve been in business, how qualified their staff and management team are, or even see some of their marketing in action.

  Remember that their website, email newsletter, and even logo or other branding material are all a part of their overall marketing effort.



Credit: Danard Vincente

• Google it (or Bing it, or whatever strikes your fancy) – Search engines are your friend when it comes to Web-based market research. Not only can they help you discover competitors and how your competitors are marketing their businesses on the Web, but they can give you insight into your target market.

  A news engine, for example, might turn up press releases detailing survey results and other market research reports. Even if the full reports cost hundreds of dollars, key statistics about the markets / audiences surveyed are often released for free in those press releases.

• Conduct keyword research – If your Internet marketing plan involves search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (SEM) tactics such as pay-per-click (PPC) ads, keyword research is a given. But even if you’re not planning those things, do it anyway.

  Tools like the Adwords keyword tool will show you what phrases your target market is interested in (what they’re searching for). In the example below, you can see keyword phrases related to market research, and how they fare against each other in popularity.

  Why does this matter? Because it tells you what your audience is specifically interested in. If you know what they’re interested in, you can better appeal to them in your marketing copy and collateral, influencing them and increasing conversions.

Those examples are some of the most basic online market research tools available. There are an abundance of tools and tactics available to you in consumer market research online. Let these serve as a starting point rather than your comprehensive plan.

Depending on your audience and what you’re trying to promote, you might also turn to market research surveys, focus groups, conversion tracking (after implementing a tactic such as an ad campaign), or other marketing research methods available.

The next time you’re wondering how you should expand your Internet marketing plan, don’t simply ask others for tactical suggestions. Invest some time into online market research and find out how your market likes to be reached (or what they respond to best) instead. What works for others won’t necessarily work for you.

Social bookmarking. Social networking. Blogging. Microblogging. Are you using them all in your social media marketing efforts? What about online video, content aggregators, podcasts, social media news releases, forums, and photo sharing? Some people would have you believe that you should be engaged in all, or most, of these social media tools and tactics to promote your business. Those people are wrong.

Why it Doesn’t Pay to be an Early Adopter

It’s a common marketing misconception that businesses should take advantage of every tool available to them if using that tool could potentially attract new visitors, readers, or customers. While there’s nothing wrong with testing new tools, attempting to try everything may cost more than you’d think (in wasted time), especially if you insist on being one of the first.

When a new social media tool is released, early adopters rush in. From a marketing perspective, being an early adopter is not a smart business move for most businesses. Why? Unless large numbers of your particular target market are also early adopters already using the tool, you’re not going to reach your market by jumping on board. Your marketing message has to reach your actual market. If they’re not there yet, there are more productive ways to spend your (or your employees’) time.

The All-Important ROI

Return on investment (ROI) is one of the most important business concepts out there. In essence, when you maximize your ROI you’re getting as much as you can out of as little as possible.

Credit: Matt Hamm

Let’s say you have $5000 to invest in a social media marketing campaign for the next quarter. You naturally want to get the biggest return possible on that investment (let’s say your goal is to attract more visitors to your website).

You could invest a little bit of that budget into every social media tool you can think of. For example, you might produce a very low-budget video to release on YouTube, hire a part-time blogger to update your company blog and respond to comments, put out one or two social media news releases, hire a forum poster to visit communities to link to your website, and hire someone to help you setup social media and microblogging accounts (such as with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter).

When you try to do too much, your budget is stretched. That video may be much poorer quality than you would have liked. You may get a handful of blog posts for the month instead of a blogger who can post daily and build a real community around your blog. You may have social networking profiles and a Twitter account, but you may not have anyone to constantly update them.

It’s far better to strike a balance. Let’s say you still have a $5000 budget. In this case you choose a more limited campaign plan–a blogger to post several times a week, a piece of linkbait (like a free tool for download from that blog), and one social media press release (which includes social bookmarking options) to announce the release of that new tool.

You may not get as much “stuff” for your $5000, but the targeted approach very often leads to greater returns for the same investment. In this case, you’ll have a populated blog attracting links and readers naturally, a free download which will attract even more links and visitors naturally, and a news release helping to give that tool’s launch an edge by promoting it to other bloggers and members of your target market. The key is the cohesiveness–finding tools and tactics that work well collectively to reach your marketing goals.

Knowing When Enough is Enough

Sometimes trying to get more, or do more, will actually give you less. That’s very true in social media marketing and jumping on the hype of new tools (many of which are fads that die down significantly in just a few months to a few years).

Target your social media marketing campaign not only to tools that actually reach your audience right now, but also to tools that will give you the best return on the time or money you sink in. Your social media marketing plan won’t necessarily look like anyone else’s. Even the most talked-about tool may not be right for your company, your budget, or your potential visitors and customers.

Remember that tried and true marketing strategies have earned that reputation for a reason. Don’t sacrifice promotional efforts that are already successful for your company to pursue new tools that may have a heavy learning curve (meaning more time invested) unless your market research tells you that tool or tactic can work even better than what you’re already doing.

It’s okay to try social media tools as they’re released. Just never forget to find out how your customers are using those tools before you invest in them solely for fear of being left behind.

Here are some of the best HR practices that help in the creation of a highly satisfied and motivated work force.

Work Environment

A safe and happy workplace makes the employees feel good about being there. Each one is given importance and provided the security that gives them the motivation and incentive to stay. This is usually achieved through internal surveys to find out whether they are satisfied and if not what they think needs to be changed.

Open Management

Employees don’t like the feeling of being kept in the dark about what is happening in the company. They feel motivated and develop enthusiasm only when the management opens up to them and discusses the company policies, sales, clients, contracts, goals and objectives. This encourages participative management. Asking them for ideas on how to improve will get their creative juices flowing. Being open about everything related to the company will help in building trust and motivating the employees. This open management policy can be practiced using several tools.

Performance Incentives

Every good performance is appreciated in the form of a pat on the back, bonuses or giving some other compensation for a job well done. Organizations that struggle to keep up with the attrition rate are mostly those that think employees are “just” doing their job. Even if it is the employee’s job, completion in an appreciable manner calls for an incentive, and this goes a long way in boosting the staff morale. These incentives can be implemented at the individual as well as the team level and it has been seen that this works wonders in getting the best out of the employees. But it is important to keep in mind that these bonuses should not be given without a reason, unless it is a commitment for annual bonuses or some such thing. Doing so will only reduce the perceived value of the bonuses.

Performance Feedback

This is one the methods that is being followed by many organizations. Feedback is not only taken from the boss, but also from other seniors and subordinates. Previously, appreciation was only sought from the immediate boss or the management, but now organizations understand the importance of collecting performance feedback from several quarters. The opinion of everyone matters, especially for someone who is in a leadership role at any level. Each person in the team is responsible for giving constructive feedback. This kind of system helps in identifying people who can perform well as leaders at higher levels in the organization. Even the senior level managers can use this system to their advantage, as a tool to improve themselves.

Employee Evaluation

Every company has an employee evaluation system in place but a good system links individual performance to the goals and priorities of the organization. This works well when achievements are tracked over an year. For a fair review of each employee, the evaluation, apart from being done by the boss, should be done by another person at a higher level, for whom the employee’s contribution is important. Ratings can also be obtained by other employees. This ensures a fair and accurate rating of each and every employee.

Sharing of Knowledge

Knowledge sharing is a wonderful strategy that helps in the betterment of the employees and their work. Keep all the knowledgeable information in central databases that can be accessed by each and every employee. For example, if an employee is sent on some training, the knowledge that is acquired by that employee can be stored in these databases for others to learn from it. Even innovative ideas that the management deems fit for employees to see, can be stored here for all to see.

Publicize Good Performances

Every company has some employees who outperform others. Such performances should be highlighted and displayed where other employees can look at them; such as on the display boards and intranet etc. This will encourage others to give their best. A proper system should be set up to make a list of high performances at specific times in a year.

Discussions

Successful organizations nurture ideas and they understand that employees who are actually working and know the business can provide the best ideas. The management should have discussions with employees to get these ideas out of them. There can also be suggestion boxes to capture these ideas. Through this system, managers can find talented employees and develop them.

Rewards

While recognition of talent is highly important, this recognition has to be made public and what better way than holding ceremonies and announcing to the whole world (the employees), the achievements of a fellow employee. There can be nothing better for an employee than the heady feeling from a resounding applause.

The Surprise Factor

Who doesn’t like a surprise? Surprise deserving employees – when they are least expecting it. It could be a gift certificate or a small reward of some sort. This surprise doesn’t have to be limited to the best performers, but it can be randomly given to others as a motivating factor too. Anyone can be given this surprise reward.

Such healthy HR practices encourage the growth of the organization as employees after all play a major role in the well-being of a company. Making an employee feel like a million dollars pays in the form of the success of an organization.

The social media resume format is a media format of a resume and contains media elements such as MP 3s or videos created by you do the talking, instead of you. This was first created by Christopher Penn, who gave it the name of SMR and provided an online sample.

This resume format is catching up with job seekers and it seems to be doing wonders. According to a user, the main advantage of using this format is that it can be customized to reflect you as a person. All the elements of a normal resume continue to be present with additions of multimedia elements, integrated social networking feeds and sharing options. Adding these certainly equips a person better for success.

Multimedia

The main aspect of SMR is of course multimedia. Apart from making the resume colorful and interesting, it provides a chance for employers to see the actual person, instead of just a piece of text on paper. This multimedia can be created using either googlepages.com or wordpress.com.

Let’s see what can be uploaded:

You can upload videos of you, answering simple interview questions and talking about your qualifications and achievements.

If you have conducted any seminars or held conferences, you can add videos of that or even MP3s.

You can embed your photos taken in important business situations or when meeting important people in your field.

It would be wonderful if you can get audio testimonials from your previous employers, clients or colleagues.

Pointers

If you have an online presence at social networking sites, like Facebook, where you have created profiles, you can provide pointers to them. This will help people understand your persona better. This will also help them see your connections, giving them an idea of what sort of people you interact or deal with usually. If you are going to be creating a resume six months or one year down the line, it would help to sign up with these sites and start building a good job-oriented profile.

If you already have a presence in the social networking scene, you can start cleaning up everything you feel should not be seen by your future employers. Since social networking is public, you have to wipe out all the signs people may consider negative, even inappropriate pictures of yourself. If you have uploaded a picture of you drunk, take it out.

The wonderful thing about SMR is that it can be shared. Since it is not paper and does not need photocopying, it can be passed on to any number of social networking sites. The more social networking sites you leave a URL at, the easier it will be to catch the eye of someone important.

Keywords

If you have been online for any amount of time, you would know that search engines rule. Using the relevant keywords is the key to being found. If you are looking for a position in “aeronautics,” you should ensure these words figure in your resume. Make a list of all the words that best describe you and the industry you are in and use them intelligently in your resume, making sure not to over-use the keywords.

With the awareness of this format increasing, many employers now look for these formats to find the perfect person for the position.

Let’s see what employers think of this format.

The general consensus of employers is that it is a good format and helps them understand the person’s ability to communicate effectively, which is perceived as the most important skill in the current day.

All this may sound interesting and exciting but do not overdo it. Overdoing it can kill whatever little chance you have of finding that perfect job. Keep the videos and photos to the minimum as the page will take longer to load and it does not depict professionalism. If you have something else you want people to see, then you can always add links to pages where they can be viewed, such as YouTube or Flickr album.

Well, what are you waiting for? Show your talent and land yourself a dream job.

The economy in the United States is causing great concern for everyday citizens around the world. While top level executives are walking away with millions from failed companies, investors and employees are facing hard facts about their investments, their careers and their future. When you find yourself under the axe, your career aspects are bleaker across the board and if you’re not prepared for the possibility of lay-offs, you can be a tight spot both in the short-term and long-term.

Jobs and Recessions

There is little doubt there is a huge correlation between jobs and the economy. When the economy dips, companies trim the fat on their budgets. Often, this means non profitable departments are cut along with nonessential personnel. Contractors, freelancers and others might find themselves out of work for one company where they were duplicates of actual employees who must now shoulder more work for the same salary. Freelance individuals might find also themselves with more work as companies opt to outsource work to contractors rather than pay employee benefits and salaries.

In a recession, many jobs will be lost and the jobs that remain will become more cumbersome. Some fields will remain the same or even grow, such as the medical industry, virtually undisturbed by the economic conditions. Your plan for a bad economy should reflect your career track, your skills and your initiative.

Jobseeker Qualifications

When you find yourself worrying about the economy or the well being of your particularly employer, remember that the best employees are usually the first to jump ship. Employees with contacts and skills that make them desirable in the industry are often sought after by competitors with firmer standing, and when the first sniff of trouble arrives, these employees are gone to the highest bidder.

To be one of the more desirable employees snatched up by competitors or just easy to hire for a company in a different sector, you should have:

• Clear and necessary skills
• Experience in a particular field
• Documented education and certifications
• Contacts within the industry

You should always be working to network and build contacts within the industry you choose to work in, as well as competing and complementing industries. These contacts can come in handy when you need to find a position now. The remainder of the qualifications are earned rather than created. This is where education comes into play.

Benefits of Education

While education can’t give you workforce experience, it can give you opportunities to start work in an entirely new career without the benefit of experience. If you recognize a need in your area for cable technicians, a few certifications classes can get you qualified to lay cable. While this is quite a switch from many office style careers, you don’t hear of cable technicians getting laid off. Skilled labor is hard to come by in a great economy, so it’s usually one of the best places to start your education in a bad one. You can learn a basic skill in a matter of weeks and use that skill to secure yourself a job. As you continue to learn and add skills to your initial one, you’ll be well on your way to a formal certificate or degree as well as a career in an area where you are sorely needed and unlikely to ever be asked to leave.

Education can give you an almost immediate skill as well as starting you on a new track. While you might learn a spot of welding to get you into a particular company, you can add more technical skills and management courses to your degree over time. When you finish your degree, the economy will likely have improved and you will have survived with a new career and now have a huge number of options as to how you want to use your new degree and extremely valuable experience in a particular field.

Seeking Opportunities

The most critical aspect to finding a job in a failing economy is going where the jobs are. This might mean physically moving to a new city or state, or it might mean doing research to determine what needs there are in your community for skilled and trained employees. Find an opportunity that interests you and immediately get to work earning the entry-level qualifications or adding to your current qualifications to be sure you are the most desirable applicant for the job.

In a bad economy, jobs won’t come to you – you must find them. For those who have used education to their advantage, this can be as simple as letting a few contacts know what skills and abilities you have and waiting for a conversation to start regarding a move to that company using your new skills as a catalyst for change.